To paraphrase the legendary CIA operative Charlie Wax (John Travolta), From Paris with Love is a straight up Hong Kong, Shaw Brothers Kung Fu show with guns, drugs, and action galore. It is a film that pulls absolutely no punches. With a body county only surpassed by Travolta's gratuitous use of the F-word, From Paris with Love cares very little for who it offends or for how outlandish its narrative is.
It is every bit in the vein of an 80s/90s action movie, and I love every minute of it. That admiration is due in large part to Travolta's performance as Wax. He owns this movie, delivering every piece of dialogue with marvelous flair. Without him, From Paris with Love wouldn't amount to much. He takes the asinine violence and sprinkles it with a necessary charisma, creating a rip-roaring thrill ride of broken bones, witticisms, and bullets.
Directed by Pierre Morel, who hit it big in the U.S. with Taken, and with a story written by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, Leon: The Professional, to name a few), the movie had the pedigree to be a major success at the box office and with fans. Unfortunately, it didn't hit on either front. It bombed with critics/viewers—it sits at just 38% on Rotten Tomatoes with 160 reviews and carries a 54% user score—and was a disappointment financially, grossing just over $52 million with a budget of the same amount.
But you should ignore all that. This movie came to kick butt and chew bubblegum; and guess what? It was all out of bubble gum! So sit back, grab a Kronenbourg 1664, and enjoy a delectable Royale with cheese as I the Thunderous Wizard (@WriterTLK) and Chumpzilla run roughshod through Paris!
This Week’s Segments:
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Wes Craven's New Nightmare – The Master Returns
Dukes of Hazzard – A Class-E Felony
Idiocracy – We've Got What Listeners Crave
Wild Wild West – So Many Spiders
Mallrats – Stay Off the Escalator, Kids
Hackers – Crash and Burn
The Big Lebowski – The Pod Abides
Warcraft – Bone Dragons for the Win
The Legend of Chun-Li – A Spinning Bird Kick to the Senses
Postal – Burn it All Down
Super Mario Bros. – Flushed Down the Warp Pipe
Congo – Smart Gorillas, Dumb Script
Orca – Death Fish
Con Air – Fly Hard
Howard the Duck – Party Fowl
Primal – Cage Exotic
Drive Angry – Coming Like a Bat Out of Hell
Vampire's Kiss – Cage Uncaged
Face/Off – Whee! What a Predicament!
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