Release Date: December 23, 2007
Rating: 2/5  /
Starring: Chris Tucker, Jackie Chan, Hiroyuki Sanada, Youki Kudoh, Max von Sydow and Roman Polanski
Written by: Jeff Nathanson
Directed by: Brett Ratner
Rush Hour 3 is the latest sequel in the Chris Tucker/Jackie Chan series of action comedies that juxtapose Tucker’s comedy stylings with Chan’s self-performed stunts. In this instalment, they wind up in the midst of a global criminal investigation of the “triad” that takes them from Los Angeles to Paris, through a string of comic set pieces that range from flat to mildly amusing. There are a couple of star cameos here – one from Max von Sydow as the avuncular authority figure of the World Criminal Court, and one from Roman Polanski, making a rare onscreen appearance as a sleazy Parisian police chief. It is always impressive to see Chan performing his own stunts, and the climactic showdown at the Eiffel Tower provides some much-needed spectacle, but the movie simply drags for much of its 90 minutes. (To be more accurate, the movie really only runs about one hour and 22 minutes, and the remaining time is taken up with credits and outtakes.) Fans of the prior two films, or just of Tucker and Chan, may enjoy this film, but anyone else should rent the disc before purchasing.
 VIDEO QUALITY: 3 ½/5 ½
Rush Hour 3 is presented in a vibrant 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer that presents a wide array of environments, costumes and lighting scenarios. The blacks are solid during the various night scenes, and the flesh tones are accurate. In short, this is a great-looking transfer.
AUDIO QUALITY: 4/5
Rush Hour 3 is presented in a 448 kpbs Dolby Digital 5.1 EX mix, alongside a 755 kbps DTS-ES 6.1 Discrete mix and a simpler 192 kpps Stereo Surround mix. All three mixes are in English. The DTS mix and the 5.1 mix are both quite good, with some surround effects during the various action scenes and shootouts, but much of the film’s sound is centered in the front speakers for the comic byplay. For the most part, the surrounds are used for music and more general atmospheric sounds.
SPECIAL FEATURES: 3/5
Rush Hour 3 comes truly loaded with special features. If there is any part of this film you want to learn about, there’s certainly something here to appeal to you. The release comes on 2 discs. The first disc holds the feature itself, with a commentary track, along with the film’s trailer and a collection of New Line trailers. The second disc holds an outtake reel, several deleted scenes, a full making-of documentary and a collection of video diaries, along with a brief VFX reel and an easter egg. My only issue with many of these backstage looks at the film is that I really didn’t feel I was learning anything about what was going on. A large part of the documentary and diaries consists of Brett Ratner and the cast mutually complimenting each other and commenting on how much they enjoy working with each other. That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t really provide much interesting information to chew on. InterActual DVD-ROM content is included on both discs, with an interactive film viewer on the first disc and some weblinks on the second.
DISC ONE:
- Feature Commentary with Director Brett Ratner and Writer Jeff Nathanson – This scene-specific commentary finds Ratner and Nathanson clearly having a good time watching the movie and talking about the cast and locations throughout. Some interesting material gets covered here and there as they talk about alternate openings to the film, or about how much of the Eiffel Tower sequence was really shot there, but a lot of this is pretty limited in range. Ratner clearly likes his movie, but his enthusiasm just isn’t that infectious.
- Theatrical Trailer – (2:21, Anamorphic) - The film’s theatrical trailer, complete with a promo spot of Tucker and Chan singing “Lady Marmalade”, is presented here. It is much clearer here than the version included on the Shoot ‘Em Up DVD.
- Sneak Peeks – (2 Anamorphic, 1 Non) - Three trailers for upcoming films and DVDs are presented, in case you miss them when initially putting the disc in the player. They are Be Kind, Rewind, the unrated DVD for Blade: House of Chthon, and a non-anamorphic trailer for the DVD of Ocean’s Thirteen.
