In a way, this movie is consistently quite entertaining. The basic plot concept is very simple but kind of works, although it could easily benefit from another layer of sophistication. In its current state it’s like an episode from a series like NCIS and could have been wrapped up in an hour.
From Paris With Love stars John Travolta as Charlie Wax – an obnoxious, unorthodox hotshot government agent; and Jonathan Rhys Meyers as James Reese – the pen-pushing agent who gets his first job in the field as he’s assigned to working with Wax, which initially seems unbearable but he soon gets used to it and soon learns to appreciate Wax’s mad methods of getting the job done efficiently yet wildly & savagely.
Acting wise, they both do a decent job – quite convincing except for Travolta’s overweight physique (which his heavy coat and fluffy scarf are constantly trying to hide).
Secondary characters include Kasia Smutniak who quite well plays Caroline – Reese’s fiancée who has a dirty little secret; and Richard Durden who satisfactorily plays Ambassador Bennington – Reese’s boss.
Another actor also does pretty good as the near-robotic agent driving Wax around towards the end, but I can’t put a name to his face after checking in Google & IMDB for quite a while. He makes a great semblance of a typical order-following, speak-only-when-spoken-to elite-level national security professional which contrasts nicely with Wax and his renegade methods even though they’re on the same side and working well together.
The fight scenes that begin after 20 minutes in, are shot with unpleasantly jittery camerawork accompanying aggressive noises etc, presumably to mask the lack of real martial arts or athletic ability of John Travolta. He also wears a very chunky coat, scarf and distinctive facial hair presumably to mask his podgy belly and neck – not the most convincing look for a rope-swinging rooftop-jumping special forces hotshot.
Some of the slower drama scenes get rough & radical too, such as when Wax & Reese snort coke from the vase that Wax told Reese to carry around with him.
There’s a blasphemic theme throughout, mainly coming from Travolta’s character, so this movie is not so suitable for young family viewing or when you just want to see & hear things that are pleasant & respectful, especially from the lead protagonists. But if you’re feeling numb or patient enough to be immune to its blasphemy, you may be able to enjoy the fast action and mild humour found throughout this movie.
There’s an awesome plot twist after an hour in, as Wax & Reese discover Reese’s fiancée Caroline may be harbouring a dark secret. Why did it take till the movie was almost over to get really spicy though?
It’s disgusting, but not surprising, to see this movie intentionally convoluting Islamic Dua (invitation to the religion) with terrorist grooming, towards the end. I guess this was the real main motive behind the making of this movie. Typical Hollywood.
Overall, with all things considered, I rate it an OK action movie. Just OK – no more, no less. Just about Average in terms of entertainment value provided, considering all its pros & cons.