Film Reviews

From Paris With Love

• Rating:
• Director: Pierre Morel
• Starring: John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Kasia Smutniak
• Details: US/FRANCE (16)

Coming from the lens of Taken helmer Pierre Morel, this old fashioned action romp is therefore expected to deliver on two fronts; kick ass hand-to-hand combat courtesy of a hard bastard protagonist, and ropey dialogue. It fails at achieving the former, but knocks the latter out of the park. Taken was entertaining mainly because of Neeson. It was strange beast, simultaneously ridiculous and enjoyable - Oskar Schindler hands half of Paris its ass for god sake. The problem here is Morel has photocopied that film, thrown in an 80's style plot where Jonathon Rhys Myers plays a secret agent, masquerading as politician's assistant; and given John Travolta a shaved head, dodgy goatee and potty mouth. Nesson as a middle-aged secret operative we can buy, John Travolta just looks like someone you don’t wanna drop the soap next to in the prison shower. It all kicks off when Myers and his inexplicable facial hair go to the airport to collect Travolta's trigger-happy, abrasive government whack specialist. He's been brought in to take down some bad guys, and he's damn well gonna do it with two machine guns and in slow motion - after having sex with a hooker and snorting lots of coke. This reinforces his "I don't give a sh*t" attitude y'see. Myers basically follows him around, shrugging his shoulders at the bullet ridden bodies piling up, until he's given something to do with the twist ending. Morel setting this film in Paris was only going to draw comparisons with Taken, but even as a standalone cheesey, no-brainer action-fest, From Paris With Love struggles. Myers has got definite ability as an actor, but he's sleepwalking here, happy to allow John Travolta go nuts - maybe a wise move in some ways. Travolta on the other hand wasn't reined in enough, which results in a performance that could've been fun, but now just seems crass and excessive. Action junkies who thought Law Abiding Citizen was a masterpiece may find something here to enjoy, but even for them it could be slim pickings.

Review by Mike Sheridan