The Takedown (2022)
Director: Louis Leterrier
Screenwriters: Stéphanie Kazandijan
Starring: Omar Sy, Laurent Lafitte, Izïa Higelin, Dimitri Storoge, Stéphane Pezerat
Buddy-cop films can be tremendously entertaining when they get the tone, chemistry, and pacing right. They can also feel sluggish or formulaic when they rely too heavily on familiar beats without fresh energy or sharp editing. Louis Leterrier’s The Takedown, a follow-up of sorts to the 2012 film featuring Omar Sy and Laurent Lafitte reprising their dynamic as mismatched detectives, occupies a comfortable middle ground: competent, occasionally enjoyable, but ultimately forgettable.
The premise is straightforward and driven by genre conventions. Sy and Lafitte play two detectives reunited to investigate the brutal murder of a young man found dismembered on a train. The screenplay touches on contemporary social themes—race, sexuality, and class tensions—while trying to mine comedy and drama from the friction between its leads. On this front the film largely succeeds because the central pairing works. Sy and Lafitte share an easy, lived-in chemistry that carries many scenes; their rivalry and reluctant partnership provide the movie’s emotional core and keep interest where the plot does not always oblige.
Supporting performances are solid if not show-stealing. Izïa Higelin, Dimitri Storoge, and Stéphane Pezerat fill out the cast well and help expand the film’s tonal range. Even when the jokes fall flat or a comic beat overstays its welcome, the leads’ interplay rescues those sequences from collapsing entirely. The film’s dialogue leans toward extended absurdist moments at times, which can grate, but the actors’ timing and rapport make these moments tolerable more often than not.
Musically, The Takedown opts for a playful, slightly cheesy score that evokes the spirit of a lighter action-comedy—think big-genre fun without taking itself too seriously. The soundtrack helps sell the movie’s swings between action and comedy and supports its aim to be entertaining rather than profound.
Where the film struggles most is with editing and cinematic rhythm. The constant barrage of cuts and restless camera movement frequently disrupts ordinary conversational scenes rather than enhancing them. Vincent Tabaillon’s editing sometimes favors visual momentum over emotional clarity, producing transitions and shot choices that feel aimed at manufacturing excitement rather than serving the story’s needs. The result is a film that often looks busier than it is narratively compelling.
Those restless stylistic choices seem to be compensating for a script that adheres closely to familiar detective tropes. The plot delivers predictable turns and a late “twist” that lands with the subtlety of an airliner. Because the structure offers few surprises, the film resorts to stylistic flourishes and sporadic inventive set pieces to re-energize proceedings. In several action sequences the filmmakers make smart use of a modest budget with creative staging and choreography; those moments feel earned and briefly revitalise the film’s momentum.
Ultimately, The Takedown is a film you can comfortably switch your brain off for and enjoy in short bursts. It provides a handful of genuine laughs, a couple of well-executed action beats, and the reliable pleasure of watching two charismatic leads trade barbs and work through their differences. Yet it never quite commits to being either a clever genre subversion or a tightly constructed procedural, leaving it hovering in a middling zone: likable but forgettable.
The film’s strengths—lead chemistry, a playful score, and occasional inventive action—are matched by equal weaknesses: overzealous editing, a too-familiar script, and a few scenes that outstay their welcome. For viewers seeking a lightweight, crowd-pleasing action-comedy with strong performances from its stars, The Takedown will likely be an agreeable watch. For those hoping for sharper plotting or more memorable filmmaking choices, the movie will likely register as well-meaning but unremarkable.
Score: 12/24