"RUSH HOUR 3" (2007) ReviewChris Tucker, Jackie Chan and director Brett Ratner reunite after six years to film the third installment in the "RUSH HOUR". In the end, the trio produce a silly, occasionally flawed yet very funny sequel. I did not harbor any expectations about this comedy. Why should I? It's a "RUSH HOUR" movie. Like its two predecessors, it was another comedic adventure featuring Hong Kong detective Chief Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) and Los Angeles Police Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker). However, this movie starts with the assassination attempt of Lee's former mentor, now Ambassador Han (Tzi Ma) from the first film, in Los Angeles. It seems that Han and the World Criminal Court have concerned themselves with the growing threat of the Chinese Triads. Han announces that he has knowledge of the leadership behind the Triads. But before he can say anything further, he is shot by an assasin who turns out to be Lee's godbrother, Kenji (Hiroyuki Sanada). The latter manages to get away before Lee and Carter can capture him. The pair eventually learns from the Kung Fu master of Ambassador Han's now grown-up daughter - Soo Yung (Zhang Jingchu) that she, the Ambassador and French Ambassador Reynard (Max von Sydow)have all been targeted by the Triads. Their investigations also lead them to a Triad hideout disguised as a gambling club in Paris. With the help of an overeager Parisian cab driver named George (Yvan Attal) and a beautiful nightclub entertainer named Genevieve (Noémie Lenoir), Carter and Lee foil the plans of the Traids to keep their identities safe.Like its two predecessors, "RUSH HOUR 3" is not perfect. The movie's beginning - which featured the assasination attempt and Carter's encounter with two L.A. socialites - seemed a bit lame in the humor department. In fact, the movie does not really pick up pace until the two partners find themselves at Soo Yung's kung fu academy, where they encounter a rather "tall" adversary and Carter engages in a hilarious rendition of the old Abbott and Costello "Who's on First?" routine. One last aspect of the movie bothered me . . . namely the Parisian cab driver, George. At first, I found Attal's performance very entertaining, as he conveyed the character's distaste for Americans. But after Carter managed to convince him to embrace all things American - including Seattle's finest coffee that he labeled "shit" - he became annoying. A bore. Not even his last minute rescue of Carter and Lee could change my mind about him.But "RUSH HOUR 3" still possessed enough attributes that made it an entertaining movie. The fight sequences - especially the sword fight between Chan and Sanada - were excellent. Even Tucker managed to hold his own very well, for once. While Chan and Sanada were busy with their showdown, his character was engaged in fighting off four Triad minions. Many might consider this unrealistic, considering that Carter had barely been able to defend himself in the first movie. But the second movie conveyed that Carter had learned a few moves. And by the third movie, he had become an effective martial arts fighter. Aside from the movie's first ten to fifteen minutes, the humor seemed just as snappy and hilarious as it had been in the first two movies. And as usual, it was the gregarious Tucker who provided most of the laughs. But what I really enjoyed about "RUSH HOUR 3" was the colorful Parisian setting. No one felt more happy than I when the movie shifted from Los Angeles to Paris.If you are seeking a comedy that provides a sharp and witty look at our society's ills, "RUSH HOUR 3" is not your movie. If you simply want a hilarious, yet silly movie with beautiful locations and plenty of action, I suggest you rush to the nearest theater that features this movie, turn off your brain and enjoy yourself. Trust me, you will.
Below is my current list of favorite movies set in the 1930s:
TOP TEN FAVORITE MOVIES SET IN THE 1930s
1. "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984) - In this exciting second installment of the Indiana Jones franchise, the intrepid archaeologist is asked by desperate villagers in Northern India to find a mystical stolen stone and rescue their children from a Thuggee cult practicing child slavery. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the movie starred Harrison Ford as Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones.
2. "The Sting" (1973) - Paul Newman and Robert Redford starred in this excellent Oscar winning movie about a young drifter who teams up with a master of the big con to get revenge against the gangster who had his partner murdered. George Roy Hill directed.
3. "Death on the Nile" (1978) - Peter Ustinov made his first appearance as Hercule Poirot in this superb adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1937 novel about the murder of an Anglo-American heiress during a cruise on the Nile. John Guillermin directed.
4. "Chinatown" (1974) - Roman Polanski directed this outstanding Oscar nominated film about a Los Angeles private detective hired to expose an adulterer, who finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption and murder. Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway starred.
5. "Gosford Park" (2001) - Robert Altman directed this Oscar nominated film about a murder that occurs at shooting party in 1932 England. The all-star cast includes Helen Mirren, Kelly MacDonald, Clive Owen and Maggie Smith.
6. "Evil Under the Sun" (1982) - Once again, Peter Ustinov portrayed Hercule Poirot in this entertaining adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1941 novel about the murder of a stage actress at an exclusive island resort. Guy Hamilton directed.
7. "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (2000) - Ethan and Joel Coen directed this very entertaining tale about three escaped convicts who search for a hidden treasure, while evading the law in Depression era Mississippi. George Clooney, John Tuturro and Tim Blake Nelson starred.
