The Clint Eastwood true-story movie, which stars the real-life heroes it is about, has been called out for being “dull” and a “right-wing wet dream”.
The film is about three American heroes who helped scupper a terrorist attack on board a train, with the men playing themselves.
The Guardian gave only two stars, saying the focus on their backstories is “excruciatingly” boring, and also slammed the “woodenness” of the central performances.
Radio Times were also unimpressed, giving one star and saying it “awkwardly pivots from religious fervour to testosterone-fuelled military recruitment video to backpacking travelogue”.
“Eastwood’s hardline Republican politics have been well documented over the years, and his version of the heroes’ book of the same name has the air of a right-wing wet dream,” they added.
Rolling Stone were slightly more positive, giving two-and-a-half stars out of a possible four, but said: “Through no fault of their own – hey, you try acting without training – these non-pros simply can’t bring the film to vivid life.
“They get scant help from first-time screenwriter Dorothy Blyskal, who adapts the mens’ published account of their experience in The 15:17 to Paris: The True Story of a Terrorist, a Train and Three American Heroes with a dispiriting flatness.”
The Financial Times gave a two-star noticing, saying: “Re-read the news story: that was good. Don’t bother with the movie.”
Entertainment Weekly gave a D-grade, saying the film is a “well-intentioned disaster”.
The movie received a lowly 25% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The 15:17 to Paris is released tomorrow.