New York police detective Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle (Gene Hackman) arrives in Marseilles, France to track down drug kingpin Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey). Inspector Henri Barthélémy (Bernard Fresson) is dubious of his methods. Henri puts two cops to follow him. He manages to shake his tail. Charnier's goons capture him and turn him into a drug addict.
It is a lot of language barrier which gives the movie an exotic feel. The drug addiction is not my favorite turn. Breaking Popeye down may be an interesting idea but it is more of a temporary stopover. There is lots of gun action. The shootouts are chaotic. There is a chase but nowhere near as exciting as the one in the original. It does end well but that original car chase is an iconic touchstone in cinematic history. Overall, this is a fair crime drama.
It is a lot of language barrier which gives the movie an exotic feel. The drug addiction is not my favorite turn. Breaking Popeye down may be an interesting idea but it is more of a temporary stopover. There is lots of gun action. The shootouts are chaotic. There is a chase but nowhere near as exciting as the one in the original. It does end well but that original car chase is an iconic touchstone in cinematic history. Overall, this is a fair crime drama.