The Tuxedo Review
by Bob Bloom (bobbloom AT iquest DOT net)September 27th, 2002
THE TUXEDO (2002) 1 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Jackie Chan, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ritchie Coster, Jason Isaacs, Debi Mazer, Peter Stormare and Mia Cottet. Story by Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi and Michael J. Wilson. Screenplay by Michael J. Wilson and Michael Leeson. Directed by Kevin Donovan. Rated PG-13. Running time: 99 minutes.
The Tuxedo joins the long dishonor role of good premise-bad execution films.
Despite the presence of Jackie Chan, this comedic spy spoof fails to take full advantage of its main conceit. Chan’s presence — his timing and acrobatic skills — are its saving graces.
Chan plays cabbie Jimmy Tong hired as driver for millionaire playboy Clark Devlin (Jason Isaacs), who is secretly a James Bond-type super spy.
Devlin issues Jimmy one simple order: Never touch his tuxedo. But when Devlin is temporarily put out of commission, Jimmy dons the tux and learns why Devlin is such a super agent.
Paired with rookie agent Del Blaine (Jennifer Love Hewitt) — who thinks Tong is Devlin — the pair work to uncover the nefarious plot of business tycoon Diedrich Banning (Ritchie Coster).
The Tuxedo offers some good setpieces — Tong substituting for James Brown at a fund-raiser after accidentally knocking the singer unconscious, is one such sequence. Yet it really has nothing to do with the main plot.
Another has an undressed Tong trying to get his clothes back on while being attacked by a cadre of Banning’s inept henchmen.
The feature is more cartoonish than comic. Yet it fails to take advantage of all its plot potential — as well as of Chan’s talents. He spends too much time bantering with his supercilious partner and not enough time showcasing what he does best — his acrobatic fighting style.
The Tuxedo feels disjointed, choppy and rushed. The uneven pace makes it seem longer than its 99-minute running time.
Chan’s charismatic personality is what holds the film together. You anxiously await the next combat sequence, impatiently tolerating the dead air in between.
Hewitt shows some flashes of humor, but is undermined by the script which for some reason makes her Del rather unpleasant. She’s too pushy and strident, almost a stereotype of how an insecure male would perceive an assertive woman.
Coster is over-the-top as the madman wanting to corner the world’s water market, while Isaacs is smooth in his small role.
The movie lacks suspense as well as a sense of humor, especially about itself. It would have worked if it had been a bit more tongue in cheek.
This Tuxedo, however, should have been sent back to the tailor for some major alterations.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or at [email protected]. Other reviews by Bloom can be found at www.jconline.com by clicking on golafayette.
Bloom's reviews also appear on the Web at the Rottentomatoes Web site, www.rottentomatoes.com and at the Internet Movie Database:
http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom
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