Medellin

Franck Gastambide applies the same recipe as his three previous films. But with this film, the result is less successful. Perhaps because certain ingredients are missing: the equivalent of Medi Sadoun's character in Les Kaïra (2012) or Malik Bentalha's in Pattaya (2016) or Taxi 5. Here, he is replaced by the character played by Ramzy Bedia, already present in the two aforementioned films. But it doesn't work, because he's not a source of humor.

This is also due to the subject matter, the drug cartels in Colombia. It's a less interesting subject, as it's been dealt with many times before, and much more brilliantly. A poor choice, then. And that's despite some nice ingredients: Mike Tyson as a trainer or the romantic attribute (Essined Aponte).

Otherwise, Franck Gastambide's talents are still there: a character with logorrheic dialogue, a mix of situational comedy and action sequences that are meant to be, and are, breathtaking, and the dwarf (Anouar Toubali) who brings his variations, much less well integrated here than in Les Kaira or Pattaya. In short, the recipe doesn't work here.

I gave this film a good, worth seeing rating of 7due to its originality with a mix of action and comedy like you've never seen before. Medellín hits the funny bone and the heart at the same time without feeling contrived. The actors are mostly new and refreshing, with Frank Gastambide, the creator, actor director doing a yoeman's job keeping the crazyness coherent and fast paced. The other two main characters played by Ramzy Bedia and Anuair Toubali form a nice odd trio of reluctant heros with Gastambide. Casting Mike Tyson as the somewhat secretive CIA type who aides their mission to rescue Bedia's character's younger brother- a Pablo Escobar, look alike, internet wannabe, played hilariously by Brahim Bouhlel. Totally full of funny moments, and a few good spoofs to keep your interest going...

Bad script bad intentions...I mean did they want to make a comedy? An action movie? Both? Non of that...it's a salad of already seen movies, but in the wrong contest...it could have been a light comedy if they didn't went too serious...the end of the movie is more disappointing...completely out of contest...it's like they didn't know how to come out of a surreal story that went too much down. Comedy is not easy, action is not easy...to do both you really need to know your s..t.

Even the color grade is out of contest.

They've missed the opportunity of a comedy-action with a moral for young people.

This was so boring. Overplayed topic of drugs in Colombia. Very inaccurate, Medellin is not a short drive away from the beach lol, it's very locked in-land up in the Andes.

Bringing Mike Tyson and Tuco Salamanca as the fail-safe of the movie was more Fail than anything, the second plays a Colombian druglord and can barely speak spanish correctly.

Also, the chase scenes were like okay but felt shorthanded. Looked like they were about to save the movie but ended disappointing. Acting was also terrible, characters were poorly developed and seemed too unrealistic.

Overplayed, overexcited, too bad to watch.

Absurd movie. Only people as obtuse as the Pablo wannabe would enjoy it.

This boasts an absurd premise and Spanish speaking actors who can't speak Spanish without an American accent, let alone a Colombian accent. I'm looking at you Diablo, but this applies to every other actor who wasn't an extra.

Geographically inaccurate. The only near by town with a large body of water is a lake. Please explain how you got a shark there.

While we're at it: a hotel in the Comuna 13? Really???

The car under the semi scene, must have been the tallest semi, prime for rolling over in the tight hairpin turns of the roads between the mayor cities of Colombia, paired with lowest car in the history of the country: prime for getting stuck in potholes or at the foot of the myriad of hills within the city.

Need I go on? I always finish a movie, but my time is far too valuable for this one. I just couldn't.