Taxi Movie Review:


Caution, this film may induce outbursts of “road rage”!

The 1998 French film “Taxi” spawned two sequels and became one of the most successful writing projects for French director/screenwriter phenom Luc Besson (“La Femme Nikita”). It is said that Besson cobbled together the scripts for the series during the downtime he endured while the filming of his special effects epic, “The Fifth Element”.

In the American remake of the first film in that series, we find bike messenger Belle Williams (Queen Latifah) hanging up her bike and trading it in for a supped-up taxicab. On Belle’s first day on the job she runs into clumsy rookie cop, Andy Washburn (Jimmy Fallon) who forces Belle into a car chase with a beautiful and ultra-slick bank robber (Gisele Bundchen) and her girl posse. If Washburn can stay on the force long enough and get Belle to help him maybe one day he can become the detective he wants to be. All Belle wants is her cab back in one piece.

This remake doesn’t work on so many levels. First you have Jimmy Fallon, who as a comedian and an on-screen personality is very likable but his character here is such a blatant idiot that the audience can’t get any respect at all for the character. And that is shame. If the character showed any sign of intelligence we could have got into his pursuit of the bank robbers. But he is such an idiot we don’t care.

During the film’s downtime between car chases and supermodel Bundchen pealing off yet another layer of clothing, you have character roles from Ann Margaret and “Spin City” alumni Jennifer Esposito which seem forced, rudimentary and space filler. Esposito does her best to scream like a police captain from other “cop-buddy” flicks such as the “Lethal Weapon” series and the classic 80s TV series “Sledge Hammer”. Then there is screen veteran Ann Margaret who seems utterly bored and wasted as Fallon’s alcoholic mother. Poor Ann Margaret.

The only things slightly enjoyable about the film are the car chases, scantily clad bank robbers and an occasional joke that could be funny if you have missed the film’s publicity machine. Other than that you may be pulling your hair out and trying not to scream at the screen.

(2 out of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer.

Dean Kish

After loosing 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 = * *

Jamie Kelwick

 

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