| Jimmy
Tong (Chan) is just a lowly chauffeur for millionaire Clark Devlin (Isaacs),
until Devlin has an accident that puts him in the hospital. Tong is sent
back to fetch some things for Devlin and unknowingly tries on Devlin's
tuxedo and finds that it gives extraordinary powers to anyone that dons
the suit. This discovery thrusts Tong into world of international intrigue
and espionage and pairs him with an inexperienced partner (Hewitt). [TRAILER]
STEVEN
SNYDER'S REVIEW
If "The Tuxedo" was like any
other Jackie Chan movie, it would certainly be more entertaining than
it is. Even though I am a critic, I usually love action movies and Chan's
brand of butt kicking typically suits me just fine. One of my favorite
Chan moments takes place in a kitchen, when he makes use of a freezer
door to floor an oncoming attacker.
But "The Tuxedo" is not about an action hero using anything
and everything at his disposal to dispose of his enemies. In this installment,
that scene I mentioned above would likely end with a gravity-defying flip
and surreal summersault.
So, why the discrepancy between Chan then and Chan now? For the answer,
one must only note this chapter's title.
Chan's tuxedo, you see, was once the body armor of a former intelligence
officer. Putting it on, in a scene too absurd for even "Star Trek,"
the suit grafts itself onto Chan's skin, synchronizes itself with Chan's
watch and, presto! A poor cab driver is now the unstoppable super spy!
There is a gaping flaw, however, in this whimsical premise. When Chan
uses a freezer door, chairs, tables, and lamps to his advantage in his
other films, he is entertaining because the audience never knows how he
will fight his way out of this mess. As he ducks and weaves, leaps and
kicks, his realistic actions are unpredictable and surprising.
"The Tuxedo" is more a tribute to "The Matrix" than
Chan's traditional style. In "The Tuxedo," Chan literally puts
the suit on, dons a whimsical, "what am I doing here?" face,
and unconsciously destroys dozens and dozens of attackers. His actions
are not practical but supernatural. He is not explosive but robotic.
The effect becomes mind-numbing, as every scene is a repeat of the same
silly charade.
Now, before I condemn this film for all time, I will be quick to point
out that many scenes are humorous. While Chan's character does not work
as a superhero, he certainly works as bumbling fool. Playing across from
the dismal Jennifer Love Hewitt, Chan's broken English and physical humor
is a welcome contrast to the movie's dark story of greed and world domination.
His one-liners, however, fail to provide his superhero with a personality.
In a different film, they would be used to paint the picture of a wise-cracking
Batman. Instead, Chan's empty silliness makes his heroics that much more
surreal.
As the film's absurd climax began, I looked around the theater wondering
if anyone else was also ready to leave. The film's humor had dried up
thanks to an idiotic plot, the movie's action was little more than computer
effects in motion and "The Tuxedo's" one intriguing plot device,
Chan's tuxedo, ran out of tricks in the first hour. I patiently waited
for the credits and then ran for the exit.
Take the movie's big bad guy, a ridiculous water tycoon who wants to poison
the world's water so that everyone has to buy his brand. Really, think
about that. A Dreamworks movie, tens of millions of dollars, four screenwriters,
and Chan is fighting a guy over bottled water.
Is that creativity worth your $8?
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