Reviewed by Justin Colburn and Keayn Dunya

Cast:

Jackie Chan .... Jimmy Tong

Jennifer Love Hewitt .... Del Blaine

Jason Isaacs .... Clark Devlin

Debi Mazar .... Steena

Ritchie Coster .... Diedrich Banning

Peter Stormare .... Dr. Simms

Mia Cottet .... Cheryl

Romany Malco .... Mitch

James Brown ... James Brown

Summary:

Jimmy Tong (Jackie Chan, Rush Hour) is an ordinary taxi driver that is hired to chauffeur for a well-dressed millionaire, Clark Devlin (Jason Isaacs, Black Hawk Down). The bumbling Tong admires his new bossi confidence and often wonders what his secret is. When Devlin is injured in an accident that puts him in the coma, he instructs Jimmy to wear his tuxedo and to find Walter Striker. Tong soon learns that Devlinis tux is actually the secret weapon that gives him his smooth talking confidence and the right moves for any situation. While posing as Devlin and searching for Walter Striker, Tong is thrust into world of international intrigue and espionage and pairs him with rookie agent Del Blaine (Jennifer love Hewitt, Heartbreakers). Together they pick up where Devlin left off, investigating bottled water baron Diedrich Banning (Ritchie Coster) and searching for the mysterious Walter Striker.

Justin:

Let me preface everything by saying that I am a very big Jackie Chan fan. I have large collection of his movies that I watch on a fairly regular basis. There is not another actor living or dead, with the exception of Jet Li, that I anticipate upcoming films for. I'm more excited about Highbinders (Not to mention Rush Hour 3 and Shanghai Knights!) than I am about the Two Towers. By now you're probably wondering what my point is, so here it is: Tuxedo is the worst Jackie Chan movie I have ever seen.

When you go to see a Jackie Chan film the one thing you expect to see is action, in many ways his name is synonymous with action, and that was the one thing that Tuxedo is severely lacking. Jackieís American films are usually very watered down by comparison to what he does in Hong Kong, and Tuxedo is a good example of that. The fights are fewer in number, shorter, and further between than what I came into the theater expecting. On top of all of that the story in Tuxedo called for a lot of wire stunts, which is generally frowned upon by some of Jackieís more hardcore fans.

Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jackie Chan donít have nearly as much chemistry as he and Chris Tucker. While Tucker and Chan will often play off one anotherís jokes, Hewitt and Chanís characters felt more like they were each focused on their own particular quirks. Hewittís role seemed very similar to other generic ìagentî roles seen in Jackie Chan movies in the past, only further expanded for her. I think the move could have easily been as good without her at all, although I enjoyed her character and thought she gave a fine performance.

For me to say that this is the worst Jackie Chan movie I have ever seen would be like me saying Iíve just eaten the worst piece of cheesecake Iíve ever had. Sure it was bad when compared to other cheesecake, but itís still cheesecake. If youíre looking for something light and forgettable Tuxedo will be a great way to kill the evening.

Keayn:

When most people hear the name Jackie Chan they think of over the top stunts and great action. Yet there comes a time in every actors career in which he wishes to break out of their stereotypes and do other things. Tuxedo was the attempt by Jackie Chan to expand upon his comedy experiences, and take his acting into a whole new direction. While I applaud the effort, Tuxedo was not that vehicle. Any movie in which Jackie Chan does action scenes will be anticipated as a Jackie Chan movie. The audience will expect the big stunts, the uncommon weapons, and the every-man that rises to the occasion to save the day. This movie had some of those elements but in sadly lacking amounts.

I am a Jackie Chan fan. I am not, however, a Jennifer Love Hewitt fan. The Tuxedo seemed to be more of a Jennifer than Jackie movie. After such wonderful comedic team ups as Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, and Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, Jackie Chan and Jennifer Love Hewitt did not fit the bill. The dialogue seemed to be forced and a bit off kilter. The timing was not what it should have been, and their characters did not seem to fit as well as past team ups. At times it seemed that the original script was written for one actor and was adapted to work with two. This is a definite case of too many cooks spoiling the soup.

I'm looking forward to the other upcoming Jackie Chan films, and Iíll try his next venture away from a strictly action movie. I just hope heíll pick a better vehicle for it next time, if not that at least a better sidekick. For my money, I think I would have preferred to rent the Rush Hour two-pack and called it a day. But for those of you who do like Jennifer Love Hewitt (or her breasts for all the attention called to them in the Tuxedo) you might like this movie. Otherwise pick up a good book, game, or whatever else you enjoy.