Rush Hour 3

Rush Hour 3 arrives as a comedy directed by Brett Ratner, and its first strength is a clear sense of purpose. Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker give Rush Hour 3 a recognisable human centre before the larger mechanics take over. The central situation in Rush Hour 3 comes into focus without a long explanation: After an attempted assassination on Ambassador Han, Lee and Carter head to Paris to protect a French woman with knowledge of the Triads' secret leaders. Across its 1h 31m running time, Brett Ratner keeps Rush Hour 3 alive in individual scenes and uncertain between them.

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What Rush Hour 3 has to say is rooted in embarrassment, status and the gap between confidence and reality. The experience of Jackie Chan carries that question through Rush Hour 3 without reducing the character to an example. Paris helps Rush Hour 3 test the theme through consequence instead of explanation. When Brett Ratner allows ambiguity to remain, Rush Hour 3 becomes more involving than a simple statement of intent.

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The directorial personality of Rush Hour 3 comes from Brett Ratner remaining alive in individual scenes and uncertain between them when the premise invites excess. Within Rush Hour 3, Brett Ratner repeatedly favours readable choices over attention seeking flourishes. That discipline explains why the cast and craft keep the experience watchable in Rush Hour 3 rather than appearing only in isolated scenes. Where Rush Hour 3 becomes less convincing, too many scenes explain effects the actors have already suggested, and the loss of control is noticeable without becoming fatal.

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Rush Hour 3 finds its clearest story engine when Ambassador Han comes into conflict with Lee. That engine gives Jackie Chan something concrete to pursue and protects Rush Hour 3 from empty movement. In the hands of Jeff Nathanson, Carter becomes a useful complication rather than a detached twist within Rush Hour 3. The final use of Paris is familiar, but Rush Hour 3 has already established enough context for the turn to matter.

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Performance is the clearest human asset in Rush Hour 3, beginning with the committed centre provided by Jackie Chan. Chris Tucker keeps Rush Hour 3 from settling into one emotional register by approaching the material from another angle. The presence of Max von Sydow gives the surrounding world of Rush Hour 3 additional texture without distracting from the main line. When Brett Ratner holds on a reaction, Rush Hour 3 communicates more efficiently than another explanatory exchange could manage.

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A close look at Rush Hour 3 reveals how comic timing built around character carries information that the dialogue wisely leaves alone. Under the production banner of New Line Cinema, Rush Hour 3 treats comic timing built around character as part of its storytelling grammar. Well judged reactions gives Rush Hour 3 a stronger sense of place within its United States context. The technical departments of Rush Hour 3 remain coordinated, so polish supports involvement instead of creating distance.

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For comedy fans who respond to personality and timing, Rush Hour 3 is ultimately an uneven film with enough personality to remain interesting. Its most persuasive combination in Rush Hour 3 brings Jackie Chan together with well judged reactions under the direction of Brett Ratner. The fact that too many scenes explain effects the actors have already suggested prevents Rush Hour 3 from being entirely seamless. Even with that reservation, Rush Hour 3 has a clear point of view and enough genuine feeling to justify the journey.