Entertainment
John Travolta’s Extremely Graphic, R-Rated Action Thriller Is His Best Since Pulp Fiction
By Robert Scucci
| Published
John Travolta is an interesting specimen because, like Nicolas Cage, he goes all in on his roles, for better or worse. Battlefield Earth is an absolute punisher, along with Perfect, Gotti, Old Dogs, and Wild Hogs. Don’t even get me started on The Fanatic because I don’t have three days. When he’s in his element, though, he never ceases to amaze me. His performances in Pulp Fiction and Face/Off are legendary, and 2010’s From Paris with Love deserves to be celebrated with the same level of reverence as his known classics.
From Paris with Love’s 37 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes might make you think otherwise, but I think the critics missed the point on this one. The movie borders on parody, and Travolta fires on all cylinders as an action hero who falls somewhere between John Wick and Sterling Archer. He’s disproportionately confident, says everything with a wink and a nod, and pumps every scene full of lead before even sizing up the room.
Or so you think. As the second and third acts unfold, it becomes obvious that his Charlie Wax character is always multiple steps ahead of his adversaries, and every move he makes plays like a game of 4D chess. He just prefers to act on instinct before letting everybody else catch up with him, which leads to some genuinely hilarious moments that only a straight-faced, bald, goateed John Travolta could pull off.
This Movie Is Absolutely Ridiculous
I didn’t know what I was getting into when I fired up From Paris with Love on Prime Video. If I’m being honest, I was expecting a late-career flop with some poorly executed one-liners and your usual gratuitous yet poorly done explosive setpieces. Instead, what we get plays more like a comedy of errors when our hero James Reese (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is tasked with tagging along on a trip to Paris with Charlie Wax, a high-level NOC field agent who follows nobody’s rules but his own. The kind who shoots first and asks questions later, but always knows how to improvise his way out of a jam, even if he’s got 100 guns pointed at him.
Charlie is working a case involving a Triad drug ring, its connections to Pakistani terrorists, and plans to attack the U.S. Embassy. Meanwhile, James has cold feet because taking the mission means time away from his girlfriend Caroline (Kasia Smutniak), which could strain their relationship. All caution is thrown to the wind once the stakes are made clear, and from that point on, it’s total insanity.
John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers run around with a vase full of cocaine in From Paris with Love. They casually eat Royales with Cheese after causing an unthinkable amount of collateral damage wherever they go. They get crossed by sleeper agents, but it’s fine because Charlie Wax knows how to fire a bazooka out of a moving car. They’re on official business and seem to have infinite clearance, so they raid whatever building they feel like, never hesitating to kill every person in their path. The whole time, John Travolta is either smirking or completely deadpan, and running straight into danger like a total badass because he’s a man on a mission. Oh yeah, and James Reese is first summoned to work with Charlie Wax because he’s held up at customs, passionately arguing about the energy drinks he absolutely needs to bring into Paris.
A Successfully Stupid Action Thriller
I can see why people would be disappointed by From Paris with Love if they were expecting a typical, straight-up action thriller. In many ways, it still hits those beats. What sets it apart is its subtle humor and its ability to take those expectations and flip them. This movie, as far as I can tell, is meant to be fun, ridiculous, over-the-top, and completely unhinged. The action sequences are well choreographed, and the odd-couple chemistry between Travolta and Meyers sells it all.
If anything, that’s probably what rubbed critics the wrong way. It has all the ultra-violent John Wick trappings before John Wick was even a thing, but has no right being as funny as it is. If you can realign your expectations before going into From Paris with Love, you’re going to have a great time with it. It’s an absolute treat if you try to enjoy it for what it’s actually trying to accomplish.
As of this writing, From Paris with Love is streaming on Prime Video.
Entertainment
Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 31, 2026
Today’s Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you’re a musician.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Where did Wordle come from?
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.
What’s the best Wordle starting word?
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
What happened to the Wordle archive?
The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.
Is Wordle getting harder?
It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.
Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:
A piece of music.
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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?
The letter E appears twice.
Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…
Today’s Wordle starts with the letter E.
The Wordle answer today is…
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
ETUDE
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.
Entertainment
Hurdle hints and answers for May 31, 2026
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it’ll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
To postpone.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
DELAY
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Hurdle Word 2 hint
A seat.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
STOOL
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Hurdle Word 3 hint
Fragile.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
FRAIL
Hurdle Word 4 hint
To assume.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
POSIT
Final Hurdle hint
Transit line.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
METRO
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Entertainment
Moon phase today: What the Moon will look like on May 31
It’s the Full Moon tonight, and the second this month. This means it is a monthly Blue Moon, which occurs roughly every two or three years.
What is today’s Moon phase?
As of Sunday, May 31, the Moon phase is Full Moon. Tonight, 100% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA’s Daily Moon Guide.
Tonight, with just your naked eye, you’ll be able to spot the Mare Vaporum, Copernicus Crater, and the Tycho Crater. If you have binoculars you’ll also be able to catch a glimpse of the Grimaldi Basin, Posidonus Crater, and the Alphonsus Crater. Finally, if you really want to see more, a telescope will help you see the Apollo 14 landing spot, the Linne Crater, and the Caucasus Mountains.
When is the next Full Moon?
The next Full Moon will take place on June 29.
What are Moon phases?
According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to orbit Earth, passing through a repeating pattern of eight distinct phases. Although the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the portion illuminated by the Sun changes as it moves around the planet. This is what creates the different shapes we see in the night sky, from thin crescents to half Moons and the full Moon. Together, these phases form the lunar cycle:
New Moon – The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it’s invisible to the eye).
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Waxing Crescent – A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).
First Quarter – Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.
Waxing Gibbous – More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.
Full Moon – The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.
Waning Gibbous – The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)
Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) – Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.
Waning Crescent – A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.
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