Movie Review: Rush Hour 3 by ME

Title: Rush Hour 3
Starring: Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Max von Sydow, Noemie Lenoir, Hiroyuki Sanada
Directed By: Brett Ratner
Produced By: Toby Emmerich, Arthur Sarkissian, Roger Birnbaum
Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Crime/Gangster and Sequel
Release Date: August 10th 2007 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of action violence, sexual content, nudity and language.
Distributors: New Line Cinema

After an attempted assassination on Ambassador Han (Tzi Ma), Lee (Jackie Chan) and Carter (Chris Tucker) head to Paris to protect a French woman (Noémie Lenoir) with knowledge of the Triads' secret leaders.

Even though Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan still work well together, it doesn't hide the fact that Rush Hour 3 looks like it was a film done just for the paychecks. Brett Ratner, who I still defend for X3, (It may not have been perfect, but he didn't have much time to pick up the pieces) has finally tipped that balance in my eyes. Full of unnecessary and unfunny bits, Rush Hour 3 is a blight on everyones resume. Sure Jackie Chan can move, and there are some good ones here: the man is amazing. Sure, Chris Tucker can be funny, just not this time. Brett Ratner really needs to do something different instead of rehashing old jokes. Not even Abbot and Costello are sacred anymore.

Chris Tucker's character, Detective James Carter, has gone way beyond over the top here. The opening sequence of him directing traffic while dancing is so ludicrous, he doesn't even notice how stupid he looks. While Jackie Chan's Chief Inspector Lee is supposed to be ashamed of Carter's antics, I don't think Jackie is acting half the time. The only bright spot is George, the American hating taxi driver who decides that he wants to be an American spy, played by Yvan Attal, who reminds me of Hank Azaria in some ways. Last we have Max Von Sydow, who should add some credibility but only serves to show just how predictable a movie can be.

I think I have already said enough about this waste of time. C'mon Jackie, make Drunken Master 3 already!

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Mitch E
mitchemerson@hotmail.com