Going into
Rush Hour 3, I didn’t remember much about its immediate
predecessor, Rush Hour 2, other than the fact that I
didn’t much like it back when it came out in 2001. Realizing
that the franchise never pretended to be much about plot, I
figured that I would be able recall enough of the previous entry
to follow this new one just fine. This turned out to be an
accurate assessment on my behalf, but not exactly for the
reasons that I had expected. Rush Hour 3 not only brought
back my memories of Rush Hour 2; it duplicated them.
Aside from some minor differences, this final film of the
trilogy is nearly identical to the middle-piece as far as its
tonal spirit and narrative ambitions are concerned.
Chris Tucker
and Jackie Chan are back as the investigative, ass-kicking duo
of Detective James Carter and Chief Inspector Lee. After the
assassination of an international ambassador who had information
regarding a corrupt Chinese Triad gang, the two must travel to
Paris to further investigate matters. Carter and Lee obviously
run into problems along the way, and a lot of tired humor and
not-especially inventive fighting sequences ensue. Director
Brett Ratner does nothing to spice up the material; as I
mentioned previously, the picture functions as a thematic
carbon-copy of Rush Hour 2. Because it is such a blatant
cash-out on the success of the previous two entries in the
series, Rush Hour 3 becomes boring for the viewer long
before even its second act begins.
Not to mention,
the microscopic plot on display here doesn’t make a whiff of
sense. Carter and Lee soon discover that the answer to the
Triad-mystery exists as a tattoo on the back of a supporting
character’s head. However, despite the fact that they spend the
vast majority of the running-time protecting this character,
they never seem to think to copy down the contents of the
tattoo. (Would this not be an act of common sense for any good
detective?) Instead of merely solving the case and protecting
their source, our trusted heroes act like boneheads for nearly
the full final half-hour of the film, needlessly fending off
trivial antagonists who will stop at nothing to kill both them
and the tattoo-bearer.
It’s actually
somewhat of a shame that Rush Hour 3 is such a crapshoot
because Carter and Lee are actually rather amusing characters
when afforded the proper resources. The original Rush Hour
was a brilliant action-comedy, and both of them provided an
endless amount of entertainment in that picture. The real
problem with Rush Hour 3 is that it was made for entirely
financial benefit: neither Ratner nor screenwriter Jeff
Nathanson are very interested in giving the once-lovable pair
anything new to do. Replacing all potential segments of
originality are hackneyed rehashes of what viewers experienced
back in both 2001 and 1998 when the first two films in the
series were released. Any way you look at it, Rush Hour 3
is a big waste of moviegoers’ time and money.
-Danny Baldwin,
Bucket Reviews
Review Published
on: 8.10.2007
Screened on:
8.10.2007 at the Krikorian Vista Metroplex 15 in Vista, CA.
Rush Hour 3 is rated PG-13 and runs 90
minutes.
Back to Home
