Medellin

Franck Gastambide applies the same recipe as his three previous films. But with this film, the result is less successful. Perhaps because certain ingredients are missing: the equivalent of Medi Sadoun's character in Les Kaïra (2012) or Malik Bentalha's in Pattaya (2016) or Taxi 5. Here, he is replaced by the character played by Ramzy Bedia, already present in the two aforementioned films. But it doesn't work, because he's not a source of humor.

This is also due to the subject matter, the drug cartels in Colombia. It's a less interesting subject, as it's been dealt with many times before, and much more brilliantly. A poor choice, then. And that's despite some nice ingredients: Mike Tyson as a trainer or the romantic attribute (Essined Aponte).

Otherwise, Franck Gastambide's talents are still there: a character with logorrheic dialogue, a mix of situational comedy and action sequences that are meant to be, and are, breathtaking, and the dwarf (Anouar Toubali) who brings his variations, much less well integrated here than in Les Kaira or Pattaya. In short, the recipe doesn't work here.

Where to begin ? PATTAYA was not a masterpiece in any way but was funny enough to spend a good time with friends, some beer and potato chips. We can feel that MEDELLIN tries hard to exploit the same vein for Amazon, but it's just a mindless awkward embarrassment. All sounds fake and shallow : bad script, bad dialogues and (very) bad direction. Obviously, Gastambide wanted to hide this with hyper-speed "action" scenes but most of them fall flat, as the jokes. Ramzy plays one of his worst characters, unlikable and falling off the tracks in the action scenes, Gastambide seems to play a bad impersonation of Eric Judor (the usual partner of Ramzy), and Anouar Toubali (very nice personality but not yet a real actor) seems totally undirected and only used as a gizmo. Stupid romance, poor character played by Mike Tyson, full of clichés and one of the worst ending I ever saw in a comedy. Two stars for the dog, the best part of the movie.

Absurd movie. Only people as obtuse as the Pablo wannabe would enjoy it.

This boasts an absurd premise and Spanish speaking actors who can't speak Spanish without an American accent, let alone a Colombian accent. I'm looking at you Diablo, but this applies to every other actor who wasn't an extra.

Geographically inaccurate. The only near by town with a large body of water is a lake. Please explain how you got a shark there.

While we're at it: a hotel in the Comuna 13? Really???

The car under the semi scene, must have been the tallest semi, prime for rolling over in the tight hairpin turns of the roads between the mayor cities of Colombia, paired with lowest car in the history of the country: prime for getting stuck in potholes or at the foot of the myriad of hills within the city.

Need I go on? I always finish a movie, but my time is far too valuable for this one. I just couldn't.

I gave this film a good, worth seeing rating of 7due to its originality with a mix of action and comedy like you've never seen before. Medellín hits the funny bone and the heart at the same time without feeling contrived. The actors are mostly new and refreshing, with Frank Gastambide, the creator, actor director doing a yoeman's job keeping the crazyness coherent and fast paced. The other two main characters played by Ramzy Bedia and Anuair Toubali form a nice odd trio of reluctant heros with Gastambide. Casting Mike Tyson as the somewhat secretive CIA type who aides their mission to rescue Bedia's character's younger brother- a Pablo Escobar, look alike, internet wannabe, played hilariously by Brahim Bouhlel. Totally full of funny moments, and a few good spoofs to keep your interest going...

"Medellín" sets out to be a fun action-comedy but stumbles under the weight of a weak plot and lackluster humor. The film follows a group of characters navigating the chaotic streets of Medellín, Colombia, where action-packed sequences and comedic moments are meant to intersect. While the film has moments of charm, it never fully captures the tone or energy it strives for.

The action scenes, though frequent, lack the excitement or cleverness seen in better films of the genre. Instead of thrilling the audience, they feel repetitive and fail to bring anything fresh to the table. The comedy, meanwhile, is often forced, relying too heavily on slapstick humor and tired stereotypes that fail to land. The cast, while capable, doesn't quite mesh together as well as it should. The performances feel disjointed, with some characters coming across as one-dimensional, leaving little room for meaningful connections or development. "Medellín's" attempt to blend high-octane action with comedy ultimately misses the mark. While the setting offers potential for a unique atmosphere, the film's predictable plot and lack of strong comedic timing make it an underwhelming experience.