Rush Hour 3 (DVD) > Reviews > Rush Hour 3- Another 'Over-Done' Sequel

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Disliked it
Story	Very ordinary
Characters / Performances	Weak
Special Effects	Unmemorable
Soundtrack	Unmemorable

Advantages:	Well - choreographed brawl scenes .
Disadvantages:	Slapstick comedy at its worst .

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

Directed by: Brett Ratner
Written by: Jeff Nathanson (Characters - Ross LaManna)
Genre: Action - Comedy - Crime - Thriller
Country: USA/Germany
Certification: 15+
Language: English/French/Mandarin/Japanese
Released: 26th December, 2007 (DVD)

MAIN CAST:
Chris Tucker (Detective James Carter)
Jackie Chan (Chief Inspector Lee)
Hiroyuki Sanada (Kenji)
Youki Kudoh (Dragon Lady)
Max von Sydow (Varden Reynard)
Yvan Attal (George)
Noémie Lenoir (Genevieve)
Jingchu Zhang (Soo Yung)
Tzi Ma (Ambassador Han)

When an attempt is made on Ambassador Han's life just as he was about to divulge the names of the nefarious triad leaders, Chief Inspector Lee must find those responsible for the assassination attempt, and discover the identity of the triad leaders. Forever lurking in his shadow, Detective James Carter comes to Lee's assistance, and the two travel to Paris. When they come across Genevieve, a woman who knows the identity of the triad leaders, they are forced to protect her from those who would rather their names be kept a secret, and making this task all the more difficult is the kidnapping of the ambassador's daughter - whom the triads want to exchange for Genevieve.

'Rush Hour 3' is just another one of those half-witted sequels that are spat out at regular intervals by studios wanting to make a quick buck. Unfortunately, they've made loads of money with this movie, and you have to wonder how they manage to capture an audience with antics best left to Laurel and Hardy or the Marx Brothers.

Chris Tucker, in my opinion, is the most obnoxious and untalented actor ever to have popped up on our screens. His 'over-done' comedic antics are nauseatingly un-humoristic, and watching him fumble from one scene to the next is like watching Jim Carrey's 'The Mask' over and over and over again! It's downright inhumane! As for Jackie Chan - well - I just happen to like Jackie, but I like him more when he is given humorous dialogue. Jackie is the lovable sort, the type who can easily draw a smile or a chuckle when he is allowed a bit of Tomfoolery - but the writers did not give Jackie the opportunity in this sequel. Such a waste of talent really - producers, directors and writers would do well to take advantage of Jackie's guileless nature and innocent-looking face. Jackie is above all a martial-arts expert, but his knack for comedy is what makes him such a winner. Remove the comedy, and all you have left is the action. The truth is, Chris Tucker is a lousy comedian, and should not have been made to 'carry' the movie on his own. A bit of 'Jackie' humour would have gone a long way into making this movie, if not great, then definitely good.

There are, in my opinion, far too many sequels out there - I've said it before, and I'll say it again; "Don't make a sequel unless it stands to surpass the original." Nothing bugs me more than a rubbish sequel - except perhaps for Chris Tucker.

This movie is devoid of witty dialogue and 'real' humour - what it does have is 97 minutes of asinine slapstick and a few wonderfully-choreographed 'brawl' scenes. There is also the 'usual' chase scene through the streets, a few stunts, a bit of special-effects, but my personal favourite, something that far surpasses the entirety of the movie - the gag reel!

What does that say about a movie when the only thing truly funny is the gag reel?