With a title like Puerto Ricans in Paris you’d expect this to be a fun, Parisian romp about two guys out of their element. That’s partially true… except for the fun part.
Luis (Luis Guzman) and Eddie (Edgar Garcia) are two New York City detectives who work undercover for the Luxury Goods Recovery Unit. After watching one bust, we’re supposed to see that they’re really good at their jobs. They’re so good, that they are asked to travel to Paris to help track down a stolen rare handbag. On the home life side of things, Luis is a man who can’t/won’t settle down even though he’s got a catch of a girlfriend in Vanessa, played by Rosario Dawson. Eddie, meanwhile, has a wife (Rosie Perez) and a couple of kids stuffed into a small apartment.
Everything about director Ian Edelman‘s movie are things we’ve seen before. Bickering cops who are sent to a far away land who solve the crime way too easily. And come one, Dawson as Guzman’s long-suffering girlfriend?
With the fish-out-of-water element, you’d think that the film would be funnier but it’s not. There’s no payoff anywhere. Guzman has a few solid comedic moments and he does what he can with the rest of what he’s given.
And what’s with that title? Why is it even referencing Puerto Rican’s? Yeah, the two leads are Puerto Rican but beyond that, there’s no other reason for the title. It doesn’t have anything to do with the plot. It would be like calling a movie Captain America in Idaho but no one even noticing or calling him Captain America, no jokes about him being an Avenger or being almost 100 years old. It’s just an odd choice for a title.
The only thing this has going for it is the always fantastic work of Luis Guzman and the blown takes featured while the credits are rolling.
