Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
What an absolute tucker of a movie...., 25 Jan 2008
It's funny how a trilogy can change your mind about things. Lets get a few things straight right off the bat, I've been loving Jackie Chan movies for a long time, I love the subtitled Project A's to the badly dubbed Drunken Masters from way back when.
I loved the fact that if you want a story to enjoy, read a book, or watch a Van Damme movie (Joke) but if you wanted the best, undiluted action movie with no cheating special fx then go watch a movie with Chan flying about the top of a building somewhere or axe-kicking his way through to a mob boss in the middle of Timbuktu with no apparent reason or rhyme.
He'd been doing these flicks for the best part of three decades, from writing, acting, directing, stunting and even singing the soundtrack to some of his films (Seriously) they were great, ticked the boxes that the people who watched them wanted and that was that....Then all of a sudden Chan did what I like to call 'sold out' to the Americans. Now don't get me wrong, I don't blame him for it, I'm sure it paid well, blah blah but it resulted in churning out some really watered down movies, Hollywood movies where they try to accomplish too much from an action flick, a story, a thriller, some romance, when all we want is a can of whoop-ass to be opened-and every five or so minutes. Super slow mo scenes were added and stunt men stood in were Jackie would usually have been thrown from cars or choppers, the sort of films that your Van Damme's were making came out.
Now a few were pants, Rumble in the Bronx, Mr Nice guy etc but then came along Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon (Which is awesome - re other review due soon) and I would say JC officially landed in the US.
Now this is where my gripe starts. The first Rush Hour was a Jackie Chan movie with Chris Tucker supporting, it was, make no mistake, even though it was watered down action somewhat. The movie catered for JC fans with its action and Jackie stunts (Granted some were stuntmen) and apart from that, the only downfall into his US entrée was Chris Tucker who previously had been ruining films like The Fifth Element with his motor mouth.
It was OK though, if you could get past him, the film was an hour and a half laugh for most.
Then came Rush 2, which was much of the same fare, JC had churned out probably 3-4 films in-between whilst Chris Tucker had done nothing, it had a little more of Tuckers mouth, and a little less of Chan's feet, was funnier to the ears than the eyes if you get what I mean by what the focus was on. Then came this one.
The way this was advertised distressed me, since part 2, again Mr Chan had done 3-4 flicks, one of which Shanghai Knights (Also awesome - review pending) and Tucker ZERO, seriously, look it up, he made no movies in this space, and this movie was billed as Rush Hour 3, starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan! Chan had been bumped to supporting role! Unbelievable!
Yes this is a Chris Tucker movie, make no mistake, Jackie plays his sidekick, a foolish one at that, and it repulsed me...at first...until I sat through half an hour or so and the flip-flop came. I un-folded my arms, and allowed myself to laugh at this hilarious Tucker of a vehicle!
Really, it is funny as hell, I've finished ranting now because I am over it, I didn't think Tucker deserved to share the screen with such a legend as Chan, especially considering it is Chan who has kept his career alive, but on review, it was the best way to go with this trilogy because Jackie's stunts were getting old, whereas Tucker has so many comic scenes its ace...the one where he's arguing with Mr Me and Mr You made me wet my pants!
It's the sort of film that you can crack on at the end of most nights and just catch the odd fight scene, or the odd joke and enjoy without having to pay too much attention to.
I would recommend getting this if you are a hardened fan of Kung Fu, or not, even better would be the trilogy boxset which I think is going for less than a score, its worth it to see the transition in lead roles alone - plus all the outtakes of Tucker messing up the fights to Jackie messing up English is enough for an episode and a half of `It'll be Alright on the Night'
...One thing that still bothers me though is that despite Jackie keeping Tuckers career alive with this franchise, Chris still managed to negotiate a pay check double the size of the Drunken Masters....maybe all those bumps to Jackie's head has taken its toll.
|
|
|
9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
After such a long wait, was it worth it?, 13 Dec 2007
After waiting so long it is a shame that this film delivered so little. The film really lives or dies on how much you like Chris Tucker. I personally find him very funny. However, in this film his high pitched antics wear thin very quickly. Whilst the humour in the first two films felt fresh and was genuinely funny, this time around we get gags which are very forced and the punch line is seen coming miles away. For example there is a scene with Tucker and two Chinese men, one called Yu and one called Me. You can guess the rest and yes this was funny once but has unfortunately been done to death in countless other films.
