“Rush Hour III”

New Line Cinema

Directed by Brett Ratner

Starring Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Yvan Attal, Max Von Sydow, Roman Polanski, Hiroyuki Sanada and Noemie Lenoir

Rated PG-13

1 1/2 Stars

Even in his mid 50s, Jackie Chan is still a gifted martial artist and likable physical comedian. Chris Tucker, despite the fact that he’s disappeared off the face of the earth these past few years, is also a very funny comedian. So it makes sense that the two men should be able to team up once again for another installment in the “Rush Hour” franchise and hit comedy/action gold.

Alas, sometimes things that look good on paper crash and burn when committed to celluloid. “Rush Hour III” is a shameless sequel that doesn’t offer much in the way of humor or thrilling action. The chemistry between the two mismatched buddies is strained, and the entire film is appealing only as a quick payday for the lead actors. I’m not a huge fan of the first two “Rush Hour” films, but this third sequel is just sad considering the still-viable talent involved.

Chan returns as Inspector Lee, shamed into action when the Chinese Ambassador is killed under his watch, he re-teams with motor mouth detective Carter (Tucker). The two police officers head off to Paris to track down the Triad gangsters behind the murder. This leads them into conflict with villains both deadly and comical, including the Parisian police, a gigantic thug, a deadly female assassin and an anti-American cabbie (Yvan Attal) who gets so caught up in the action and turns out to be one of the films few bright spots.

The rest of “Rush Hour III” is decidedly mediocre. The action doesn’t thrill, even the Eiffel Tower finale falls flat, and the comedy is so hit-and-miss that marketers are pushing an Abbott and Costello, “Who’s on First” routine rip off as the film’s comic highlight. You don’t need a film critic to tell you that if Abbott and Costello routines are the funniest part of your film, the odds are that you need some better material.

It’s not to say that Chan isn’t still impressive, and Tucker can still muster some laughter out of the sheer energy behind his line delivery. But their routine seems old; a dog and pony show trotted out one more time with the hopes that the public will buy a ticket before they realize that they’ve seen this act before, back when the performers were in their prime.

Movie reviews by Sean, “The Movie Guy,” are published bi-weekly in “The Port Arthur News.” Sean welcomes your comments via e-mail at smcbride@kavutv.com.