Sidewalks On The Corner

Director Brett Ratner returns to the formula that made the original "Rush Hour" a smash. The two "Rush Hour" films have grossed 600 million in box office sales, and now a third installment has been added. Film stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker reprise their roles in "Rush Hour 3".

Follow up:

Chief Inspector Lee (Chan) and LAPD Detective James Carter (Tucker) are mixed up in a Triad plot once again, and as usual it's up to them the break the case. Now Carter and Lee must make their way to Paris to expose a new plan by the Triads to find a secret list. On that list are thirteen names that belong to the only surviving families of a secret underground crime syndicate. With the lives of two young women on the line, Lee's young friend Sue Young (Jingchu Zhang) and a French burlesque performer named Genevieve (Naomi Lenoir), the duo must travel through hell and high water to save the young women and crack the case.

Tucker and Chan obviously have great chemistry together considering their history working on the first two “Rush Hour” films. So it's no doubt the comedy stylings of Tucker combined with Chan's unconventional straight man routine deliver some genuine laughs, and to the point of gut busting laughter. Also, what you would expect in a “Rush Hour” film is there, too. Chan and his stunt crew bring us more off the wall action scenes. What you don't expect is that the sequel returns to the formula that made its predecessor a huge success. Writer Jeff Nathanson ("Rush Hour 2," "Catch Me If You Can") revises the script from the first “Rush Hour,” and plugged in a new head crime boss, new settings and a new muse, but with an ambitious and highly adventurous feel.

The story is simple, so don't think for one minute this is a brainteaser, with all the plot twists and surprises. In fact it plays out like a Saturday morning police comic strip. It's an easy to follow buddy cop romp, with a great mixture of comedy and action. Ratner of "Rush Hour 1-2," "After The Sunset,” and "X-Men: The Last Stand" fame did a superb job of directing RH3, which is no surprise. And like "Rush Hour 2", Ratner brings to the forefront a new muse to satisfy the male watchers. Newcomer Lenoir is a French model turned actress and is making her way up the food chain in the film industry. She was featured as an extra in another Ratner film called "After The Sunset". The supporting cast is nicely chosen and all play their parts by the book. Max Von Sydow ("Minority Report," upcoming "Emotional Arithmetic") is Varden Reynard, who is head of the world court. Von Sydow is the perfect candidate for parts where he plays really smart bad guys or gentle old friends, and in roles where he has two sides, he is able to make the audience believe that he can either be your greatest allied or your most dangerous foe. The unfortunate thing about his part in “Rush Hour 3” is that he is transparent and almost reveals himself too quickly. However, Sydow kept it simple and straightforward.

Jingchu Zhang, also a newcomer to the American film industry, has acted in numerous Asian/international films before. Zhang plays Inspector Lee's young friend and daughter of Consul Han, who is played by well known Asian actor Tzi Ma (24, "Red Door," "The Sensei"). Ma also reprises his role, but only appears for a short time in the beginning of the film. For Jingchu Zhang, making the transition from the Asian market to American market is a huge step. Although is somewhat risky, she has stepped into this film just fine. Hiroyuki Sanada (upcoming "Speed Racer," "Sunshine") is Kenji, who is cunning and sly all at once.

To round out the rest of the cast, there are some guest appearances by Roman Polanski as chief of French police and Yvan Attal ("The Interpreter," "Munich") who plays George a French cab driver throughout the film and does something surprising towards the end.

The film fits in with the best of buddy cop films such as "48 Hour 1-2," "Lethal Weapon 1-4," "Bad Boys 1-2.” “Rush Hour 3” makes a nice addition to the sub genre.