By Frederic Germay
I would rather be caught in eternal traffic than watch this film again. That being said, there would be no need to re-watch this atrocious flick again, thanks to the incredibly simple and substandard plot. "Rush Hour 3," directed by Brett Ratner, is the hopefully final installment in the "Rush Hour" trilogy. Ratner, the man who unforgivably ruined the "X-men" trilogy, reinforces his somewhat crude touch to a saga already suffering from a severe lack of decency and sophistication.
Having only seen portions of the previous "Rush Hour" films, I would have thought my appreciation of the franchise would have been appropriately compromised. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the film falls into the same old tired storyline that has been robbed from dozens of much better films. "Rush Hour 3" is essentially the tale of two friends, Detective Carter and Inspector Lee, in their incredibly unbelievable attempts to destroy the gargantuan Chinese Triad gang.
In this film, certain high-ranking government officials are being targeted for knowledge of a list that contains all the leaders of the Triad. Inspector Lee was assigned with protecting the Ambassador who possesses this precious information, whereas Carter was directing traffic at the time, and happened to run into Lee again at just the convenient moment. From there on out, Carter and Lee form the annoying yet appropriate duo, which is capable of quickly unraveling hundred-year-old mysteries faster than the entire U.S. government. On a related note, this film requires an inhuman suspension of disbelief.
I would have to say that the one mildly redeemable aspect of this film also happens to be is greatest offence. As it is proudly revealed in the ending credits, Jackie Chan's Inspector Lee is fed lines from the director. I highly doubt that Chan would iterate half the things his character says in the movie if he actually knew what they meant. Understandably, an actor who doesn't even comprehend his own lines can't possibly act out his characters emotions acutely. Yet another downward trend in this film is the lameness of the action sequences. The Eiffel Tower fight sequence was undoubtedly the best in the film, yet it was so ridiculously childish that no one could possibly interpret the alleged climax as 'moving' in any way.
Despite all the film's obvious faults, it's greatest strength is Chris Tucker. Tucker's incredibly insane performance as Detective Carter practically carries the film by itself. No one in the theatre could restrain himself or herself from laughing during his scenes, and I found myself chuckling at even the merest fluctuation in Carter's mood. However, despite being the film's strong point, Carter is the embodiment of a blaring stereotype. Many critics agree with my assessment that Tucker's portrayal of the African-American comedian defies class or respect in any way.
Yet another controversial issue that this movie brings up is how far exactly does a PG-13 movie have to go before it reaches an R rating. It seems as though Ratner tries to push "Rush Hour 3" to the breaking point. The film's glorified vulgarity and rampant sexuality doesn't add a gritty texture to the film, but makes the film's lack of class all the more apparent. The only reason this film wasn't a complete disappointment was because I didn't have high expectations to begin with. This film just plain sucks. I give it a 3/10.
