RUSH HOUR 3 *

The first of the RUSH HOUR movies was released in 1998, followed by number 2 in 2001 and now six years later here we are with the threequel. Once again it stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker plus this time: Vinnie Jones, Hiroyuki Sanada, Noémie Lenoir, Yvan Attal, Sun Ming Ming, and Max von Sydow. Brett Ratner returns once again as the director.

After a brief prelude involving an attempted assassination, the boys head off to Paris in an attempt to stop a group of Chinese gangsters, known as the Triad, from killing Chan's former assignment and daughter as a way of keeping secret the Triad's membership. To do so they must find someone named Genevieve, who also knows the membership, then evade a passel of assassins which culminates in a battle at the top of the Eiffel Tower. They are aided by a cabbie who initially doesn't think much of Americans but decides he likes the thought of being a "secret agent."

I thought the first two films in this series were mildly amusing but it becomes quickly obvious this film has nothing new to offer and is just a grab for some fast bucks. The initial few minutes are almost painfully bad, even resorting to a variation on an old Abbott and Costello routine (who's on first) in an attempt to coerce some laughter. Once you become numbed by the lack of an intelligent plot, the latter part of the film has a few entertaining moments, but not nearly enough to justify buying a ticket. There was no joy in this one for me but younger teen audiences will probably find it at least palatable.