From Paris With Love - B-

Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, drug content, pervasive language and brief sexuality, 92 minutes

"From Paris With Love": Over-the-top fun and lots of blood

Paris is undoubtedly of the most romantic cities in the world, and the new action-thriller "From Paris With Love" even has the "l" word in it, though it has little, if anything at all, do to with love, unless you love over-the-top gratuitous violence. It's a mindless shoot-em-up with an excessive amount of blood, bullets and car chases all of which packs in some enjoyable moments, not to mention a charismatic lead, a bald Travolta who packs some serious heat and kicks some serious tail.

A personal aide to U.S. Ambassador in France, James Reece (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) has an enviable life in Paris and a beautiful French girlfriend, but his real passion is his side job as a low-level operative for the CIA. All Reece wants is to become a bona fide agent and see some real action. So when he's offered his first serious senior-level assignment, he can't believe his good luck until he meets his new partner, special agent Charlie Wax (John Travolta).

A trigger-happy, wisecracking, loose cannon who's been sent to Paris to stop a terrorist attack, Wax leads Reece on a very fast-paced spree through the Parisian underworld for 48 hours that has Reece wishing for his old desk job. But Reece discovers he’s far closer to the terrorists than he ever imagined, and he has to rely on his new friend to ensure the terrorists are brought down in whatever way possible.

From acclaimed producer Luc Besson ("The Fifth Element") and "Taken" director Pierre Morel, "From Paris With Love" is a non-stop and very bloody action thriller that takes you on a fast-paced, exciting ride for this time of year. Besson's pat, simplistic, unrevealing script and Morel’s uneventful direction its chief flaw, but you can forgive that just a little when the ride is so entertaining.

Travolta, in one of his more fun, hammier performances, struts around hairless and shouts more obscenities than necessary, but he's clearly in command of the screen in "From Paris With Love," and he's always the one to watch. He's well-paired with the handsomely bland Jonathan Rhys Myers of TV’s "The Tudors" and the two have decent chemistry together when Travolta isn't chewing on the scenery. Myers’ role is clearly secondary to Travolta and his attitude is far more serious than Travolta, who seems to have much more fun, doing majority of the shooting and fighting (and in one explosively impressive scene, Travolta literally brings down an entire gang by himself and with no bullets fired).

There are a few well-paced and well-executed action set pieces, from a big car chase/explosion near the end to a shoot out in an apartment complex, until it literally speeds to a twisty but predictable conclusion that you’ll see coming if you play close enough attention. With that in mind, "From Paris With Love's" big twist is really not such a big twist, and quite silly for such an intelligent character as Reece.

Predictability aside, not to mention the fact that Travolta absolutely loves the "f" word with "mother" attached to it, "From Paris With Love" is modestly enjoyable, brutishly violent entertainment and reminds moviegoers that, much like Denzel Washington has already reminded us earlier with the equally violent "The Book of Eli," that older guys like them can still kick some butt when it comes down to it.

Edge of Darkness - C

Rated R for strong bloody violence and language, 117 minutes

Gibson's messy "Darkness" seems familiar

Mel Gibson hasn't played a lead in a movie since 2002 in the thriller "Signs," but he returns to the screen in another thriller that treads the same ground as his other revenge flicks, "Ransom," "Payback" and even the "Lethal Weapon" films. It's nice seeing Gibson again in front of the camera though the tale is well-worn and the "Mad Max" star himself is looking, well, a little old. It starts off well then takes some very predictable turns in the stale, bloody and very implausible second act.

The set up is simple. Gibson is a veteran Boston cop named Craven. His twentysomething daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic) comes home for a visit and is gunned down in front of his house. Craven initially thinks he was the target until he begins his own investigation and finds out the company his daughter was working for is involved in making nuclear weapons and is trying to cover it up. The silmy head of the corporation (Danny Huston), a U.S. Senator (Damian Young), a hitman (Ray Winstone) and one of Craven's own colleagues (Jay O. Sanders) may be at the center of it all, something that Craven is determined to uncover, even if it costs him his own life in the process.

"Edge of Darkness" is a by-the-numbers, somewhat enjoyable but sloppy revenge flick based on an award-winning 1980's British TV miniseries of the same name that allows Gibson to return to acting in style, directed by "Casino Royale" director Martin Campbell and co-written by "The Departed" Oscar-winner William Monahan. But it's Campbell's unoriginal direction and Monahan's hokey, contrived script that hamper the proceedings, in spite of a likable performance by Gibson, who's really too old for the whole revenge formula, even if he is playing the good guy again.

