Movie Review

Rush Hour 3

What would the summer be without a tried and true buddy comedy? Comedic chemistry is hard but you can't deny the fact that Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan have it. Only can they continue to sustain the laughs through what is now their third "60 Minutes", or much better titled, "Rush Hour 3"? I was more than excited to find out. Only the threequel-itis that seems to be going around this summer has claimed another victim. In other words, this is a pretty terrible movie. Tucker and Chan again play detectives Carter and Lee. When the Chinese Ambassador that Lee is supposed to protect winds up getting shot, he and Carter must go to Paris to track down the assassins, a group called the Chinese Triads.

The real joy of the "Rush Hour" series has always been the individual talents of both Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. Tucker has a smooth, loud, fast-talking energy and Chan is one of the most agile and gifted physical comedians in film history. That his English is not very good also helps a little too. These two have managed to combine for a relationship that's both genial and free for a lot of ribbing about differences, whether they be cultural or otherwise. Only the screenplay for "Rush Hour 3," written by Jeff Nathanson, seems to have been rushed on screen and lacks any and all energy. At an hour and 20 minutes, the movie feels like it's even longer. For starters, the comic schtick Tucker is given in the early going feels as old as the Boston Tea Party. When he and another character engage in a "Yu-You Mi-Me" bit, you almost expect Abbott and Costello to walk out and sue for copyright infringement. And then you have another old bit where Tucker has to avoid offending a nun while he interrogates a suspect. And these are two of the funnier moments in the film. Once he and Chan get to France, the comedy completely dissolves.

One thing that really has to end is the thinking that anything that's high energy is also funny. At one point Tucker puts a gun to a Frenchman's head because he says he doesn't like Halle Berry. This is supposed to be funny? C'mon. The movie is devoid of jokes at the expense of the French (a cardinal sin for any movie based in France) and Tucker and Chan seem more consumed with the lackluster plot than in their usual jibes and witty banter with one another. And Chan may finally be getting too old to handle the physical workload. The fights lack his cleverness and don't seem to last that long or push him too hard. They'll also never be considered among his most memorable performances either.

The whole thing just seems to be missing every ingredient that made the first two movies so good. His movies are starting to look labored. You also have to wonder about the career's of both Tucker and Chan. Is Chan getting too old? Is Tucker going to branch out and do a movie not called "Rush Hour" again? Time will tell, but one thing is for sure, "Rush Hour 3" is a pretty dark mark on what was a promising franchise.

Craig's Grade: D+

A	10.9%
B	41.8%
C	31.8%
D	15.3%
F	0.3%