From Paris with Love Reviews Divided on Super Spy Travolta

From Paris With Love reviews are unsparing in calling it stupid. The From Paris With Love reviews also find time to debate about John Travolta as well. By far, the most notable thing about the film's promos, other than explosions, is Travolta's bald, bad-assed approach as a crazed spy. Each review suggests that Travolta and the movie are neck-and-neck for being more over the top. But even if Travolta is praised for that approach more than the film is, From Paris With Love reviews mostly aren't in love.

For the second straight year, director Pierre Morel has a big star lay waste to Paris and a bunch of bad guys. Last year, Liam Neeson did it in Taken, to the tune of over $100 million domestic. Morel has John Travolta try the same thing here - this time as a bald, rule-breaking spy who drags would-be agent Jonathan Rhys-Meyers through Paris to hunt terrorists.

Though Taken got some good writeups and a bunch of money, From Paris With Love may have a harder time, according to many reviews. The review consensus from Rotten Tomatoes is a mere 32% positive, ruling "Though not without its charms - chief among them John Travolta's endearingly over-the-top performance - From Paris With Love is too muddled and disjointed to satisfy."

There is no debate in From Paris With Love reviews that it is a dumb, nonsensical movie, even by action standards. The more important question is whether Travolta makes it more bearable, or even worse. Most critics say that he hasn't been this wacky and hammy in some time, even in all his other action movies and bombs. With Travolta as the whole show, co-star Rhys-Meyers is practically an afterthought to critics.

Many mixed reviews give Travolta credit, as Roger Ebert says he "succeeds by essentially acting in a movie of his own" with similar praise from the Hollywood Reporter and Variety as well. But the scenery chewing may bring back unpleasant memories of Battlefield: Earth - and most may shake their head at Travolta spoofing his "Royale with cheese" line from Pulp Fiction.

With From Paris With Love reviews in the middling range, and with Avatar still around, it may be hard for Morel to get another Taken-esq hit. But with Travolta sending help and Scientology to Haiti, and his extortionist heading for a retrial, he may have deeper concerns right now.

Nonetheless, the review results are hardly as deadly as Old Dogs, or Travolta's other numerous flops. At least in this case, some critics have nice things to say about him.

Sources

Rotten Tomatoes- "From Paris With Love"

Metacritic- "From Paris With Love reviews"