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THE TUXEDO
US, 2002, 98 minutes, Colour.
Jackie Chan, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jason Isaacs, Debi Mazar, Ritchie Coster, Peter Stormare.
Directed by Kevin Donovan.
The Tuxedo is a light Jackie Chan star vehicle. He had made an impact in Hollywood with Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon after years of working in Hong Kong (with some Hollywood appearances like those in The Cannonball Run series). In the early years of the 21st century he made a number of very slight films including this one.
The plot defies imagination. Jackie Chan is a chauffeur for a millionaire (Jason Isaacs) until the millionaire has an accident. When Chan tries on his master’s tuxedo he finds that he has extraordinary powers. This leads to espionage, international plotting – and working with a partner who is only a novice at the work (Jennifer Love Hewitt).
This Jackie Chan adventure is geared to a younger audience rather than for adults.
1. The popularity of Jackie Chan films? His little man persona, tough, yet gentle, humorous? The combination of comedy and action?
2. The plausibility and implausibility of the plots? Jackie as the taxi driver become James Bond-like? Jennifer Love Hewitt as the starchy scientist become spy? The world of espionage? Megalomaniacs who want to take over the world by poisoning the water and cultivating strange insects?
3. The city settings, the art gallery, well-to-do hotels and parties, the laboratories with science and technology? The world of the taxi driver and the chauffer? Musical score? Songs?
4. Jimmy and his infatuation with the girl at the gallery, his fights on the street, his becoming Devlin's chauffeur? Their discussions? The tuxedo? Devlin being wounded, his persuading Jimmy to wear the tuxedo and his being transformed into James Bond? His search, the detection, the encounters with Banning, the mad scientist? The other members of the team? Del Blaine and her attraction, discovering the truth, taking the tuxedo? Jimmy finding another, the build-up to the final confrontation and fight? The wooing of the girl in the gallery with everybody looking on, using the surveillance systems? The end with Del.
5. Devlin, the suave and debonair agent, being injured by the bomb, his tuxedos, urging Jimmy to wear them, continue the mission? At the end helping with the surveillance for the wooing?
6. Del Blaine, her glasses, knowledge, her work in the laboratory, being an assistant to Jimmy, changing into a glamorous spy, the adventures, the disasters and her falling in the water _? Her finding out the truth, turning against him? At the end, her feeling insulted, going off to have coffee with Jimmy?
7. Banning, the world of wealth and affluence, his plans, the poisoning of the water, his technology and laboratories? The mad scientist and his work, his manner, his being exposed at the end? The final fight and Banning destroyed?
8. The popularity of Jackie Chan's action routines - for the plot, to show his agility, comic elements? The mixture of humour and action?