Bare bones and brains-free, From Paris with Love offers up a carnival of bullets and bad behavior that moves fast and keeps it simple and stupid. You’re locked-in, entertained, amused, and ejected before you ever have time to complain.
I took some flak this time last year when I referred to Taken as “good trash.” Seems some viewers had a deep emotional connection with Taken because it used fatherly love and its jaw-breaking protection instinct as the driving force. And because we all know that if you are a young woman and set foot outside the continental United States you will be instantly abducted by swarthy foreigners and sold into sexual slavery. And yes, that includes Hawaii and Alaska.
Well folks should have no such objections to my calling From Paris with Love “good trash.” This R-rated action ramble from Taken producer Luc Besson and director Pierre Morel quickly and conveniently does away with any pretense of social or emotional importance. It's just here to chew gum and have nasty fun.
The story hinges on a buttoned-down, up-and-coming spy wannabe (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) stationed in Paris and newly partnered with his buddy-spy polar opposite: A swaggering, swearing, drug-snorting, hooker-loving cowboy played by John Travolta (head shaved like Stone Cold Austin Powers). There’s some plot things about drugs and Islamic terrorists, but mostly Travolta's American is in Paris to get in fast, shoot a bunch of folks, use some hookers, do some blow, blow some stuff up, and get outta Le Dodge.
And much to its credit, so is From Paris with Love. Make no mistake, this isn’t any sort of “good” film—it will register in your reptile-brain consciousness for exactly as long as your butt is in the theater seat. But thanks to Morel’s clear talent for no-frills, high-impact action mayhem, the movie’s sleek 90-minute running time never drags nor wears out its over-the-top welcome.
And you know this means something coming from me, as I’ve been upfront about my deep-rooted disinterest in John Travolta. To me, Travolta feels like a social-engineering celebrity program: We didn’t ask for him, we don’t want him, we can’t stand him, and yet here he is, still hanging around, foisted on us several times a year. And to his credit, Travolta does his best to chew the scenery out from under From Paris with Love—from the moment he shows up, he’s bellowing, swearing, mugging, doing that wild-eyed “arch sarcasm” thing he’s thought is so “cool” since Broken Arrow. His Charlie Wax super-spy/mega-jerk routine is a silly cartoon—the energy-drink-fueled Ugly American cranked up to distortion levels—but Morel’s steady commitment to high-octane stupidity helps Travolta’s aggro ham-handedness fit right in.
In fact, the only part of From Paris with Love that drags is the first 15 minutes, before Travolta shows up. There we’re stuck with Jonathan Rhys Meyers looking horribly out of place and miscast as the American diplomatic aide who wants to be a hero. Meyers gives great brooding, cutthroat ambition in other roles, but forced to play nice and relatable here, he can barely bring himself to say his lines. An otherwise fine Irish actor, Meyers is so awful that for those early scenes, we’re forced to block out his disinterested performance and focus on his pencil-thin facial hair. What is it? A mustache? A goatee? Where did it come from? What does it want from us?
Once the coke-and-dagger shenanigans get started in earnest, Travolta and Meyers don’t generate a ton of comedic sparks together, but the film doesn’t seem to care and eventually neither do you. There’s an appealing ‘80s buddy-cop feel to From Paris with Love, though it’s probably more Tango and Cash than Lethal Weapon. The film is plastic and shallow, but it never slows down long enough for you to mind. Sure, like Taken, it opens up some moral gray areas, but they’re quickly illuminated by pretty orange fireballs. By the time Travolta is cradling a rocket launcher while leaning out the window of a speeding Audi, it’s easy to just give and go with the low-rent awesomeness of it all. You can always shower and cope with the shame and regret in the morning.
Posted on February 6, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Locke: I agree with you on this one even though I haven’t seen this yet. This film looks stupid to me and I actually agree with the pro critics on this one.
I just saw Dear John, absolutely loved the film. The romance is actually genuine and this film From Paris with Love seems like bogus. Dear John is the best romance film of the decade to me but anyway I’m getting off subject here so I don’t have any interest of seeing From Paris with Love.
Posted on February 8, 2010 at 9:46 am
Love the synopsis. Sounds like a great rental.
Posted on February 8, 2010 at 11:16 am
Stone Cold Austin Powers? Is that a mash-up of Stone Cold Steve Austin and Austin Powers the Spy Who Shagged Me?
Posted on February 8, 2010 at 11:21 am
This looks like a roller coaster ride in the literal sense. It’s a lot of fun, but you wouldn’t want one every day.
Coke-and-dagger…lol!
Posted on February 9, 2010 at 5:12 pm
This film is just a cover to explain John Travolta’s hair loss caused by his recent Chemo-Therapy treatments…
Posted on February 9, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Movies are made to entertain, and this film From Paris with Love did just that. I was very entertained and enjoyed the film. I would probably even go see it again!