"Edge of Darkness" is filled with too many non-essential characters that confuse the plot, and the initial chapters are modestly involving until about 40 minutes in, when Gibson's character could've been killed on the spot but isn't. A few nice car crashes and chases add some energy and Huston (of the famous Huston movie clan including Walter, John and Anjelica) is a genuine slimeball though his demise can be easily predicted from the moment he walks on screen (and in another huge contrivance - Craven could've easily killed him midway through the film - but doesn't).

Above all, Gibson has done this film before and none of it really comes as a big surprise. It nearly falls apart under a mess of blood and bullets near the end not to mention a really sappy ending that is surprising coming from a gifted writer like Monahan but unsurprising given what a ham Gibson can be as an actor.

"Edge of Darkness" is entertaining enough to make some money in its first couple of weeks and then will be easily forgotten; it'll also be remembered as one of Gibson's weaker films and could underscore the fact that as of late, he's a better director than actor.

When in Rome - C-

Rated PG-13 for some suggestive content, 90 minutes

Forgettable rom com “When in Rome” lacks spark

“When in Rome” wants you to believe in the magic of love, though it lacks spark, spunk and believability to make it really work. The unmemorable film isn’t without energy and a handsome, game cast, but a weak script gives way to an uneven, unfunny and overly predictable romantic comedy.

Beth (“Heroes” Kristen Bell) is a young, ambitious New York City professional who’s been very unlucky in love. She goes to Rome for her younger sister’s (Alexa Dziena) wedding and runs into the dashing Nick (Josh Duhamel) and the two find some connection. However, just as Beth thinks there might be a spark between them, she is led to believe otherwise, gets drunk and steals some coins from a famous fountain known for its abilities to bring people together. Her new coins cast a spell over a few men (Dax Shepard, Danny DeVito, Jon Heder and Will Arnett) who along with Nick now aggressively seek out her companionship forcing her to make some difficult decisions about her newfound suitors.

“When in Rome” is an inept, flat romantic comedy that has an intriguing premise turns out not to be as funny as the trailers make it seem to be. There are a few fun, energetic moments and Bell and Duhamel make for a very attractive couple, but the candy coating gives way to a disappointing center that doesn’t really add up to much. The contrivances are huge for one – even for a romantic comedy – a genre that pushes the believability envelope; it’s really a stretch that all of these characters would end up on one side of the globe and back together again on the other.

Second, the film is busily filled with too many characters, most of whom aren’t likable to begin with (I didn’t find anything appealing about any of Beth’s potential suitors who seem more like stalkers and it wasted some talented actors in the process). Third, for a film with Rome in the title, it spends all of about 10 minutes of the movie there, which is unfortunate since Rome is one of the most romantic cities in the world. Throw in Anjelica Huston, Don Johnson (yes, that Don Johnson) and “Pushing Daisies’” Lee Pace in a cameo for good measure, and you have a bit of a mess that none of those talented actors can make better.

The uneventful direction from “Ghost Rider’s” Mark Steven Johnson and a messy script from “Old Dogs” writing team of David Diamond and David Weissman don’t exactly inspire any amorous feelings, and a stagey climax at the Guggenheim Museum feels way too forced. At any turn, this is something you’d expect Matthew McConaughey or Kate Hudson to turn up in (thankfully they don’t), which wouldn’t have helped much anyway.

I like Bell and Mr. Fergie himself Duhamel, but as cute a couple as they may be, they can’t save this forgettable, unfunny rom com, so they get up and dance over the credits with the rest of the cast. This may appeal to those desperately seeking a romantic comedy to warm up the cold winter nights. Too bad this won’t do the trick.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus - C+

Rated PG-13 for violent images, some sensuality, language and smoking, 123 minutes

Gilliam's uneven "Dr. Parnassus" a visual feast

"The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus" will always be remembered as Heath Ledger's last film, the one he was making at the time of his untimely death two years ago. Though it has an eclectic cast and is filled with some striking, unusual visuals, director and writer Terry Gilliam's vision is at best colorful and indulgent and at worst depressing and incoherent. It's worth a look for Ledger and for the energy the visuals provide, though you likely won't remember much else.

In London current day, Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) leads a traveling theater troupe that includes his dwarf confidant Percy (Verne Troyer), his daughter Valentina (Lily Cole) and card expert Anton (Andrew Garfield). Parnassus had traded Valentina's soul to the devil, known as Mr. Nick (Tom Waits) and he's come to collect on his prize. He's agreed to forget the wager if Parnassus can collect five souls for him. In the meantime, Parnassus saves a drifter named Tony (initially Heath Ledger, and Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law in various forms) from death and Tony agrees to help collect the souls if he can marry Valentina, with whom he's fallen in love with.

"The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus" is a bizarre, florid and unbalanced take on a fantasy world and an interesting view of the battle between good and evil, as imagined as only Gilliam can imagaine it. His visuals are by far the best thing about the film when it goes into the dreamlike imaginarium world behind mirrors and doors. It wears its unconventional notions on its sleeve in a big way, which is both good and bad. It gives way to some of the most striking visuals seen in sometime, including some huge high-heel shoes underwater and a walk with some very high stilts.