8. "Murder on the Orient Express" (1974) - Albert Finney starred as Hercule Poirot in this stylish adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1934 novel about the Belgian detective's investigation into the death of a mysterious American aboard the famed Orient Express. Sidney Lumet directed.
9. "Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) - Harrison Ford made his first appearance as Dr. "Indiana" Jones in this classic movie, as he races against time to find the iconic Ark of the Covenant that contains the Ten Commandments before the Nazis do in 1936 Egypt. Steven Spielberg directed.
10. "Seabiscuit" (2003) - Gary Ross directed this excellent adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand's 2001 book about the famed race horse from the late 1930s. Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper and Elizabeth Banks starred.
Honorable Mention: "Road to Perdition" (2002) - Tom Hanks, Tyler Hoechlin and Paul Newman starred in this first-rate adaptation of Max Collins' 1998 graphic comic about a Depression era hitman who is forced to hit the road with his older son after the latter witnesses a murder. Sam Mendes directed.
Below is a list of my favorite movie and television productions about the Holocaust released in chronological order:
LIST OF FAVORITE MOVIE AND TELEVISION PRODUCTIONS ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST
"The Search" (1948) - Fred Zinneman directed this Oscar winning movie about a young Auschwitz survivor and his mother who search for each other across post-World War II Europe. Oscar nominee Montgomery Clift and Oscar winner
Ivan Jandl starred.
"The Diary of Anne Frank" (1959) - George Stevens directed this adaptation of the Broadway play about Holocaust victim Anne Frank, her family and their friends hiding in an attic in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. The movie starred Millie Perkins, Joseph Schildkraut and Oscar winner Shelley Winters.
"Judgment at Nuremberg" (1961) - Stanley Kramer directed this Oscar winner about an American military tribunal in post-war occupied Germany that tries four Nazi judges for war crimes. Oscar nominee Spencer Tracy, Marlene Dietrich and Oscar winner Maximilian Schell starred.
"Marathon Man" (1976) - Dustin Hoffman, Oscar nominee Laurence Olivier and Roy Schneider starred in this adaptation of William Goldman's 1974 novel about a history graduate student caught up in a conspiracy regarding stolen diamonds, a Nazi war criminal and a rogue government agent. John Schlesinger directed.
"Voyage of the Damned" (1976) - Faye Dunaway and Max von Sydow starred in this adaptation of Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts' 1974 book about the fate of the MS St. Louis ocean liner carrying Jewish refugees from Germany to Cuba in 1939. Stuart Rosenberg directed.
"Holocaust" (1978) - Gerald Green wrote and produced this Emmy winning miniseries about the experiences of a German Jewish family and a rising member of the SS during World War II. Fritz Weaver, Rosemary Harris and Emmy winners Meryl Streep and Michael Moriarty starred.
"Sophie’s Choice" (1982) - Oscar winner Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol starred in this adaptation of William Styron's 1979 novel about an American writer's acquaintance with a Polish immigrant and Holocaust survivor in post-World War II New York City. The movie was directed by Alan J. Pakula.
"Escape From Sobibor" (1987) - Alan Arkin, Joanna Paula and Golden Globe winner Rutger Hauer starred in this television movie about the mass escape of Jewish prisoners from the Nazi extermination camp at Sobibor in 1943. Jack Gold directed.
"War and Remembrance" (1988) - Dan Curtis produced, directed and co-wrote this Emmy winning television adaptation of Herman Wouk's 1978 novel about the experiences of a naval family and their in-laws during World War II. Robert Mitchum, Jane Seymour, Hart Bochner and John Gielgud starred.
"Schindler’s List" (1993) - Steven Spielberg produced and directed this Oscar winning adaptation of Thomas Keneally's 1982 novel,"Schindler's Ark" about Nazi party member and businessman, Oscar Schindler, who helped saved many Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The movie starred Oscar nominees Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Ben Kingsley.
"Life Is Beautiful" (1997) - Oscar winner Roberto Benigni starred, directed and co-wrote this Academy Award winning film about a Jewish-Italian book shop owner, who uses his imagination to shield his son from the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp. The movie co-starred Nicoletta Braschi and Giorgio Cantarini.
"The Pianist" (2002) - Roman Polanski directed this Oscar winning adaptation of Polish-Jewish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman's World War Ii memoirs. Oscar winner Adrien Brody and Thomas Kretschmann starred.
"Black Book" (2006) - Paul Verhoeven directed World War II tale about a Dutch-Jewish woman who becomes a spy for the Resistance after a tragic encounter with the Nazis. Carice van Houten and Sebastian Koch starred.
"The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" (2008) - Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon, Vera Fermiga and David Thewlis starred in this adaptation of John Boyne's 2006 novel about a friendship between two eight year-olds - the son of an extermination camp commandant and a young Jewish inmate. Mark Herman directed.
"Inglourious Basterds" (2009) - Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed this Oscar winning alternate-history tale about two separate plots to assassinate Nazi Germany's high political leadership at a film premiere in Nazi occupied Paris. The movie starred Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent and Oscar winner Christoph Waltz.
