Rush Hour 3

Stars: Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Hiroyuki Sanada, Max Von Sydow, Yvan Attal, Roman Polanski, Youki Kudoh, Noemie Lenoir, Dana Ivet, Zhang Jingchu, Tzi Ma, Julie Depardieu

Director: Brett Ratner

Its back to the past with the third film in the franchise which, sensibly, doesnt change the odd couple action comedy formula that propelled the previous films (also directed by Ratner) to success. This time (6 years since the last entry) Hong Kong police inspector Chan and increasingly irritating motormouth LA cop Tucker find themselves in Paris to end a global conspiracy involving the Triads, a mad mission that takes them backstage in a theatre where Tucker poses as a gay costume designer and Our Heroes sing and dance on stage and, finally, to a vertiginous climax high up on the Eiffel Tower where the villain finally meets his well-deserved fate.

Joe Nathansons incident-packed screenplay is rather less credible than a Downing Street spin doctor but who cares? The films sole raison detre is its healthy serving of chases, slugfests and Martial Arts mayhem and it delivers, especially when Chan goes into action. The daft dialogue is unashamedly tasteless, (Attals hilarious wannabe American cab driver who helps Our Heroes gets the best, memorably The French are neutral. This is not my fight, followed later, when he finally gets into the swing of things, with The guns! The shooting! Now I know what its like to be an American!). There are even subtitles but dont let that fool you into thinking this is an art film, Von Sydow notwithstanding. Its pure entertainment schlock. You may hate yourself afterwards but if you are looking for a lively no-strain-on-the-brain load of brawls without the slightest pretence to artistic pretension,then Rush Hour 3 fits the bill perfectly.

Alan Frank

USA 2007. UK Distributor: Entertainment Film Distributors. Colour.
90 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 09 Aug 2007