Theatrical Review: FROM PARIS WITH LOVE

Rating: 8/10

Writers: Adi Hasak (screenplay), Luc Besson (story)
Director: Pierre Morel
Cast: John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Kasia Smutniak
Studio: Lionsgate

Luc Besson is probably one of my favorite filmmakers of all time. I will usually watch anything that he is involved with, because it is usually very good (TRANSPORTER 2 aside). He really won my attention with last year’s TAKEN, not to mention he brought my attention to the film’s director Pierre Morel. When their next project together, FROM PARIS WITH LOVE was announced, I automatically knew I’d like it. That was before I saw the very cheesy trailer that made me lose all hope in the film.

I didn’t expect what I ended up getting with the film at all. It turned out to be a really fun, action packed, ridiculous, hilarious, vulgar, John Travolta(y?) good time. The action was really exciting to watch because it kept the same intensity as the action sequences from TAKEN while adding a somewhat Michael Bay-esque explosion fetish. In a lot of ways, this movie reminds me of DIE HARD. Both of which share a similar ridiculous yet bad-ass style.

Not to mention, what came across as cheesy in the trailer was actually funny and clever in the film. The credit for this should fully go to John Travolta, who pulls off the character of Charlie Wax perfectly. Wax has been a spy for a while and wasn’t shy in adopting the idealized spy culture, and is not afraid to go cheese-tastic. If someone would have told me about the line “Wax on, Wax off,” I would have groaned and sighed, but it somehow mystically worked.

I think one of the reasons the countless one-liners and gags are executed so well, is because of Jonathan Rhys Meyers inexperienced straight-man character playing off Charlie Wax. Meyers kind of surprised me in this movie, I’m relatively unfamiliar with his work aside from “The Tudors.” I thought he might be somewhat out of place in this film, but he firmly placed his foot as the romantic and relatable character who is our bridge to all the insanity.

I also really appreciate a lot of the thought that went into the film. Charlie Wax is a little bit older and although he acts very young and agile, he’s got his limits. The film makes a note of this multiple times, one example is when he is chasing a much younger gymnastics-able foe. He can keep up to her but trips, rolls, and falls the whole way.

The basic skeleton of the story is really nothing to call home about, but there are some nice twists and turns along the way that make it very interesting. I’ll be the first to admit it, the movie pulled a fast one on me and I wasn’t expecting it at all. I really appreciate when a movie like this does that because most of its caliber don’t.

I’d also like to mention that the end took a really different tone than the rest of the movie. Sometimes when a full-on comedic action movie takes a more serious and dramatic route near the end, it feels really out of place and forced. The ending to this movie was extremely intense and definitely surprised me.

With such skillful performances, fun action, and clever writing, it makes me happy to be able to suggest this movie. Luc Besson and Pierre Morel really have something great going, and I hope they keep it up. FROM PARIS WITH LOVE is a really great start to what I hope turns into a really great franchise.