From Paris With Love

Directed by Pierre Morel, From Paris With Love details the chaos that ensues after an Ambassador’s aide (Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ James Reece) agrees to help a rogue American agent (John Travolta’s Charlie Wax) prevent a terrorist attack – with the latter’s unconventional methods landing the former in hot water with his superiors and his girlfriend (Kasia Smutniak’s Caroline). It’s a workable premise that’s squandered from the word go by Morel, as the filmmaker, working from Adi Hasak’s screenplay, has infused the movie with an incongruously deliberate pace that’s exacerbated by a lack of both context and character development. There is, as a result, never a point at which the viewer is able to wholeheartedly work up any interest in the protagonists’ ongoing efforts, with the needlessly convoluted storyline and pervasive lack of momentum effectively draining the film’s action sequences of their energy and impact. It doesn’t help, either, that Travolta, charismatic as he may be, is simply unable to convincingly step into the shoes of his seemingly indestructible character, as the actor’s tubby physique and advanced age stand in sharp contrast to Wax’s penchant for effortlessly fighting his way out of any given situation. The inclusion of a surprisingly decent twist at around the one-hour mark admittedly does improve things substantially, with the movie’s third act subsequently packing more thrills and excitement than one could have reasonably expected. It’s a strong stretch that isn’t, in the final analysis, able to compensate for the hopelessly dull nature of everything preceding it, which effectively cements From Paris With Love‘s place as just another underwhelming contemporary actioner.

** out of ****