Although not disastrous by any means, Rush Hour 3 is a mediocre sequel that seems to have been made for no reason other than to cash in once more on the lucrative franchise. This time around, Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are both foreigners when they are reunited to fight the Chinese Triad in Paris. Although the first two entries were enjoyable, Tucker’s over-the-top performances were always borderline obnoxious. Sadly in Rush Hour 3, Tucker doesn’t even give a performance so much as he simply yells out all his lines in his high squeaky voice. Thankfully, Chan is still a pleasure to watch, and although his age is starting to catch up with him, he is still very charismatic and remains truly gifted at physical comedy. Unfortunately, Chan’s presence isn’t enough to distract us from the rest of the film. Helmed once again by Brett Ratner, Rush Hour 3 is a thoroughly bland picture that offers virtually nothing to distinguish it from its predecessors other than an uninspired change of setting. The action scenes, though competent, lack the energy and flair exhibited in the first two films, and while Chan and Tucker clearly have some genuine chemistry, too little of it translates into the film as most of their shared onscreen time is spent running and yelling (the film’s closing outtakes offer a much more sincere glimpse into their natural chemistry).

Rush Hour 3 is a classic example of a rehashed sequel. It brings nothing new (worth noting anyways) to the table, and even fails in many respects to reproduce the franchise’s previous highlights. Loyal fans of the series will likely find this entry nothing more than average; while general filmgoers are better off by renting Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2.