Rush Hour 3 (2007)
★★★ — Rush Hour 3 (2007)
By 2007, the Rush Hour franchise had established itself as one of New Line Cinema's most reliable commercial properties. The original Rush Hour arrived in 1998 as something of a surprise hit, pairing Jackie Chan's physical comedy and martial arts with Chris Tucker's fast-talking energy in a buddy-cop formula that clicked immediately with audiences worldwide. A sequel followed in 2001, and now, six years on from Rush Hour 2, the third instalment arrives with the action relocated to Paris. The premise picks up after an assassination attempt sends Detectives Lee and Carter to France, chasing a shadowy crime syndicate and a list of names that a great many dangerous people would rather stayed hidden. The film is a co-production between New Line Cinema, Roger Birnbaum Productions, and Arthur Sarkissian Productions, with location work taking advantage of the Parisian backdrop in the way these things tend to: monuments, cafes, a general sense that the production had a decent travel budget.
Brett Ratner returns to direct, as he did for both previous entries in the series. Ratner's career through this period was built on polished but unremarkable commercial filmmaking, the kind of work that reliably fills a multiplex without troubling too many awards ceremonies. Fans of his output can find more of it in his take on X-Men: The Last Stand, though Rush Hour is the franchise most associated with his name. Joining Chan and Tucker in the cast are Hiroyuki Sanada, a reliable presence in Hollywood productions requiring both gravitas and physical ability, and Max von Sydow, the veteran Swedish actor whose career stretched back decades and who brings a certain weight to whatever room he occupies, however briefly. Yvan Attal rounds out the principal cast, adding a French dimension that fits neatly with the setting. Chan himself, of course, is the central draw for a certain kind of audience. For anyone who has followed his career through films like Rumble in the Bronx, the appeal is familiar: action sequences built around ingenuity and physical comedy rather than pure spectacle, with Chan using his surroundings and whatever comes to hand as both weapon and punchline.
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.
For me, that sums it up about as honestly as I can manage. There's genuine warmth in watching Chan and Tucker do their thing, and the Paris setting gives the film a bit of gloss, but gloss only carries you so far when the script is essentially going through the motions. I've sat through worse ways to spend ninety minutes, and the fight choreography alone keeps it from feeling like a complete write-off. But there's a reason this is where the franchise stopped: at some point the engine running on fumes has to pull over. Fine for a Friday night with low expectations. Just don't go in hoping for anything more than that.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 2007 | Watched: 2025-09-09
Trailer
▶ Watch the official trailer for Rush Hour 3 (2007) on YouTube
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Rent: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies · Sky Store
Buy: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies · Sky Store
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
Watch in the US
Stream: YouTube TV
Rent: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US
Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.
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)