Another thing lacking is the outrageous and believable stunts from Jackie Chan. Sadly, age is beginning to catch up with him and rather than seeing fast, fluid fights we get ones which look slow and totally staged, rather than appearing to have any spontaneity.
Most of the budget appears to have been spent on Tuckers salary as some of the special effects are dire. The climax of the film, which takes place on the Eiffel Tower, sees some of the most unbelievable scenes seen in a supposed big budget blockbuster in a long time.
There are some redeeming parts. There is a lot of some chemistry between the lead actors who just about save the film from being a total turkey. If you like Tucker there are still parts which are amusing (like his directing of traffic at the start) and Chan, despite his age, still gives his all even though you wish he could things he did some years ago.
Overall though, what once felt fresh, funny and energetic now feels forced and lazy. When the funniest part is the out takes over the end credits you soon realise just how poor the film was.
|
|
|
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
2.5--Sometimes this is what we get to what we ask for............., , 27 Sep 2008
I remember 2007 has been the year of the three-quel's, and at long last--after the ambitious excess of "Spiderman 3," the lackluster of "Shrek the Third," the love-it-or-hate-it logic to the "Pirates" finale, the return to glossy form of "Ocean's 13," and the tense, engaging "Bourne Ultimatum" (which gave a great ultimatum to its own franchise)--we come to its end with the fun, campy adrenaline-rush of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker re-teaming for "Rush Hour 3." At the end of watching this I though it was okay but I felt a bit sad that it had to come to an end like this because I enjoy the first two very much.
Jackie Chan (Lee) acts well as usual (have some problem for pronouncing things but I didn't mind that) and Chris Tucker is still hilarious and he's still loud as ever. The jokes are decent and I had my shares of laughs here and there, the only problem I have with the comedy is that sometime they try to stretch it far to much and you're ending up saying "We get it already", The chemistry between the two leads is still there which makes these movies fun in the first place.
This was an unneeded yet entertaining entry into the series, but it is basically the love child of the first two. The outtakes as usual are the best part of the film.
Rumors of filming a fourth Rush Hour film immediately after this third installment were apparently scrapped due to unknown reasons, but one could easily venture that failing interest in the series hamstrung such a project (but who knows ...maybe there will be a fourth). Plenty of eye-candy awaits those guys who like to see marvelously curvaceous women whom you normally would only see air-brushed on magazine covers. Most notably is French actress Noémie Lenoir who plays Genevieve, a dancer with a very special head on her shoulders.
But beyond that, you're not going to see much that'll intrigue you. The story has been done ad nauseam, as have all the jokes. Let 'er rest in peace, guys.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
![Rush Hour 3 (2-Disc Edition) [DVD] [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Q-zjUwBpL._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Rush Hour Trilogy [2007] [DVD] [1998]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51rx5poljeL._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Rush Hour [DVD] [1998]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51X0A982S2L._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Rush Hour 2 [DVD] [2001]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WW58M3X4L._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Rush Hour [DVD] [1998]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51X0A982S2L._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
DVD ~ Jackie Chan
![Rush Hour 2 [DVD] [2001]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WW58M3X4L._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
DVD ~ Jackie Chan
![Knocked Up [DVD] [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lwvvfuFaL._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
DVD ~ Katherine Heigl
![Ocean's Thirteen [DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51fOPjxXd1L._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
DVD ~ George Clooney
![I Am Legend [DVD] [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51mXDdRR1sL._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
DVD ~ Will Smith
With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is). 
Amazon Home