- DVD-ROM Content – This DVD comes with the InterActual DVD-ROM program, which, when installed, enables Windows XP users to access additional features. There are links to the film’s official website, to the New Line website, and to a “Hot Spot” website within the New Line web circle. The program also holds the interactive movie viewer, which allows the user to watch the film in a reduced window while reading the shooting script, look at production photos from the set, or look at storyboards. A bookmarking option is also included. A subtitle track is also included that can be turned off. I attempted to change the audio on the film to access the commentary but found that the program would not allow me to do anything but listen to the basic film audio. (Since this was on my computer, I can only surmise it is simply the stereo surround mix.) I should again note that the InterActual program only seems to work on Windows computers that use the XP program. Windows Vista computers or Macs need not apply, to my knowledge.
DISC TWO:
- Outtakes (2:33, Anamorphic) – Two and a half minutes of anamorphic outtakes that didn’t get used in the end credits are presented here. Much of this stuff also pops up in the documentary, but the various flubs, misses and crack-ups are isolated here.
- Deleted Scenes – (7:16 total, Anamorphic) - Several deleted scenes, mostly just scene extensions, and an alternate ending are included here with optional commentary by Ratner and Nathanson. Much of this consists of an additional joke or additional reference that wasn’t felt to be needed. The scenes can be viewed separately or in a single PLAY ALL function.
- Making Rush Hour 3 (1:27:55 total, Anamorphic) – What we have here is Laurent Bouzereau’s full-length documentary on the making of the film. It comes in several parts, covering all aspects of the film from scripting to casting to filming to the scoring work of Lalo Schifrin. The pieces can be watched individually or with a PLAY ALL function. As I said, I didn’t feel I learned much from this documentary, which is surprising, in that Bouzereau’s making-of pieces on Jaws and other films have been much more revealing. This one simply doesn’t provide much steak to go with the sizzle. There’s plenty of on-set footage and interview material with the principals and Ratner, but they simply aren’t saying much, and there isn’t much substance to what happens onscreen. It could be argued that this film really doesn’t need a documentary that’s even longer than the film itself.
- Visual Effects Reel – (2:02, Anamorphic) – A two minute VFX reel is included from ILM, showing how the climactic set piece was simulated to take place on, around, and diving off of the Eiffel Tower. These two minutes are actually more interesting than the documentary that precedes them, as they quickly and cleanly show the technique involved in mounting these shots.
- ”Le Rush Hour Trois” Production Diary (1:05:01, Anamorphic) – The video diaries shot by Peter Wu from pre-production through the premiere of the film are included here. They can be accessed individually or together via a PLAY ALL function. The same problem that plagues the other documentary is on display here. There just isn’t enough meat on the bones here.
- DVD-ROM Content – The second disc of this set contains a few weblinks to New Line and movie-related sites. This content is only accessible by Windows computers using the XP program.
Subtitles are available in English and Spanish for the film itself, and for the special features. As with Shoot ‘Em Up, the back of the DVD packaging incorrectly indicates that the subtitles are only available for the feature film. A standard chapter menu is included for quick reference. When the first disc is initially started, the viewer is presented with the previews also bundled under the “Sneak Peeks” heading.
An Easter Egg is also included on the 2nd disc. If you arrow to the left of the production diaries (or just click to the right of the VFX reel with a computer viewer), you’ll be treated to 5 seconds of silent footage of the climactic swordfight, with the swords replaced by lightsabers. At least they knew to give the bad guy a red lightsaber...
IN THE END...
Rush Hour 3 may appeal to viewers who enjoyed the first two films in the series or who are fans of the cast, but most casual observers will likely find the whole exercise a bit hard to get through. This is certainly a thorough package, as befits a big production, but finding actual substance on the two discs takes a bit of work. If you are a fan of the film already, then this disc is an automatic purchase with all the goodies. If you haven’t seen it, I definitely recommend renting it before buying.
Kevin Koster
January 9, 2007.
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VIDEO QUALITY: 3 ½/5 