Posted on February 9, 2010 at 6:56 pm
This movie was just plain enjoyable. Like he said “slow at first” but not stop action and humor from the time Travolta hits the scene.I went away more entertained with this 90 minute movie than the overly long 3D Avitar movie. Maybe that was because if you stripped away the computer graphics/ 3D effects for Avitar you were left with average acting and script. What is really nice is that for once in 30 something years a movie with an R rating didn’t show nudity even while dealing with hookers and drug dealers.
Posted on February 9, 2010 at 9:29 pm
This movie was a piece of foul dog poop floating in a bucket of hyena urine. Save your money for anything else or use it as little paper air planes anything wouold be better.
Posted on February 9, 2010 at 10:03 pm
This is the best review I’ve read in a long time! I love your writing style, witty and interesting and very accurately discriptive. Reading this is the most fun I’ve had all day. Thank you.
Posted on February 9, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Sorry, but this review reminds me of all of the years that Judith Crist badmouthed, trashed, and TRIED to get moviegoers disinterested in any movie with Clint Eastwood. She hated his movies with a passion. Travolta makes movies for moviegoers who actually LIKE his movies. I have learned over the years that most movie critics actually suck at their jobs. Just show up at a magazine or newspaper, produce a sheepskin showing a major in english literature, and you can be called a movie critic. Ain’t it cool?
Posted on February 9, 2010 at 10:34 pm
I enjoyed your critique more than anything Locke, you’re a funny guy. As for the movie, I try not to waste time on eye candy. Prob wont see it.
Posted on February 9, 2010 at 11:13 pm
I loved Taken. I never thought of Liam Neelson as a bad ass until that movie. This movie is no Taken but still entertnaining.
These kind of movies are my own guilty pleasures. My wife gets to watch “House Wives of so and so” or some VH1 show. And I get to watch things blow up.
Posted on February 10, 2010 at 2:56 am
Travolta is a splendid actor. I haven’t seen this film yet, and most likely will only see it on DVD. As far as your review goes, keep it down to one to two paragraphs.
Posted on February 10, 2010 at 6:26 am
HI, I have been wondering how does a average person go about conacting a producer regarding an idea for a film? Is there a way to do this, on the legit? If so could you please advise. I am not in it for the money, just want to see a movie made from my suggestion. thanks sally
Posted on February 10, 2010 at 7:55 am
Travolta can act any role any time better than any actor of his generation, past or present. The man is a genius and no one gives him enough credit. Bad mouth him all you want but he is the best! I hope he never stops making movies!
Posted on February 10, 2010 at 9:29 am
“Stone Cold Austin Powers” cracked me up! Love your writing style, too, but I have to disagree on some points. I can’t understand your Travolta prejudice. Are you secretly in love with Kelly Preston? Travolta is definitely hit or miss, but not consistently bad. Haven’t seen FPWL yet, but I enjoy Luc Besson movies. La Femme Nikita, The Professional, and The Transporter movies are all great, and watching The Fifth Element always cheers me up after a bad day. Believe it not I’m female and I love watching stuff blow up and bad guys gettin’ their due! Those of us who have busy, problem-solving, task-oriented days don’t enjoy preachy, message-oriented, philosophying BS; we need escapist movie time.
Posted on February 10, 2010 at 10:38 am
I too love your review…….hysterical and entertaining. Now I will watch the movie for a dollar and laugh at those who spend more and are regretful immediately.
Posted on February 10, 2010 at 7:53 pm
…will see From Paris With Love, tomorrow; but if it’s anything like Taken…well, that was one of the worst films I’ve ever seen. Liam Neeson was completely miscast…and his dyed black hair was as bad as I’ve seen.
Posted on February 11, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Pretty harsh, Kim. Not every critic is loved by readers, mind you. But this review I did enjoy! =D
I saw this movie opening night (surprisingly not many people were in the theater for the 10:30pm showing at Regal..). We felt like watching a movie, especially an action/comedy. I expected more.. But I did like Travolta’s character overall. I felt like they really intensifyed his action scenes to appear more extreme- I think in reality he had a hard time moving, tumbling, etc that they had to shake up the camera. I just felt the craving of MORE ACTION the whole time. Is that strange? Maybe I was comparing it to The Transporter..? Sometimes I just want raw fight scenes with no guns and a good camera shot for it. This movie just made it feel more fake with the angles and take on fighting, THOUGH that could have just been the style and nothing to do with how old Travolta is.
There were some scenes that were fairly lame, very predictable plot, and the ending was a laugh- at how stupid it was. We started to compare it to Rush Hour with how they ended their movies.. debated which was a better ending, etc. I would say to rent this film- It’s nothing special but is interesting to see. I like Travolta very much. I do not know why they chose this actor to star with him..
Posted on February 12, 2010 at 2:21 pm
i think they are both hot as hell..so thats good enough for me!!not big on romance but love sum action with sum hotties:)
Posted on February 14, 2010 at 12:53 pm
John Travolta is my favorite actor he is a very talented person . he is what they say in show buisness as a triple threat ,so keep your opinions about him to yourself so there.