Jason KingFrom Paris With Love (5/10)
February 18th 2010 20:41
:
John Travolta Going Nuts
Category: No Category
REPOSTED AS FILM RELEASED NOW IN AUSTRALIA
A personal aide to the U.S. Ambassador in France, James Reese (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) has an enviable life in Paris and a beautiful French girlfriend, but his real passion is his side job as a low-level operative for the CIA. All James wants is to become a bona fide agent and see some real action. So when he's offered his first senior-level assignment, he can't believe his good luck - until he meets his new partner...
Pierre Morel's first film Taken, starring Liam Neeson, was a an unsurprising hit, it was intelligent, very Jason Bourne styled and had a plot that was interesting and made the audience support Neesons' characters revenge huntdown. It was also dark, controversial and ticked all the right boxes. You can actually read my review for it HERE. This film ticks only a couple of the boxes and is lacking in nearly everything except for Travolta's personality. The film has a plot that is basically unexplained and non existent and fails miserably.
Travolta is a saviour for this film and this will probably leave a lot of people shocked. Normally Travolta ends up in mediocre films and supporting in some works of greatness. See Old Dogs, Battlefield Earth for the duds and Pulp Fiction for the brilliance. In this film, which could have been called "Die Hard 78: In Paris without a Plot" Travolta channels John McLaine and then cranks it all up to a 12. He is so overboard he comes across as a Cop Superhero who shoots first and then questions later and has no issue taking on six Asian thugs by himself, in fact he finds it trivial. And because of this, and matching it with his stupid sense of humor he is magnetically watchable, I was actually longing for his next scene to see what he would do next. He is GOLD in this film.
Then there is Jonathan Rhys Meyers, the two of them make a great odd couple partnership, but poor old Jonathan is horrible in a lot of films and superb in a few others. He shot to stardom and critical acclaim in 1998's Velvet Goldmine and I started my crush on him when I fell in love watching him as a crazy bisexual in 1999's Titus prior to him being eaten by his family thanks to Hannibal Lecter Titus. He won a Golden Globe for his performance in 2005's Elvis and has won awards galore for his leading part in The Tudors TV show. But you just can't get past all his horrible performances. I think he needs strong direction and a passion for the project he is doing. This is an action piece of schlopp and not something I would find him being overly passionate about. He is quite flat in this one but a site to watch.
The film has action abundant and is more reminiscent of action films of the 80's and 90's. A more slick Tango and Cash (although nowhere near as good), and for some reason I kept thinking a way better Broken Arrow with Travolta himself. It tries to be intelligent with an entwined story of drugs funding terrorism and an assassination attempt but it is so muddled and contrived that you kind of lose the plot and point of the story and just watch Travolta for his next killing. The film does mix some good humour into the mix and Sam (who watched with me) thought it was more of a comedy than an action film. There is many funny moments in the film that had me cracking up. One of them in particular is Travolta throwing bats onto the ground after beating up six or more Asian gang members, the entire audience of critics and reviewers we watched it with all burst into laughter. But then there is the ending (will not ruin anything I promise) where Rhys Meyers tries to save the day with talks of compassion and love. Him being the opposite of Travolta's character who only believes in killing for results. The film tries to make this a soft music, emotional love warm bit and instead I watched over 20 critics and reviewers cringe and laugh with comments of "are you kidding" resonating through the screening room. Even Sam thought it was utterly ridiculous. I understood why the character would do it but it was like throwing roses, holding hands and dancing in a circle around the action of the film and was quite silly. For this alone, Rhys Meyers will be blamed, although he was acting his directed part.
What the film also does well is car chases, there is some great high speed pusuits and one in particular with an Audi had me all excited. Of course what makes it exciting is Travolta hanging out the window with a rocket launcher on his shoulder as if he is riding a scooter. It is great, slick and fast paced. Great tension builder. Loved it and I want that Audi!!!
The film is about as exciting as watching a Jackie Chan Rush Hour film with less annoying characters. If it does well a sequal is lined up but I really can't see it being that big at the box office, it will go about half way to the success of Taken. Morel needs to return to the more serious dark action film and I am in again. I did actually say I would watch this film again when it releases on Blu Ray so I can see Travolta in full action again and of course to perve on Ryhs Meyers
Watch this for John Travolta in top form and enjoy it with a big popcorn and a coke - it is a non thinking action film and they are quite fun sometimes Worth 5/10. Starts this Thursday 11th Feb in Australia - could be a great Valentine's Day film - hahahahahaha
A personal aide to the U.S. Ambassador in France, James Reese (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) has an enviable life in Paris and a beautiful French girlfriend, but his real passion is his side job as a low-level operative for the CIA. All James wants is to become a bona fide agent and see some real action. So when he's offered his first senior-level assignment, he can't believe his good luck - until he meets his new partner...
