They're back! After 6 years, Detective James Carter (played to perfection
by Chris Tucker) and Chief Inspector Lee (played by the fantastic
Jackie Chan) have returned for the third time in what can only be
termed as one of this year's best summer films.
The Rush Hour movies have been about two things: (a) cops versus the
bad guys and (b) bridging the East & West divide. In this film,
those elements have been retained and hence, it makes for a highly
entertaining flick.
Our re-introduction to the cast first begins with James Carter, who
has been demoted to a traffic cop because of his inability to work
within the law. But this is James Carter we're talking about and he
finds ways of amusing himself in the most strange, somewhat perverse
situations.
On the other hand is Inspector Lee, who is dignified as always and
the special guard to the Ambassador of China. A shootout takes place
and the two cops are thrown together by circumstances once again and
this time, it's Paris and New York where they go to hunt for the bad
guys. |
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The story is funny but ordinary. It is not as fabulous as the first
film where you wanted Inspector Lee to really get Juntao (the blonde-hair
bully). But the reason why Rush Hour 3 will work is because of its
actors.
Chemistry between two lead actors is crucially important. It is
this reason why Brad Pitt and Edward Norton's Fight Club is hailed
as one of the most gripping films. Their chemistry was incredible.
The same was seen between George Clooney and Brad Pitt in the Oceans
movies.
Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker still have that friendship. In this
movie, you see that these two actors are happy to be in each other's
company. Onscreen, the two are like brothers but in the undercurrent,
James Carter is always looking for Lee's approval. That approval
finally pulls through and you discover things about Lee's past that
leave you stunned.
American critics have called it the "anti-American" comedy.
It is true. But whenever there is America-bashing, it is said in
a context that makes it believable. For instance, when in Paris,
the two cops take a cab. The taxi driver, a French man, refuses
to accommodate James Carter because he's American. In his eyes,
America is about wars, bloodshed. It may be anti-American sentiment
but for good reason: Iraq and Afghanistan come to mind.
Sequels essentially work because one is familiar with the characters
and you want to see where the end up next. This year as sequels
have come in throngs, the element of freshness has gone from films.
Be it Ocean's Thirteen or Shrek the Third or even Spider-Man 3.
But Rush Hour 3 has returned after six years. The last film came
in 2001, the year the world changed and that change works superbly
in the favour of this film.
Another interesting bit about the film is its action. Jackie Chan,
a stunt director himself, is an ace at action. It his forte and
he shines here once again. This is street fight-meets-kung fu moves
so imagine what that is like.
A huge credit for its sequences goes to director Brett Ratner. After
X-Men: The Last Stand, it comes as no surprise to see him pull this
off.
Ultimately the bond James and Lee share is like brotherhood. They
disagree… a lot and they bicker all the time. They subtly
insult each other but in the end, they come through for each other
when it's needed and that is heartening to see in a film that is
all about finding the evil-doers and bringing them to justice.
It has been one hell of a year for Hollywood. Rush Hour 3 may not
be making as much money as the other big films but in terms of content
and entertainment (which is the real point of all these sequels),
it surpasses most films like Spider-Man 3 and Shrek the Third. Whether
Rush Hour 3 will spin magic at the box office in the coming months
remains to be seen but just for the sheer pleasure of watching Jackie
Chan and Chris Tucker's reunion after six years, do give it a shot.
– Maheen Sabeeh
*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME
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