High-Octane
Summary
Paris Has Fallen is only really connected to the Gerard Butler movies by name only, but it’s still a hugely entertaining show with nice production values and impressive action scenes. There are some imaginative kills, fights and shoot-outs to keep things moving despite the odd pacing lag and Sea Harris never disappoints as a villain.
Plot: A protection officer and an MI6 operative team up after a terrorist attack. Realising there might be a mole in the secret services, the duo race to take down their dangerous enemy and thwart a larger conspiracy threatening Paris.
Review: I’m not sure what happened to Night Has Fallen which was announced a few years ago and was set to be the fourth entry in the popular action franchise starring Gerard Butler. For now, the latest installment is an 8-episode television series called Paris Has Fallen. It stars Tewfik Jallab as our hero Vincent who teams up with Zara (Ritu Arya) to stop terrorist Jacob Perce from detonating a dirty bomb in Paris.
A lot of it is business as usual with familiar stories and character arcs, but I particularly enjoyed Sean Harris as Jacob who is as unsettling as always and yet we understand where his rage comes from. Betrayed by his own government he wants them held accountable for what happened to him and his men. I won’t go into any more detail as I don’t want to spoil anything but what ensues is an action packed and tension fueled tale that is a worthy addition to the franchise.
Although I miss Gerard Butler, I think it’s a cool idea to branch out around the world and tell other stories as it feels like a modern version of 24 where a group of agents try to stop terrorists from blowing things up.
Tewfik is appealing as Vincent who Is at his core a good man who will do whatever it takes to protect his country. Zara is less appealing as she’s a bit of a know it all however, she is believably tough and her job affects relationships around her; this is also the case with Vincent whose personal life is also complicated.
This probably could have been 6 episodes as occasionally the pacing does drag a little but there is still plenty of action with some brutal fight scenes, shoot-outs and explosions. At one point a bad guy is killed with a shoe which deserves kudos.
I still found myself engaged in the story and although Jacob’s tale is a tragic one, he needs to be stopped before he kills thousands of people, so we are rooting for Vincent and Zara to save the day.
Overall, Paris Has Fallen is a welcome addition to the series with a fantastic villain by the very reliable Sean Harris and two awesome leads in Zara and Vincent. Everything is wrapped up nicely by the end although if we get a new series set in Africa in the future I wouldn’t be surprised. No can we have Night Has Fallen, please?