Pierre Morel's first film Taken, starring Liam Neeson, was a an unsurprising hit, it was intelligent, very Jason Bourne styled and had a plot that was interesting and made the audience support Neesons' characters revenge huntdown. It was also dark, controversial and ticked all the right boxes. You can actually read my review for it HERE. This film ticks only a couple of the boxes and is lacking in nearly everything except for Travolta's personality. The film has a plot that is basically unexplained and non existent and fails miserably.
Travolta is a saviour for this film and this will probably leave a lot of people shocked. Normally Travolta ends up in mediocre films and supporting in some works of greatness. See Old Dogs, Battlefield Earth for the duds and Pulp Fiction for the brilliance. In this film, which could have been called "Die Hard 78: In Paris without a Plot" Travolta channels John McLaine and then cranks it all up to a 12. He is so overboard he comes across as a Cop Superhero who shoots first and then questions later and has no issue taking on six Asian thugs by himself, in fact he finds it trivial. And because of this, and matching it with his stupid sense of humor he is magnetically watchable, I was actually longing for his next scene to see what he would do next. He is GOLD in this film.
Then there is Jonathan Rhys Meyers, the two of them make a great odd couple partnership, but poor old Jonathan is horrible in a lot of films and superb in a few others. He shot to stardom and critical acclaim in 1998's Velvet Goldmine and I started my crush on him when I fell in love watching him as a crazy bisexual in 1999's Titus prior to him being eaten by his family thanks to Hannibal Lecter Titus. He won a Golden Globe for his performance in 2005's Elvis and has won awards galore for his leading part in The Tudors TV show. But you just can't get past all his horrible performances. I think he needs strong direction and a passion for the project he is doing. This is an action piece of schlopp and not something I would find him being overly passionate about. He is quite flat in this one but a site to watch.
The film has action abundant and is more reminiscent of action films of the 80's and 90's. A more slick Tango and Cash (although nowhere near as good), and for some reason I kept thinking a way better Broken Arrow with Travolta himself. It tries to be intelligent with an entwined story of drugs funding terrorism and an assassination attempt but it is so muddled and contrived that you kind of lose the plot and point of the story and just watch Travolta for his next killing. The film does mix some good humour into the mix and Sam (who watched with me) thought it was more of a comedy than an action film. There is many funny moments in the film that had me cracking up. One of them in particular is Travolta throwing bats onto the ground after beating up six or more Asian gang members, the entire audience of critics and reviewers we watched it with all burst into laughter. But then there is the ending (will not ruin anything I promise) where Rhys Meyers tries to save the day with talks of compassion and love. Him being the opposite of Travolta's character who only believes in killing for results. The film tries to make this a soft music, emotional love warm bit and instead I watched over 20 critics and reviewers cringe and laugh with comments of "are you kidding" resonating through the screening room. Even Sam thought it was utterly ridiculous. I understood why the character would do it but it was like throwing roses, holding hands and dancing in a circle around the action of the film and was quite silly. For this alone, Rhys Meyers will be blamed, although he was acting his directed part.
Suss out the guard holidng Rhys Meyers - even he can't keep his off him
What the film also does well is car chases, there is some great high speed pusuits and one in particular with an Audi had me all excited. Of course what makes it exciting is Travolta hanging out the window with a rocket launcher on his shoulder as if he is riding a scooter. It is great, slick and fast paced. Great tension builder. Loved it and I want that Audi!!!
The film is about as exciting as watching a Jackie Chan Rush Hour film with less annoying characters. If it does well a sequal is lined up but I really can't see it being that big at the box office, it will go about half way to the success of Taken. Morel needs to return to the more serious dark action film and I am in again. I did actually say I would watch this film again when it releases on Blu Ray so I can see Travolta in full action again and of course to perve on Ryhs Meyers
Watch this for John Travolta in top form and enjoy it with a big popcorn and a coke - it is a non thinking action film and they are quite fun sometimes Worth 5/10. Starts this Thursday 11th Feb in Australia - could be a great Valentine's Day film - hahahahahaha| 62 |
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Comment by Janet Collins
Acceptable Etiquette
The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
As for the title of the movie, it sounds like a romantic-comedy rather than a spy thriller. Even if the movie was a lot better, the producers could have come up with a better one than that.
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
John Travolta is great in a lot of films although he has done way more roles that are dogdie than superb.
Thanks for reading
Comment by Luke
Old Movies
Cane Toad Warrior
Morel is currenly working on a Dune movie, should be good.
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
LOL - his head is a John McLaine ripoff. I heard that he had just come from shooting that train film Pelham 123 and it was already short so him and Morel decided to chop it all off. No excuses on the noggin though - it's just his nose
I did hear about him doing a Dune film - very excited.
Thanks heaps for reading and commenting - have a good one!!