What Is the Story About?
Ousmane Diakhite (Omar Sy) and Francois Monge (Laurent Lafitte) are as different as chalk and cheese. The unlikely pair reunite to investigate a case.
It so happens that when Monge is about to board a train, he sees a half body. As it happens to be the precinct of Ousmane, a demoted Monge finds the right opportunity to bounce back. He gets him assigned to the murder investigation and joins hands with Ousmane again. Who is behind the murder? What did the duo find, form the overall plot.
Performances?
Omar Sy and Laurent Lafitte’s bromance is the highlight of The Takedown. They show the same spark they did previously when they joined hands together for the first time.
Omar Sy is the action and brian part of the duo, whereas Laurent Laffitte is the bumbling, uncouth fool who often lands the two in trouble. Both nail their roles with ease. They are also the reason why one gives the whole thing a shot in the first place. There is nothing extraordinary performance-wise, but they generate enough fun to make the movie passable.
Analysis
Louis Leterrier of Transporter and Now You See Mee fame directs The Takedown. It is a direct sequel to the On The Other Side Of The Tracks, with the main leads reprising their parts.
The Takedown is a buddy cop genre movie with two good leads. The success of the first part meant that they had the right chemistry and the subject. However, like many sequels, The Takedown suffers from an overstuffed and chaotic narrative. The excitement to make it bigger and better actually ends up spoiling the fun.
But, first things first, the characters are neatly established. We can see that both the leads are having fun, individually and together. They deserve the credit for pulling off the convoluted characterisation and drama to their best ability.
The characters of Omar Sy and Laurent Lafitte have so many issues packed into them. Some of it does manage to generate fun, but it only helps digress from the core plot a lot of time.
The core investigation drama takes a backseat to the fun banter of the lead actor pair. It is fine initially but gets tiresome as the narrative progresses. The central drama and investigation eventually turn out secondary to the blabbering and fun of the cops.
The narrative is further marred with a far-fetched and over the top revelation related to the core suspense. So, here we have a buddy cop entertainer cum thriller where the fun overstays its welcome, and the thrills go over the top.
By the time we reach the end, The Takedown feels too long, even at two hours. The excessive talk and needlessly stretched investigation are the reasons. We feel a sense of relief when the movie ends, and that’s never a good sign.
Overall, The Takedown is a classic case of a sequel getting things wrong in a big to make it grander and bigger. Despite the issues, the lead pair and a couple of action blocks manage to make it a passable watch.
Other Artists?
Apart from Omar Sy and Laurent Lafitte, the rest of the actors don’t have noticeable parts. We have the likes of Izia Higelin, Stephane Pezerat, Dimitri Storoge etc., in different roles. Still, none have anything substantial to add to the narrative besides showing a glimpse of their potential in a scene or two.
Music and Other Departments?
Guillaume Roussel provides the pulsating background score, which is sure to remind one of the Hollywood blockbuster action-comedies. The good thing is it serves the purpose of amplifying the narrative whenever it appears dull. It is so true to the genre in its work that sometimes it gets into the generic level lacking a particular character.
Thomas Hardmeiner’s cinematography is neat. There is a rich quality to the production. Vincent Tabaillon’s editing could have been better. The Narrative could have done well with a bit less chaotic proceedings. The action scenes are neatly done. The writing is fine but overdone.
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, In Parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Reservations
The Takedown Review by Binged Bureau
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