Rush Hour 3 (2007)

Overall rating from 1 to 100: 71

O Masterpiece (95-100)
O Excellent (75-94)
X Good video rental (60-74)
O Merely OK (50-59)
O Pure mediocrity (30-49)
O Medusa: don't watch (1-29)

Review by Jason Pyles / August 11, 2007

Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are back again in their third “Rush Hour” movie. I doubt that buddy-cop movies will ever go out of style. But these two characters are getting to be a little like “Shrek” … enough is enough.

Even though “Rush Hour 3” is exactly what you’d expect it to be, which is more of the same, it’s actually the funniest of the three. There’s a delicate balance in the “Rush Hour” movies between the co-stars. They try to give equal time to Tucker’s comedy and Chan’s martial arts. But this movie seems to have more comedy.

Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) and Chief Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) are still, more or less, working for the LAPD. Looming over the globe is the imminent threat of a criminal empire called the Chinese Triad. (According to the Internet Movie Database, this is a real organization. “Rush Hour 3” has been banned in China because of the movie’s usage of the Triad, even though it’s fictitious usage.)

And that’s just about enough of the plot. Plot doesn’t matter in Jackie Chan movies, anyway. We go see “Rush Hour” to see Jackie Chan wax on crazy martial arts skills using some kind of bizarre prop, and to hear Chris Tucker’s smart mouth. But as you can imagine, we end up having the unlikely scenario of two cops from L.A. taking on the Triad — in France.

I need to reiterate that the movie is basically hilarious. There are some memorable scenes involving a giant, a translator, a duet, the Eiffel Tower and a French flag. Oh, and of course, the usual outtakes at the end.

My only caution for moviegoers is the sexual content. This “Rush Hour” is not only funnier, but also a little more risqué. Even though it’s rated PG-13, I think it borders closely on an R. As you can see from the MPAA’s assessment, there is sexual content and nudity, albeit brief and somewhat obscured.

I’ve done my duty. You know what to expect: a pretty funny karate movie sequel that’s just like the first two.

Directed by Brett Ratner
Jackie Chan / Chris Tucker / Noemie Lenoir
90 min. Comedy / Action
MPAA: PG-13 (for sequences of action violence, sexual content, nudity and language)

Copyright 2007.
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