Ledger has the most talked about role, a small supporting one seen during the film's first act, and it's a wistful, beautiful performance that won't rank as his best. Once he leaves the film, it's up to the film's magical visuals to take over, and Gilliam amps them up considerably at every turn. Deep, Law and Farrell play a different variation of Ledger's character, an intriguing but really unnecessary idea given that none of the actors are on-screen for more than a few minutes (Depp is particularly a disappointment). Even better is a tart Plummer as Parnassus, who's role seems truncated, and especially rock star Tom Waits as an energetic incarnation of the Devil (he slims around as a snake in one memorable scene).

Gilliam seems to have lost his vision after Ledger's death, and this apparent in the wildly disjointed, sad and often baffling second act that proves what an incoherent writer that director Gilliam can often be. "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus" is a noble, intriguing, mildly entertaining but uneven effort that unfortunately lost much of its energy after the death of its star and is really for diehard Gilliam and Ledger fans.

The Tooth Fairy - D+

Rated PG for mild language, some rude humor and sports action, 105 minutes

Ever had a toothache? "The Tooth Fairy" is about as much fun

The new comedy "The Tooth Fairy" starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is much like a trip to the dentist. Nothing personal against the dentist, but it's usually unpleasant, unfunny and you want it to be over as soon as possible. Nothing against The Rock, who's proven to be an agile, likable movie star, but his new movie is a painfully unfunny, near-dreadful experience that's an example of factory movie-making for the masses. Without the engaging, smiley former wrestler to periodically enliven the proceedings, "The Tooth Fairy" would be a total waste.

Johnson is Derek, a semi-pro hockey player relegated to the minors after an injury and who's nickname is The Tooth Fairy for his ability knock the teeth out of his opponents. After being a bad role model for some young children, he's sentenced to a week's duty (longer if he misses an assignment) of hard work as a real "tooth fairy." He frequently clashes with his fairy trainer Tracy (Stephen Merchant) and the head fairy godmother (Julie Andrews, cash paycheck please) but learns some valuable lessons along the way that will hopefully help him score points with his girlfriend (Ashley Judd, pudgy).

"The Tooth Fairy" is a largely laugh-free, flat experience with a sketch-like premise that's truly funny for a few minutes - seeing The Rock in a tutu is initially humorous - then goes down hill very quickly with each fairy episode. You can predict what will happen from the onset (and from the film's ubiquitous trailers), but you have to sit through the rest of the film to get to the best part - the end. At least some of the fairy gadgets are fun ("Cat Away," shrinking paste and amnesia dust are just a few), if not overused throughout the film.

Merchant, from the U.K. version of "The Office" and "Extras," is the most memorable cast member as The Rock sidekick, stealing moments from the likes of Julie Andrews, in a take-the-money-and-run-performance if there ever was one. Judd is totally wasted, as is Billy Crystal in an awful cameo that's supposed to remind us of "The Princess Bride" but really a reminder of how overrated he can be. One good moment: watch for a delicious cameo from "Family Guy" creator and voice Seth MacFarlane, who tries to sell The Rock some black market fairy gadgets.

The hockey scenes are energetic and Johnson is game and seemingly happy, but that doesn't make "The Tooth Fairy" any better experience than an actual dentist visit. At least you get a free toothbrush and a lollipop at the end of your visit. "The Tooth Fairy" is only good from the fact it's not an Adam Sander comedy, but if we have more comedies like this, it will be a long year at the movies.

Extraordinary Measures - C+

Rated PG for thematic material, language and a mild suggestive moment, 105 minutes

"Extraordinary Measures" is an overly ordinary, earnest film

There are some stories worth being made into a film, and the story of "Extraordinary Measures" is one of them: a man goes into a risky venture with a scientist, raising millions of dollars just in order to help find a cure for his own children, who have a rare genetic disease. In this case, the real story is more fascinating than the mediocre movie: a conventional, very sentimental and overly earnest drama that's barely a notch above a made-for-TV disease-of-the-week movie.

Brendan Fraser is John Crowley, a young executive with a pharmaceutical company. He and his wife Aileen (Keri Russell) have three children, of whom the younger two, Megan (Meredith Droeger) and Patrick (Diego Velasquez) have Pompe, a rare genetic disorder in which the patient has a lack of some key enzymes that affect muscle tissue. Crowley finds a crusty scientist named Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford), who's a leader in research in the disease. The two men eventually form their own research company, which they sell to a drug manufacturer so they can get funding for more research. With Stonehill's knowledge of the disease and Crowley's business acumen, they form a unique partnership to find a cure for the disease.

