Today’s quick review: From Paris with Love. James Reese (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is an intelligence officer with the U.S. embassy in Paris. Now in a stable relationship with Caroline (Kasia Smutniak), Reese is eager to take the next step in his career: special ops field work. He gets his chance when he’s partnered with Charlie Wax (John Travolta), a talented but unconventional field operative who’s in town to take down a drug ring by force.
From Paris with Love is a fast-paced action movie that pairs an inexperienced intelligence agent with an eccentric master of the craft. The movie follows Wax and Reese as they tear around Paris, tracking down criminals according to Wax’s inscrutable logic. From Paris with Love features plenty of action and an engaging lead in John Travolta. However, its loose plot and shallow characters keep it from being anything more than a popcorn watch.
From Paris with Love handles its action well. The action scenes are fast and frantic, thanks mainly to Wax’s gung ho approach to combat. The film doesn’t push the envelope with its stunts, but it does execute them cleanly and provides a nice variety of firefights, explosions, and chase scenes. The action never lets up for long; Wax always seems to find somebody new to shoot at every few minutes.
The movie’s other main draw is John Travolta. Charlie Wax is a chance for Travolta to open up and have some fun. Wax lacks the subtle touches that make other eccentric characters so charismatic, but he makes up for in enthusiasm what he lacks in subtlety. His partnership with Reese is a missed opportunity. Meant to be the cornerstone of the film, the pairing lacks the tension it needs and comes across as a forced friendship.
From Paris with Love is also on shaky ground when it comes to its plot. Much like Charlie Wax himself, the movie tends to jump without looking. From Paris with Love tends to lead with plot twists and then try to explain them later. This works well for cramming in as much action as possible, but it damages the impact of the story. There is no clear direction for the movie and no lead-in for any of its twists; the story feels like an afterthought.
Give From Paris with Love a shot when you’re in the mood for a pure, energetic action movie. The movie has little to offer in the way of plot, and its characters are only a partial success, but those who are just in it for the spectacle will get exactly what they want. For a more dramatic action movie with a pair of unlikely allies, check out Safe House. For a darker, more dramatic take on a similar premise, check out Training Day.
6.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for high-octane action and a decent plot hurt somewhat by its seat-of-the-pants storytelling.