Paris Had Fallen REVIEW Episode 1-4: Tewfik Jallab, Ritu Arya-led actioner delivers despite a predictable storyline

Film:
Paris Had Fallen

Creator: Howard Overman

Cast: Tewfik Jallab, Ritu Arya and Sean Harris

Runtime: 43-minute episodes

Language: French & English (subtitles available in English)

Available on: Lionsgate Play

Paris Has Fallen Review

Paris Has Fallen is the first series in the ‘Has Fallen’ franchise. For the unversed, the franchise features big-budget films such as Olympus Has Fallen (2013), London Has Fallen (2016) and Angel Has Fallen (2019) with Gerard Butler in the lead. Set in Paris, Paris Has Fallen is an action-packed thriller that sees Vincent Taleb (Tewfik Jallab) – a protection officer assigned to safeguard the French Defence Minister and Zara Taylor (Ritu Arya) – a street-smart MI6 operative team in the centre. The duo team up after Paris faces a terrorist attack orchestrated by the country’s former defence officer Jacob Pearce (Sean Harris), who was tortured during his imprisonment by the Taliban—thanks to the same minister.

How many French officials are on his hit list and why, will Vincent and Zara be able to save those in danger or will Pearce be successful in his mission? These are the major questions that will pop into your mind after just the first episode. With the season now at its midpoint – 4 episodes have been released, 4 to go, the excitement is high as the narrative unfolds. But is it worth a watch? Well, it’s more of a guilt pleasure watch for lovers of the thrill genre and here’s our review of it.

What Works

The characters as the back story of the villainous Jacob Pearce make you sympathise with him but still, root for Vincent and Zara to foil all his evil plans. Another thing that works in favour of the Lionsgate Play show is its action and the beauty with which it is performed.

What Doesn’t Work

The done-and-dusted story – a wronged dude is out for revenge against the system that failed him and cost him his whole world; the good guys are doing their best to get ahead of the terrorists and trying to save all who he is targeting.

Technical Analysis

Story

Created by Howard Overman, Paris Has Fallen promises and delivers when it comes to giving fans an enthralling ride filled with powerful action, and quirky moments. However, as a revenge thriller, the show is predictable to a fault and fails to impress as and when the secrets unfold. The pace over the f

Acting

While the storyline is predictable and fails to impress with its twist and revelations, the show makes up for it with its performance. Twefik Jallab as Vincent is both charming and disarming with both his words and actions. Ritu Arya brings Zara to life with a nuance that deserves a round of applause. However, the star of the show in terms of acting is Sean Harris as Jacob Pearce. He performs his parts with a deadpan seriousness that goes beyond his scarred-face prosthetics and leaves you rooting for him to win even though you know he is no hero or anti-hero.

The show may be a bit underwhelming but the performances will keep you hooked. In short – the performances overall compensate for the narrative and plot shortcomings

Conclusion

Paris Has Fallen presents a plot that we have seen on the big and small screen one too many times. Despite the repetitive storyline, the Tewfik Jallab, Ritu Arya-led thriller’s nonstop action and relentless events keep you entertained. Despite the engaging action and thrill, the show lacks depth. That being said, the show is still watchable and is more of a guilty pleasure for lovers of this genre.

Hope our Paris Has Fallen review helps you decide whether you should watch the remaining show or not.

Check out the trailer of Paris Has Fallen here:

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