The Tuxedo (2002)
★★ — The Tuxedo (2002)
Released in October 2002, The Tuxedo was a DreamWorks production built squarely around Jackie Chan's Hollywood commercial appeal following the back-to-back Rush Hour hits and Shanghai Noon. The $60 million budget was a significant bet on a fairly thin high-concept premise (a magical suit that confers spy abilities) rather than on Chan's established talent for real, dangerous stunt work. Director Kevin Donovan was making his theatrical feature debut, having come up through television and commercials, and he would go on to direct The Recruit the following year before largely returning to TV. Jennifer Love Hewitt was cast during a period when she was a reliable studio draw, and Jason Isaacs was fresh off Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Azkaban.
The Tuxedo is one of those late-career Jackie Chan Hollywood outings that feels like it should’ve worked but ends up falling flat, more Mr. Nanny than Rush Hour. It’s slapstick spy nonsense: parkour in loafers, dance-fighting villains, and a lot of awkward CGI replacing what should’ve been real stunts. Chan still brings his charm and physicality, and there are flashes of the old magic, especially in the quieter, more inventive gags where his timing shines. But the film surrounds him with a tired plot, forgettable villains, and a bizarre sci-fi premise that undercuts everything that makes his action style special. This isn’t about clever choreography or daring falls; it’s about cartoonish powers and green-screen silliness. And Jennifer Love Hewitt, while game, doesn’t quite land as the straight-faced partner-in-spying. It’s not awful, there are a few laughs, and Chan never phones it in, but compared to his best Hollywood work (Rush Hour), this one feels like a step down. It lacks stakes, originality, and most importantly, real martial arts. Watchable if you’re half-asleep on a plane, but otherwise, skip the tux and stick to the classics. One of his weaker Hollywood turns, no doubt.
Rating: ★★ | Year: 2002 | Watched: 2025-09-15
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Related on Movies With Macca
More with Jackie Chan: Hand of Death (1976) · Rumble in the Bronx (1995) · Skiptrace (2016) · Gorgeous (1999)
More from the 2000s: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) · Daredevil (2003) · Apocalypto (2006)
More thriller: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) · Angst (1983) · The Long Walk (2025) · Punishment Park (1971)
More action: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · The General (1926) · Hand of Death (1976) · Daredevil (2003)
