Good effects, good casting, meager story.
Artwork by Mia Nogueira
Spy movies aren’t always works of art.
James Bond was a smooth talking spy who could drive like a maniac and had most anything he needed built on or into his watch. After Casino Royale, James Bond has become a more believable spy, sans the smooth talking and wild car chases. Charlie Wax (John Travolta, The Taking of Pelham 123), the international spy of From Paris With Love, is somewhere in the middle. He drives with a lot of skill, knows his weapons well, and has a good grip on why he is killing several people per day. Enter James Reece (Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Mission: Impossible III), an assistant at the US Embassy in France who is tired of the paperwork and wants to be a part of the action.
Wax is fast on the trigger and knows his next few moves, whereas James takes the time to plan everything out. Although it’s a different type of role for Travolta, he pulls it off. Being the, “I know the rules, the math, who to look out for and why” character isn’t much of a challenge for him. After a while the only thing that pulls John Travolta and Charlie Wax apart is a taste for a Royale with cheese. Several people will catch the reference to Vincent, Travolta’s character in Pulp Fiction. That line was in several trailers, a sign that From Paris With Love is trying to float on the successes of another movie. These cries for help aren’t unwarranted, though.
The biggest flaw that I came across was one that was central to the story. Director Pierre Morel, who also directed The Transporter, dropped the ball on this one. The main conflict is between US agents and terrorists. The story is seen entirely from the perspective of the US, and there is no background given to the terrorist forces they are fighting against. The first scene with Charlie Wax involves a drug bust at a Chinese restaurant to follow the trail to international terrorists. The drug trail leads to a good plot twist, but in the end, it doesn’t make much sense as to why terrorists are selling drugs. Are they covering their tracks with a side operation, or are they just deciding to get into the business?
Enough about the story, nobody sees explosive violent movies for the plot anyway. The action scenes are well made, but at times a little too unbelievable. Although there were several bullets flying around in any given scene and intense hand to hand combat, the protagonists didn’t get injured. Cross off basic action hero rule number one. Many of the shots were likely enhanced by computer magic, but they looked good. Of course, expecting accurate reactions for each action can be a bit of a stretch when it comes to explosions in blockbuster movies. Otherwise, the action and the story are woven together well.
There is some connection between the two spies, but it’s unlike the bond between Chris Rock and Jackie Chan in the Rush Hour movies. Without a shared goal, Charlie Wax and John Reece don’t really get along. Until the final scenes of the movie, there is only an informal tension. Reece is more like a secretary to Wax, occasionally doing some shooting or driving. He doesn’t have the light attitude or the “flying by the seat of my pants but I know exactly what’s going on” complex his bald partner does. In the final scenes of From Paris With Love there is a clear bond between Charlie Wax and John Reece, eagerly leaving room for a straight-to-DVD sequel. For a cheap, good-looking thrill, From Paris With Love won’t kill you, but it won’t make you any stronger either. ★★★☆☆
