Rush Hour 3 (2007)
★★★ — Rush Hour 3 (2007)
Brett Ratner returned to direct the third instalment of the buddy-action franchise he had launched in 1998, reuniting Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker for the first time since Rush Hour 2 (2001). The six-year gap was largely down to Tucker, who had become notoriously selective about projects, and the reported $140 million budget reflects just how much New Line Cinema was prepared to spend to get both leads back. Production shifted to Paris, a conscious effort to give the series a new backdrop after Los Angeles and Hong Kong. Hiroyuki Sanada, by then well established internationally following The Last Samurai (2003), joins as the principal antagonist. Ratner had spent the intervening years on X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), making this a return to considerably more comfortable, lower-stakes territory for him.
Rush Hour 3 is more of the same, and honestly, by this point, that’s both the best and worst thing about it. Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are back as the bickering duo who somehow save the day despite barely liking each other, and their chemistry is still the engine that keeps this franchise alive. The action is still classic Jackie Chan. With clever stunts, improvised weapons, and fight scenes that balance precision with comedy. And yeah, it’s fun. There are laughs, flashy Paris and Shanghai backdrops, and a plot involving Chinese triads and secret codes that you can safely ignore. But let’s be real: we’ve seen this movie twice already. The jokes are recycled, the formula’s worn thin, and Tucker’s motor-mouth shtick, while still funny in bursts, starts to feel like it’s on autopilot. The story’s forgettable, the villain undercooked, and the whole thing leans too hard on nostalgia and momentum instead of bringing anything new. It’s not bad (it’s actually kind of charming in a “we’re just here to have a good time” way) but it’s also clearly running on fumes. Still, if you’re in the mood for a lightweight, silly action-comedy with a few solid fight scenes and a buddy-cop beatdown or two, it gets the job done. No surprises, no disasters. Just fine. Fun while it lasts, then instantly forgettable.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 2007 | Watched: 2025-09-09
Where to watch (UK)
Rent: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies · Sky Store
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Physical: Amazon UK
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Related on Movies With Macca
More from Brett Ratner: X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) · Rush Hour 2 (2001) · Rush Hour (1998)
More with Jackie Chan: Hand of Death (1976) · Rumble in the Bronx (1995) · Skiptrace (2016) · Gorgeous (1999)
More from Germany: Lessons of Darkness (1992) · Cemetery Man (1994) · The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) · Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
More from the 2000s: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) · Daredevil (2003) · Apocalypto (2006)
More action: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · The General (1926) · Hand of Death (1976) · Daredevil (2003)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
