For years, action superstar Jackie Chan has marveled audiences with his athleticism, agility, and boyish charm, bringing such box-office hits as Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon. The Tuxedo, Chan's latest flick, is an obvious attempt to capitalize on the success of these blockbuster films, which feature Chan paired with an American star. This movie fails miserably, however, and the result is an overly childish, poorly produced film that falls apart at the seams.
The amazing thing about this movie is that it manages to put a straightjacket on the normal highly comical Chan. The plot is unrealistic, the jokes stale, and the overall movie uninteresting. The movie begins with a scene depicting a deer urinating into a mountain stream, and only goes downhill from there.
In this film, Chan plays Jimmy Tong, a New York cab driver renowned for his driving skills. When a customer (Debi Mazar) asks him to quickly take her through a traffic jam, Chan engages in a daredevil, breakneck-speed show, successfully weaving his way through the streets of New York..
Impressed with his skill, she offers him a job as a chauffer for millionaire Clark Devlin (Jason Isaacs). Turns out the suave Englishman is actually a superspy, working a covert operation (can anyone say James Bond?). After an assassination attempt involving a remote controlled skateboard (no, really) leaves Devlin sidelined, Chan admirably takes his place. Devlin instructs Chan to put on his secret weapon: a 2 million dollar, kung fu fighting, dancing, gravity-defying tuxedo.
Chan is paired with a rookie agent named Del Blaine (Jennifer Love Hewitt), who is under the impression that he is actually Devlin. The two combine to fight Banning (Ritchie Coster), a crazy water-bottler who has hopes of world domination. Banning's plan is to contaminate the world's water supply to force people to buy his brand of bottled water.
The movie is entirely too juvenile. It doesn't even try to overcome the obviously ridiculous plot. Even the fight and stunt scenes, Chan's hallmark, are sub-par. These scenes are simply computer-generated theatrical products, digitally reworked to depict impossible movements and capabilities. The worse part is that they hide Chan's true talent as an entertainer.
THE TUXEDO (105 minutes at area theaters) is rated PG-13 for action violence, and some sexual content. The movie's official website is www.dreamworks.com/thetuxedo.
Sanjay Bhat. Sanjay Bhat is a senior currently enrolled in the Magnet Program at Montgomery Blair High School. He spends his time playing basketball, and is a member of the Blair Varsity Golf Team. Sanjay has lived in many places including England and France, before settling down … More »
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