Review of The 15:17 to Paris (2018) by Derek E — 13 Feb 2018

The 15:17 to Paris is a very good story, one that has the honor of being told by director Clint Eastwood as well as the actual heroes themselves who saved many lives from an Islamic terrorist attack.

The movie starts off a bit slow, and while I'm not ecstatic about the acting from the younger versions of Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos, the story itself is compelling and all-too familiar to even my own childhood. (As kids, our hero's loved to play army, shoot at each other with airsoft guns, and more; they were American kids just being kids.) Jenna Fischer and Judy Greer offer much needed support in the early cast, prior to the transition in the story in which we get to see our three hero's at current age.

This story picks up pace about halfway through the movie and never lets up from there -- from the fun adventures the three take in Europe before their train ride to Paris, to the actual heart pounding terrorist attack that transpired and how they managed to subdue the attacker. You will never second guess their bravery, and I must say, I think by casting the real hero's to act as themselves was a fantastic move that brings a higher level of realism to the story. We get to see it unfold and told from the hero's themselves, not from some overpaid actors who think they can "act" the part better than how it actually unfolded.

Not only will this movie tug at your heart strings but it'll make you incredibly proud to be American. Well worth seeing in theaters!