RUSH HOUR 3
US, 2007, 90 minutes, Colour.
Chris Tucker, Jackie Chan, Max von Sydow, Hiroyuki Sanada, Yvan Attal, Youki Kudoh, Noemie Lenois, Jingchu Zhang, Roman Polanski.
Directed by Brett Ratner.
No surprises for fans of the previous Rush Hour films, only satisfaction.
It doesn’t really matter that Jackie Chan is 53 and not quite as agile as before – not that you would immediately notice since he has plenty of stunts. And he has a sympathetic screen personality. If only one could only say that about his partner, Chris Tucker. Tucker’s screen presence and sense of humour is an acquired taste – which the present reviewer has not been able to acquire since he found Tucker so abominably off-putting in The Fifth Element in 1997. The only thing here is to put up with it and hope for the best.
The previous Rush Hour films were set in Hong Kong and in the US. This time, the action goes to France with some fine photography of the city, some very funny satiric lines about Franco- American relationships and a spectacular and lengthy climax on the Eiffel Tower which is well worth seeing. Yvan Attal is very good as the sullen Paris cab driver who is not racially prejudiced but is just anti-American. When he warms to the partners, his wife won’t let him go and help them out. He regrets, quite ruefully, ‘Now I will never know what it is like to be an American: to kill for no reason’.
Max Von Sydow is, as so often, benign and sinister. And, uncredited, Roman Polanski turns up as the head of the French police.
It’s all formula, but that is what makes it an entertaining action thriller with laughs (except for those of Chris Tucker!).
1.The popularity of Rush Hour 1 and Rush Hour 2? The partnership of Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan? The martial arts? The crime investigations? The exotic settings? Comedy and action? The reason for a sequel?
2.The American locations, Los Angeles? The streets, the buildings, apartment? The mansions? The transition to Paris, the use of Paris locations, especially the Eiffel Tower for the climax? The musical score and songs?
3.The martial arts, the stunts? Jackie Chan and his acrobatics? The Japanese and Chinese performers and their martial arts?
4.The introduction to Inspector Lee, guarding the ambassador, the meeting, Mr Reynard and his speech? The assassin, the shooting of the ambassador? Lee and his pursuing him? Losing him? The involvement of Carter?
5.Carter, directing traffic, getting the traffic in a mess, flirting with the women? The phone call? His pursuit of Lee and the assassin? Making a mess?
6.The ambassador' daughter, her fear for her life? Going with Mr Reynard? The car exploding? Her asking Inspector Lee to solve the case? Lee knowing that it was his childhood friend who was the assassin?
7.The transition to Paris? The comedy on the plane? Chris Tucker's verbal comedy? Jackie Chan as the straight man?
8.In Paris, meeting George, the taxi? The comedy with George, his anti-American statements, his driving them around? His becoming involved? Taking them to see his family, his wife not letting him out? His regret that he would never understand Americans by being able to kill without reason? His finally turning up and solving everything at the end?
9.Mr Reynard (The Fox) and his position, head of crime investigation, his eagerness to get the information? His criminality? In Paris, the confrontations, his death?
10.Kenji, the assassin, the confrontations with Inspector Lee? In Paris, trying to get the ambassador's daughter? The build-up to the Eiffel Tower? The lengthy climactic fights, the use of the tower? Kenji as a sinister character? The background of the addresses, the clubs, the Dragon Lady and her attempt on Lee?
11.The role of Genevieve, her help? The ambassador's daughter in final peril?
12.Chris Tucker and his comedy, impersonations? How well did they blend with Jackie Chan and his action?
13.The importance of staying for the final credits and the humorous outtakes?
14.The supporting characters, Roman Polanski and his appearance as the police chief, threats, finally taking the credit? The confrontation of the two criminals who spoke French, getting the nun in to do the translation and the humour of the language that was being used? Popcorn and matinee material?
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