Taxi (2004) DVD Review:

After losing his driving licence for crashing his third police car in as many months, Officer Washburn (Fallon) is forced to take a cab to a bank robbery. Luckily for him he gets into Belle’s (Latifah) car, as she just happens to be the fastest cabbie in New York City and they set off in hot pursuit. You wouldn’t think that a New York cab could keep up with the robber’s top of the range 7-Series BMW but Belle has made a few modifications to her cab.

As original ideas continue to be on the endangered list, Hollywood takes another cult European hit movie and gives it the American treatment.

This time it is Luc Besson’s Taxi, a small budget French car chase movie that has spawned two sequels and become a cult hit amongst fans around the world. Mixing high-octane automotive thrills with sexy babes, kung fu and bank robbery, the original was a gallic mix of a movie that you couldn’t help but like. The sequels pushed the franchise even further with more outrageous stunts, car chases and storylines but at it core it was a buddy movie.

The Hollywood machine takes the concept and puts its own tinsel town spin on it but it ends up careering out of control. The buddy element is there but it doesn’t quite work. The chemistry between Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon is fine but a little too forced, making some scenes slightly awkward. The scene with the pair of them at Washburn’s apartment could have been filled with sexual tension or friendly awkwardness but it feels more like a teenage sleepover. The pair only work well together during the chase sequences with Latifah taking the lead and Fallon screaming like a girl.

For a car chase movie there are not enough car chases. When they do get behind the wheel, we are treated to some above average chases but not ones that will stick in the mind and they are no way as good as the original. The blue screening inside the cars is appalling, making the actors look like they are definitely sat in a stationary car reacting to action prompts. The stunt driving however is good, as the cars race through the streets of New York but you can’t help thinking that while the BMW would definitely be able to cope with all the excessive turns and manoeuvres, the Ford doesn’t look like it can. But we all know that the American can’t build cars that can go around corners and it doesn’t even have a manual gearbox!

On the acting side, the rev counter is just ticking away. Queen Latifah is a talented actress and musician but she deserves better than this. She has a gift for comedy but by the end of the movie you will get sick of her saying ‘Damn’ every five minutes. Jimmy Fallon is also a gifted comedy actor but the Saturday Night Live veteran’s talents are not pushed to the maximum her. Jennifer Esposito deserves more time in the limelight and supermodel turned actress Gisele Bündchen is hired just to look good and that she does.

Taxi is another example of an unnecessary remake of an already good movie. If English-speaking audiences would just read subtitles, remakes of foreign movies wouldn’t be needed and people would discover there is more to cinema than just what Hollywood has to offer. With Taxi, the meter is still running but you will feel slightly over charged.

Star Rating = * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack, this is an excellent transfer, as you’d except from a modern film. The picture is sharp throughout, even during the more energetic car chase scenes. The sound is also good, with the surround sound speakers buzzing during the BMW chases.

BONUS FEATURES

Extended Version

Fifteen minutes of extra footage has been placed back into the film and it does slight improve it. The scenes add more character development to the piece as we see more of Belle and her boyfriend and more interaction between Belle and Washburn. It doesn’t make the film any better but it does make the characters more rounded.

Commentary by Director Tim Story
The director of ‘Taxi’ comments on the American remake of the French car chase classic but this is a rather mundane track. It might just be his voice but he doesn’t seem that interested in the movie, as the track is very monotone and without any real passion for the film. He reveals how the film was cast and what it was like working with the stars of the film. He talks about the New York and Los Angeles locations and the stars of the show, the cars but there is nothing here to truly engage you or draw you into the track.

Deleted Scenes (3.44 mins)

Entitled ‘Central Park detail’, ‘Line up’, ‘Washburn at Belle’s’ and ‘The Swap’ these deleted scenes wouldn’t have added much to the movie but without a commentary track we don’t know why they where removed.

Featurettes

The Meter’s Running: Making Taxi (20.11 mins)

Director Tim Story, production designer Mayne Schulyer Berke and stars Jimmy Fallon, Queen Latifah, Henry Simmons and Giselle Bündchen take you behind the scenes of the remake of ‘Taxi’. Here the cast and crew talk about the difference between this and the French original, the cast and characters, the locations and the cars. Jimmy Fallon’s adlibs run throughout and Queen Latifah talks about her first onscreen kiss.

Lights, Camera, Blue Screen (5.21 mins)

Visual effects supervisor Ray McIntyre Jr. takes you behind the scenes of the blue screen work on ‘Taxi’. Here we get to see the car rig and the hydraulic system that recreates the movements of the real cars from the streets, keeping the stars safe.

Tour Guide: Jimmy Fallon (5.20 mins)

Star Jimmy Fallon takes you on a tour of the Los Angeles stage as he improvs his way around the backlot.

Real Comedy: Taxi (21.13 mins)

Comedy Central’s R. Ben Garant and Tom Lennon interview ‘Taxi’ stars Jimmy Fallon, Queen Latifah and Gisele Bündchen dressed as state policemen in the back of a taxicab. This funny featurette features clips from the film and the two funny men asking all the right questions such as asking Gisele if she liked the frisking scene and if Jimmy Fallon has a thing for Queen Latifah.

Beautiful Criminals (2.34 mins)

A montage of clips of Giselle and the girls in various states of undress, shooting and driving

Inside Look (1.25 mins)

A look at the new Martin Lawrence ‘comedy’ ‘Rebound’

OVERALL

Fox always deliver good DVDs and this is no exception. Even though the film is very average, this is a packed DVD with some good featurettes. The commentary track is a little dull but this is still a good package for fans of the movie.



Jamie Kelwick