From Paris with Love

Guns.  Explosions.  Espionage.  Terrorists.  Drugs.  Chases.  Shootouts.  Betrayal.  Twists.

From Paris with Love was written by Luc Besson, who wrote Transporter, Taken, Bandidas, and other decent action flicks.  If you liked some of those movies (I did) you'll like this one.

James Reece (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) works in Paris as an aide to the U.S. ambassador.  He hopes to get into the spy game, doing small tasks for mysterious people--presumably CIA--who call him and send him on errands.  He gets called to pick up an agent and becomes embroiled in Charlie Wax's (John Travolta) wild, aggressive, unorthodox, and frequently violent methods of pursuing the bad guys and uncovering conspiracy.  The timid Reece isn't sure what to think of this brash operative, but plays a great straight man to Wax's antics.

If violence and bad language in movies offend you, well, you'll do yourself a favor by staying away.  But if you like fun, crazy, action movies with a pretty decent story, you'll enjoy From Paris with Love.

Bottom line, 2 1/2 stars.