Hey folks, Harry here with a look at the Queen Latifah version of the Luc Besson produced French series called TAXI! Personally - the trailer looks nothing like the uber-cool French films of the same name, but it does look fun, and from this review, that's exactly what it is. Which would be nice, as the director, Tim Story, is next doing FANTASTIC FOUR, which I would love to have be a great film, even if it doesn't look like that, so far. Here ya go, watch out for spoilers...
Harry, Drew,
Just got back from a screening of Taxi, the buddy action comedy starring Jimmy Fallon and Queen Latifah. Mine will probably not be the only review you'll get after tonight, so I'll keep it short. Right off the bat, this is a very fun popcorn movie. Nothing nutritious or good for you here, just straight out fun, laughs and action, a real crowd pleaser (certainly the crowd tonight sounded pleased).
Anyone who has seen the previews - and that is probably everyone in this flics target demographic - doesn't really need a plot summary. Jimmy Fallon plays the most inept cop in New York who manages to not only get his undercover partner wounded but totals the car by backing into a bodega, killing another cop's parrot. He really should be thrown off the force, but merely has his license taken by his lieutenant Jennifer Esposito. When he needs a car to chase down a bunch of brazilien supermodel bankrobbers led by Giselle Bundchen, he commandeers Queen Latifah's souped up cab on her first day as a medallion cab driver. We've already seen her during the credits drive a bike messenger bike through the city like it was some sort of extreme sports race on acid, then do the same for a passenger who wants to get to JFK airport from Manhattan in 15 minutes in her cab(mind you that's not even possible with a Helicopter), so we know she can hold her own on the roads driving after the badass supermodels in their custom-made-for-bankrobberies BMW. Much mayhem and hilarity ensues.
You can't take this film seriously, it's just a bunch of well crafted stupid fun, headlined by two comic actors at the top of their game - Jimmy Fallon was especially surprising, mainly because this being his first lead in a movie, we have seen less of him as one character carrying a movie; his manic goofball energy plays off nicely against Queen Latifah's cool brassyness. The comedy mostly works, there are plenty of laughs to be had. The action scenes, in particular the car chase scenes, of which there are at least three, each more harrowing than the first, are very visceral and exciting and seemingly filmed with real cars and stunt drivers throughout, not special effects car chases a la Bad Boys II (I base that assessment on the previews for Bad Boys II, not having seen the film). They are not excellent car chases, a la Bourne Identity/Supremacy, but considering the ridiculousness of Queen Latifah's souped up cab chasing after brazilian supermodel bankrobbers, it's commendable how credible the action scenes were.
Gisele Bundchen, the actual supermodel playing the villain here, actually doesn't embarrass herself or the movie. Shes no more believable than most Bond girls/villainesses, but she looks hot, as do her cohorts, and they are menacing enough, and the fact that they mostly spoke Portugese (Giselle is from Brazil originally) adds some nice idiosyncratic touches. Her casting gives the movie the most opportunity for gratuitous crassness, as in the changing into bikinis scene , or the Giselle feels up Jennifer Esposito scene, grabbing and fondling every available curve while ostensibly searching for weapons; but this actually reads worse than it plays. The film is so good natured it manages to get away with crap like that and still be fun (and not too guilt-inducingly un-PC) even if your not a drooling frat boy.
In addition to Bundchen and Esposito, Fallon and Latifah are ably supported by Henry Simmons (who seemed to be as exciting to the women in the audience as Bunchen was for the men - woops were uttered) and, in a funny turn as Fallons boozy mother, Ann-Margaret.
I said the preview basically told you all you needed to know about the movie's premise. That's true, but what I was happy to find out is that the preview for the most part gives us clips from the first third of the movie. In other words, it doen't give away all the best jokes or scenes. There are more to be had. I'll just say this: you'll never hear the Natalie Cole song "This will be (an everlasting love)" in quite the same way again after seeing what they do with it in this movie.
If you post this, call me Julius.
