You remember that era of action movies, right? The late 2000s and early 2010s. It was a weird, hyper-violent time in cinema. Everyone was trying to be the next Taken. Pierre Morel, the guy who actually directed Taken, decided he wanted to double down on the mayhem, and that’s how we ended up with John Travolta From Paris with Love.
It’s loud. It’s chaotic. Honestly, it’s kinda ridiculous.
But here is the thing: it works. Even in 2026, when we look back at the "tough guy" transformations of the last few decades, Travolta’s turn as Charlie Wax stands out like a sore thumb—or maybe like a shiny, shaven head.
The Shaved Head and the Goatee: A Vibe Check
Most people expected the suave, dancing Travolta. You know, the Grease hair or the Pulp Fiction mane. Instead, he showed up looking like a human wrecking ball. He’s bald. He’s got this aggressive goatee. He’s wearing a tactical vest like it’s high fashion.
Travolta actually pushed for this look. He told reporters back then that he and Pierre Morel were flipping through magazines like Soldier of Fortune. They saw these guys with shaved heads and heavy artillery and thought, "Yeah, that’s the guy." It wasn't just a costume change. It was a total identity shift. He wasn't Danny Zuko anymore. He was a "trigger-happy, wisecracking, loose cannon."
His words, not mine.
What Actually Happens in John Travolta From Paris with Love?
The plot is basically a fever dream. Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays James Reese. He’s a low-level CIA guy working in the U.S. Ambassador's office in Paris. He wants more. He wants to be a "real" agent. Careful what you wish for, James.
He gets partnered with Charlie Wax (Travolta), who arrives in France and immediately starts a fight over canned energy drinks. It’s bizarre. Within an hour, they are dismantling a Chinese drug ring, which somehow leads to Pakistani terrorists, which then leads to a suicide bombing plot at an African peace summit.
It moves fast.
The movie doesn’t care about "pacing" in the traditional sense. It cares about how many things Charlie Wax can blow up in 92 minutes. There’s a scene where Travolta slides down a fireman's pole—upside down—while firing two machine guns. It’s the peak of 2010 "bro-action."
The Mismatched Buddy Dynamic
Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays the "straight man" to Travolta's lunacy. It’s the classic Lethal Weapon formula but on European steroids.
Reese is carrying a literal vase full of cocaine through the streets of Paris while Wax is sniping people from rooftops. The chemistry between them was actually pretty solid. Off-camera, they apparently "bonded like wildfire." Rhys Meyers grew up idolizing Saturday Night Fever, so he was just happy to be there, even if he was the one getting beaten up in every other scene.
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Why Critics Hated It (and Why Fans Didn't)
If you look at the reviews from 2010, they were pretty brutal. Rotten Tomatoes has it sitting somewhere in the 40s. Critics called it "shallow" and "mindless." Roger Ebert thought it felt like an amateur version of a better movie.
But they kinda missed the point.
John Travolta From Paris with Love isn't trying to be The Godfather. It’s a live-action cartoon. It’s an M-rated video game where the main character has unlimited ammo and zero impulse control.
- The Action: It’s visceral. Real stunts. Real squibs. None of that floaty CGI we see too much of now.
- The Tone: It knows it’s silly. Wax makes a "Royale with Cheese" joke—a direct nod to Pulp Fiction—while he's eating a burger.
- The Twist: Without spoiling too much for the three people who haven't seen it, the betrayal in the third act is actually surprisingly dark for a movie this loud.
The "French" of it All
The movie was produced by Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp. That’s why it feels different from a Hollywood blockbuster. It has that gritty, European "New French Extremity" DNA but polished for a global audience.
Interestingly, they didn't show the "postcard" Paris. No mimes. No cute bakeries. They went into the suburbs—the banlieues. It’s the grittier, concrete side of the city. Wax treats the City of Light like his personal shooting range. He kills a good portion of a restaurant staff during his first dinner.
It’s aggressive. It’s ugly. It’s great.
Is It Worth a Rewatch in 2026?
Honestly? Yeah.
In a world where every action movie feels like a 3-hour setup for a sequel, there is something refreshing about a 90-minute movie that just goes. Travolta is clearly having the time of his life. He’s "hamming it up" to the max, and you can tell he loves the freedom of being the "badass" for once.
It’s a relic of a time when you could just put a big star in a bald cap, give him a rocket launcher on a French highway, and call it a day.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re looking to dive back into this era of Travolta or the Morel action style, here is the move:
- Watch it as a Double Feature: Pair it with Taken. You’ll see the exact moment where the director decided to stop being "gritty" and start being "insane."
- Look for the Easter Eggs: Watch for the Pulp Fiction references. They aren't subtle, but they’re fun.
- Check out the Cinematography: Michel Abramowicz shot this on real 35mm film. It looks way better than it has any right to.
Stop looking for a deep message. There isn't one. Just enjoy Charlie Wax doing his thing.
Actionable Insight: If you're a fan of high-octane cinema, track down the Blu-ray or a high-bitrate 4K stream. The sound design in the apartment shootout is still some of the best in the genre, and the film grain of the 35mm shoot gives it a texture that modern digital action movies lack.