"Extraordinary Measures" is an example in which the story itself is the main reason to see the film. For legal reasons, some details have been changed (Stonehill's real name is William Canfield, in Oklahoma, not Nebraska as depicted in the film) though the Crowley family details remains intact. Based on Geeta Anand's novel "The Cure," the film needlessly spend too time with medical mumbo jumbo relating to this enzyme and that enzyme and less time than building a strong emotional core, which this film lacks.

The film would've benefited from a less sentimental, more focused script and a stronger actor than Fraser playing the lead. He's overly (but a little forced) earnest, very likable and can turn on the tears quicker than Jimmy Stewart in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," but he lacks a natural emotional verve to connect the audience with the story (plus Fraser, in my book, has always been a bit dorky). Veteran "Indiana Jones" actor Ford (who also co-produced the movie) underplays his role considerably, with less footage than Fraser but whose familiar iconic presence prevents this film from being a total cheese ball.

"Felicity" star Russell has so little to do she barely registers, and you should watch for a couple of baffling blink-and-you-miss-them cameos from a pair of '80s stars - Dee Wallace Stone (yes, the "E.T." mama) and Alan Ruck (otherwise known as Cameron from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"). Character actor Courtney B. Vance has a couple of the film's stronger moments as a frustrated parent of a fellow Pompe child.

"Extraordinary Measures" is decent, heart-warming but unmemorable entertainment that will be forgotten after you leave the theater. You'll need a few tissues here and there, but it still doesn't set itself apart enough from the standard Lifetime film (where this will likely and very easily play after it's released on DVD). In other words, "Extraordinary Measures" is far too ordinary to be a truly extraordinary film, lifted only by the warm presence of Ford.

Legion - C-

Rated R for strong bloody violence, and language, 100 minutes

Ridiculous apocalyptic thriller "Legion" an entertaining mess

The end is near, and it's only January, according to the confusing new apocalyptic thriller "Legion." An eclectic cast, a unique premise and some fun visuals are wasted beneath a very disjointed, lackluster script and awful dialogue. The film all but throws caution (not to mention the Bible) to the wind, particularly in its over-the-top finale, leaving the film a mess, but at least it's an enjoyable, entertaining mess.

God loses faith in humanity and begins to execute Armageddon quite differently than expected, using his angels to exterminate mankind. Archangel Michael (Paul Bettany) refuses to go along with God's plan and is thrown out of heaven. Michael goes to an out-of-the-way diner in Arizona and finds himself trapped along with a few remaining humans to protect a young, pregnant waitress (Adrianne Palicki) whose baby is the key to saving the world. The owner of the diner (Dennis Quaid), his estranged son (Lucas Black), their one-armed cook (Charles S. Dutton) and a few stranded travelers (Tyrese Gibson, Kate Walsh, Jon Tenney and Willa Holland) are the strangers brought together for a single cause: to save mankind.

"Legion" is a chaotic, preposterous but energetic mess, fun but confusing to watch. The film starts out well, introducing a few engaging characters and setting up a few decent action set pieces, in spite of the terrible dialogue given the proflic cast ("It's the end of the world, but you still have to eat," says Quaid's character). The film's most memorably fun scene occurs in "Legion's" first act and involves an elderly, demonic lady who causes considerable havoc in the diner.

"Legion's" premise, as interesting as it is, isn't quite fleshed out, and the details of God's plan and the plan for the baby are extremely fuzzy at times, never quite explaining why God woke up and decided to exterminate humankind with some possessed angels.

The real demon here is the hack editing job in addition to the disjointed script and direction from "Legion's" newbie director Scott Stewart, leaving the audience with some confusing details: why do the angels drive cars - aren't they angels - can't they just fly?, what's up with all the pesky flies, and what's Kate Walsh, from TV's "Private Practice," even doing in this movie in the first place? Utterly wasted, her character's motivations are obviously left on the cutting room floor (in one scene she's drinking a beer, the next she's tied to a chair), along with the much of the plot. As a matter of fact, all of the characters, especially those played by established actors (particularly Quaid and Dutton) seem expendable at some point.

What we do know about "Legion" is that it sets up a cool (but needless) fight scene between the athletic Michael (Bettany, in great shape, making Michael a smooth operator) and a hulking Gabriel ("Lost's" Kevin Durand) in the film's final section, and its baffling, heavy-handed ending may or may not leave it open to more of these. What's more, a comic book series is set to follow the release of the film that is designed to be a prequel to "Legion," which may hopefully explain its confounding backstory.

A handful of nice action scenes and some decent visuals near the end are about the only thing worth mentioning about the badly edited, messy but mildly entertaining "Legion," but one thing it doesn't do is exactly instill faith in the quality of movies released in January. Have fun, ask for forgiveness later.