When Rush Hour hit the circuit back in 1998, it was a smash hit for Jackie Chan and co-star Chris Tucker. Rush Hour 2 hit our shores in 2001, bringing much of the same as the first title, and again a big hit. Now in 2007, Rush Hour 3 makes landfall, and yes, it is still the same old buddy cop, comedy action title as the two that came before, but damn, it is still going to be a big hit.
Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) is currently working with his friend Ambassador Han, as Han moves to crack open the secret society that is the Chinese Triads. However, just as Han is to reveal his information, an assassination attempt is set in place, leaving a badly injured Han and Lee hot on the trail of the would-be killer. But when Hans daughter is pulled into the fray as well, matters make a turn for the worse and it is up to Lee and his old partner, former detective Carter (Chris Tucker) to make a trip to Paris, France in order to unravel the mystery surrounding the Triads before it is too late.
Like I said before, Rush Hour 3 brings pretty much nothing new to the table. It is exactly the same formula that was used in the first two movies, relying heavily on the mismatched cultures of Chan and Tucker for much of the humour – a formula that unfortunately is now becoming a little stale, as this is pretty much the common theme throughout most of Chans American movies. That said, if you enjoyed Rush Hour 1 and 2 then youll definitely love Rush Hour 3 – I know that I did :)
The films pacing is frenetic, keeping you glued to your seat and concluding before you even know it. The story moves quickly, characters are shuffled around and answers are revealed just after the questions have been asked. As per usual, Rush Hour 3 features oodles of action sequences, including car chase scenes, gun battles, hand-to-hand combat sequences and even a sword duel just to add some variety to the mix. And although Jackie Chan is now beginning to age rapidly, he is still as mobile as a monkey, showing off his considerable prowess in movement, stunts and martial arts. Combined with his trademark comedic timing and facial expressions, you cant help but laugh and thrill at the antics of this screen legend.
Chris Tucker is as inspired in his role as always. He fits the obnoxious African-American playboy role so well, its scary. His humour is well timed and delivered, making him an absolute riot to watch. (Interesting fact – he hasnt done a single movie between Rush Hour 2 and this one. Thats a wait of over six years between roles! Must be nice to be able to command such a large paycheck for your work).
The rest of cast are all adequate in their roles, with perhaps the most outstanding of supporting roles going to Yvan Attal who plays George, the over eager Parisian cab driver, who remains central to the plot.
The soundtrack for Rush Hour 3 retains the same musical taste displayed in the previous two movies, basically a whole lot of the classics like the Beach Boys and Edwin Starr.
And as per usual, Jackie does all the stunts and most of the fight choreography, leaving us with a film that looks, tastes and even smells like a classic Jackie Chan action movie. By now a person knows all his moves and all the tricks off by heart, but damn, it is still great fun to watch him do it.
Rush Hour 3 is an action comedy that throws in a hint of drama just to give it a little credit, and really, if you like Jackie Chan or enjoyed the other two movies, make sure that you catch this one. For non fans, if you enjoy good laughs, great action sequences and the exotic location of Paris, France, Rush Hour 3 is guaranteed to be an entertaining hit. I dare you to try and watch it without laughing at least once!
Related link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_Hour_3