FROM PARIS WITH LOVE suffers from a straight-line plot, undereveloped characters, and a shallow world view. It has all the makings of a really, really terrible movie.
But once it got cranked up, which didn't take long, the time flew. It was the fastest 92 minutes I've spent in a long time, and I enjoyed every solitary second of it.
If you're looking for a complex, multilayered spy thriller a la Tom Clancy or John le Carré, this is not it. FROM PARIS WITH LOVE doesn't pretend to rise to that level, and it doesn't need to. It's unapologetically what it is: a straightforward action movie.
The charm of FROM PARIS WITH LOVE is nonstop speed, improbable gunplay, hand-to-hand brawling, and big explosions, with a litte snappy (if not overly witty) dialog added in. The filmmakers offer just enough of a plot to tie the action together and no more. The picturesque backdrop of Paris is merely a set for a thrill ride that would have worked in any other world capital with equal effect.
Travolta and Rhys-Meyers are quality actors secure enough in their talent to do exactly what the script calls for, specifically to let the action take center stage. Thankfully, they didn't try to do more. Travolta's Charlie Wax is colorful but not terribly deep, Rhys-Meyers' James Reese is earnest and imposssibly naive, and while over the top at times, their performances enhance while never stealing the spotlight from the movie's biggest star: the action.
FROM PARIS WITH LOVE is pure, exciting escapism that's not designed to be overthought. In this respect, it's a total success, so disengage your critical impulses, fasten your seat belt, and prepare to be entertained.
But once it got cranked up, which didn't take long, the time flew. It was the fastest 92 minutes I've spent in a long time, and I enjoyed every solitary second of it.
If you're looking for a complex, multilayered spy thriller a la Tom Clancy or John le Carré, this is not it. FROM PARIS WITH LOVE doesn't pretend to rise to that level, and it doesn't need to. It's unapologetically what it is: a straightforward action movie.
The charm of FROM PARIS WITH LOVE is nonstop speed, improbable gunplay, hand-to-hand brawling, and big explosions, with a litte snappy (if not overly witty) dialog added in. The filmmakers offer just enough of a plot to tie the action together and no more. The picturesque backdrop of Paris is merely a set for a thrill ride that would have worked in any other world capital with equal effect.
Travolta and Rhys-Meyers are quality actors secure enough in their talent to do exactly what the script calls for, specifically to let the action take center stage. Thankfully, they didn't try to do more. Travolta's Charlie Wax is colorful but not terribly deep, Rhys-Meyers' James Reese is earnest and imposssibly naive, and while over the top at times, their performances enhance while never stealing the spotlight from the movie's biggest star: the action.
FROM PARIS WITH LOVE is pure, exciting escapism that's not designed to be overthought. In this respect, it's a total success, so disengage your critical impulses, fasten your seat belt, and prepare to be entertained.