August 24, 2007 Rush Hour 3
Studio: New Line Cinema Rating: PG-13 for sequences of action violence, sexual content, nudity and language.
It's been several years since Chris Tucker graced the silver screen with his particular brand of manic comic energy.
Fortunately, he hasn't lost any of his sass.
Tucker and Jackie Chan team up once again as officers Carter and Lee to track down a would-be assassin of a Chinese ambassador. Their efforts take them to France where they employ the same tactics they've used in the first two "Rush Hour" movies. Mainly, plenty of pithy remarks and frenetic action sequences.
In the first two "Rush Hour" movies, much comic gold was mined from the cultural differences between Carter and Lee. However with both now on the same page after sharing several adventures together, most of this film's laughs come from the duo's unfamiliarity with French language and culture. As is the norm in this series the the comedy and action are mixed together.
"Rush Hour 3" feels very familiar. And that's not all bad. There are some very funny moments in this movie...one features director Roman Polanski as a French Police Officer, another employs a nun as a translator. Both scenes will make you laugh.
Although director Brett Ratner delivers some pretty outrageous action scenes, Chan is starting to slow down just a little bit. He can still pull off some amazing moves but Chan is now in his fifties so it's expected his intense stuntwork will be dialed back.
If you like the "Rush Hour" series you'll enjoy this outing. It's not new but it's also not terribly stale. There is just enough new life to warrant this new adventure.
On my rating scale, "Rush Hour 3" hits a Double.
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August 24, 2007
