From Paris with Love

Would I watch this movie again? Yes I was not sure what to expect from this movie. But, I decided to watch it. And long and behold, its one which you should not miss if you are into guy movies like me. Lots of action, good lines, fast pace and a bit of a story. What else can a guy ask for? More hot chick scene? Action: Travolta has all the moves and faster then all the bullets which blast by him. He kicks butt and then some.

Speech and dialogue: There were one liners, yes. But the fast talking Travolta was entertaining and was very complimentary with his co-stars Chemistry and pace: The characters were good with each other. Meyers and wife was good. Made me believe. The action and fast talking move the movie along. From building to building, it was good to have different locations to kill bad guys.

Story and Plot: Its all there in the synopsis, where a guy wants more action and he got it.

Hotties and love scenes: just one simple scene

Ending: Ending is good as I feel like it completed the movie. No real loose ends. (I hate movies where the ending leaves you dissatisfied)

This movie is basically about two guys going around blowing stuff up in Paris. And the plot of them trying to take down a terrorist organization is just there to move the movie along because, even for films like this there has to be some sort of plot. And everything in this is nothing you haven't seen before with the explosions and gun fights and all, but something about the film just makes it pretty damn entertaining. I mean the plot with the by the book dude teaming up with a loose cannon crazy guy has been done before, but the elements of bad ass and witty and fast paced dialogue and maybe some other stuff makes it really entertaining to watch, even if the twist near the end was pretty predictable as the rest of the movie. Jonathan Rhys Meyers who plays a character that plays by the book was pretty boring and he takes up the first few couple of minutes of the movie, but when John Travolta comes in, well lets just say it's one hell of a ride. He basically plays Charlie Wax, a reckless guy that is a bit crazy but always gets things done. Just turn your brain off and enjoy this movie for what it is, not every film has to be smart to be enjoyable.

7.5/10

Jonathan Rhys Meyers works for the American Embassy in Paris and is used to performing small surveillance/spying jobs. Yet he yearns to be a member of the big league: what is referred to as 'The Club' – a buzzword for elite government agents. He gets his chance when he has to go to the airport to collect a loud, foul-mouthed colleague – John Travolta in a totally unhinged performance – who's arrived in town on a drugs bust, but later uncovers a terrorist plot. Cue: lots of witty banter, beatings and shootings galore as a reluctant Rhys Meyer's gets in over his head with his apparently unstable partner.

As you can tell from the above short outline, if you're watching this thinking you're in for a soppy love story, you'd better brace yourself for the truth: this is a violent, foul-mouthed, headache inducing shoot 'em up. It's a simple action story where – stop me if you haven't heard this before – two mismatched agents argue and bitch the entire time while spouting witty dialog at each other. But don't let that put you off: this is a deliriously entertaining buddy movie in the mold of Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout and a host of others, but with an added European flavor which serves to make it stand out from the crowd.

For a flashy, big budget movie, it's refreshingly old school. There's no dizzy 3D on display and whatever CG is present is so subtle as to be almost undetectable. In fact this movie could have been made in the late 80s/early 90s. What we get in their place is a movie that relies on the characters talking to each other rather than relying on big effects. This is like a breath of fresh air. Travolta and Rhys Meyers work really well together and are believable as the two mismatched agents: one a nervy and green rookie with no experience, the other a seasoned pro that tends to shoot first and then ask his questions. The script is very witty and there's lots of entertaining back and forth banter between the two of them.

Travolta is his typically over-the-top self in the movie - but in a good way. At times he's laugh-out-loud hilarious and puts in an energetic comedic performance. He's seems to relish the outrageous situations and the witty dialog. He runs through his familiar back catalog of high pitched 'Yeahs' and whoops and an assortment of swear words that wouldn't have been out of place in Pulp Fiction. In fact the aforementioned movie is even referenced in a throwaway line where he mentions that his favorite food is a 'Royale with cheese'. You know that an actor's recent output hasn't been of the highest quality when he has to remind us of former glories not just once, but twice: did he really think we didn't catch it the first time? Rhys Meyers is good as his straight faced, though bewildered sidekick and underplays his role to good effect. Admittedly, he has no other choice since he's playing to such a powerhouse role as Travolta's. It's clearly Travolta's show and he loves every minute of it. And why wouldn't he? This gives him the chance to play one of his most colorful characters in years.

There are lots of really good classic scenes in this movie, perhaps too many to mention: the airport interrogation room, a scene set in a Chinese restaurant and an encounter with street punks, to name just a few. The movie is brimming with entertaining moments and moves along at a breathless pace, effortlessly sweeping us in with it. So much so, in fact, that we fail to notice how… slightly… confusing… it… is… It's fair to say that this movie doesn't have your standard A-B-C plotting. Story-wise, it is - as they say - all over the shop. Still, when you're having this much fun that doesn't really matter.

It's a shame they couldn't have come up with a better title for the movie because the one they chose doesn't do it justice. While it works in the context of its Parisian setting, it may put people off. The unacquainted could unwittingly pass it up, thinking it's something else entirely. And that would be a shame because this is a highly entertaining and re-watchable gem of a movie with rapid-fire dialog and lots of preposterous situations thrown in for good measure. It's also got its share of surprises and twists. If you like witty buddy cop movies, then go out and see this, if for nothing else, then just to see Travolta back on top of his game in loud, dynamic form.

Pierre Morel & Luc Besson delivered one of the best action films of the last decade, Taken. Even people who typically despise the action genre were won over by it. So where do Pierre & Besson head from here? They made the move to appeal solely to the action fan base. From Paris With Love is made for genre fans, not your average movie-goer. The first 20 minutes are spent with Jonathan Rhys Meyers and it feels a little slow. Once John Travolta's character comes into the story the film takes off like a roller-coaster. His charisma gives the film an extra kick and it gives much of the action a new flavor. Once the fun starts it doesn't stop. Whenever you think this film is slowing down it's really getting ready for the next shootout. You're on the edge of your seat until the very end. Actually, one of my two complaints is the end (I won't spoil anything). Let's just say the last 5 minutes feel a little rushed. If you loved going to the theater to see Live Free Or Die Hard, Rambo, & Taken than this is for you.

Please be gentle, this is my first review.

First of all, Travolta is back! Since Pulp Fiction, where I really enjoyed his play, I always had the feeling that his acting was about skin-deep. What happened in this movie is an invention of a new old-school action hero which would have stood in one line with Willis, Stallone and Schwarzenegger without trying to be one of them. He's powerful, funny and seriously "true" without being ridiculously over-torqued like in Pelham 123 or Face-off.

Basically you need to enjoy old-school action movies to like this. The storyline must have come to the writers mind while brushing his teeth in the morning - It's solid, well grounded, but a little bit too compressed for a 90 min movie. Concerning the speed of this movie, the camera work is fantastic and the cut allows to enjoy the action at it's fullest. (In the last years there were many movies of this type with a cut/camera like a flip-book with missing pages, which made them completely unenjoyable.)

I would like to see more movies of this type in the next years. It's not pretending to be more than what it is: Solid "hero-action" with a proper sidekick.