Review Of Rush Hour 3
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Review of Rush Hour 3
Title:
Review of Rush Hour 3Summary:
A review of Rush Hour 3 starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.Article Body:
There's nothing more disheartening about Hollywood’s obsession with sequels than the release of Rush Hour 3. Dull, uninspired, and redundant, this third entry in an unremarkable action-comedy franchise feels like a blatant cash grab. While I wasn’t a fan of the first two Rush Hour films, they never seemed as exhausted and obligatory as this one. Aside from a few amusing scenes with Chris Tucker and a nostalgic dance routine to “War” performed with Jackie Chan, this movie offers nothing new.
The flimsy plot follows Chief Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) as he protects a Chinese diplomat visiting Los Angeles. Just before revealing top-secret information about the Triad crime syndicate, the diplomat is shot. Lee reunites with his former partner, Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker), and promises the diplomat’s daughter, Soo Yung (Zhang Jingchu), to find the attacker. This leads them to chase Triad assassin Kenji (Hiroyuki Sanada) to Paris, aided by George (Yvan Attal), an anti-American cab driver who unexpectedly enjoys car chases and gunplay.
Like its predecessors, this film is a mix of hit-and-miss comedy and mediocre action. It lacks energy and pales in comparison to the excitement of The Bourne Ultimatum (thankfully, it doesn’t suffer from shaky camera work). The humor is no more entertaining than in previous films. A particularly flat moment is a riff on “Who’s on First,” proving the stars have nothing on Abbott and Costello. There’s also a parody of emotional moments in buddy movies featuring Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.” Perhaps this is director Brett Ratner’s apology to the audience. One scene involving raw sewage hints at the franchise’s downward trajectory.
One major disappointment, albeit expected, is Jackie Chan's reduced physicality. At 53, Chan can no longer perform the stunts that made him famous. The more dangerous work now falls to stuntmen, with hints of CGI that thankfully aren’t too distracting. The end-credit outtakes, typically featuring Chan’s botched stunts, are now limited to verbal bloopers and minor pratfalls. His comedic talent seems as muted as his martial arts prowess. I assumed Chan would transition to more comedy as he aged, but this doesn’t bode well for that direction.
Chris Tucker only collects a paycheck and doesn't add much else. Although still not particularly likable, he’s less irritating than in the earlier films. Yvan Attal outshines both in the comedy department, with his character’s love-hate relationship with American culture offering some of the film’s wittier moments. Max von Sydow plays the concealed villain with his signature bass voice, and Roman Polanski makes an odd cameo as a French policeman who subjects Lee and Carter to an implied, tasteless joke. Why Polanski agreed to this role is anyone’s guess; it certainly won’t help his reputation.
Does Rush Hour 3 meet audience expectations? Only the most devoted fans might think so. The formula is there, but the cast goes through the motions. It's a faded version of its predecessors, which weren’t impressive to begin with. Director Brett Ratner at least injected some energy into the earlier films; even during the climax at the Eiffel Tower, there’s no sign of it here. This is just another forgettable summer movie, not even worth watching when it airs on TV. The Rush Hour experience, never fully at speed, has finally come to a grinding halt.
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