Cast: Jackie Chan, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jason Isaacs, Debi Mazar, Ritchie Coster, Peter Stormare
Director: Kevin Donovan
Producers: Adam Schroeder, John H. Williams
Screenplay: Michael J. Wilson and Michael Leeson
Cinematography: Stephen F. Windon
Music: John Debney, Christophe Beck
U.S. Distributor: Dreamworks SKG
You know you're in trouble when the first scene of a movie features a deer urinating into a stream of water. You know when you're in trouble when the end credits of a Jackie Chan movie feature outtakes of dialogue flubs, not stunt mishaps. And you know you're in trouble when 50% of the running length is devoted to plot exposition, and the movie still doesn't make any sense.
Hollywood simply doesn't "get" Jackie Chan. They know he's a proven box office draw, but they fail to understand his appeal – the mixture of martial arts athleticism and comedic brilliance that make him one of the most appealing and physically daring actors ever to grace the screen. Chan's Hong Kong movies showcase all of this and more, but his Hollywood endeavors only give viewers occasional glimpses. And the straightjacket placed upon Chan by American studios has to be as frustrating for him as it is for his fans.
The Tuxedo is guilty of criminal underuse of its lead actor – more guilty even than Rush Hour, which treated Chan like a second-rate sidekick to motor-mouthed Chris Tucker. During The Tuxedo's 90 minutes of screen time, there isn't one true "Chan moment". His stunts and physical activities are limited to minor things, and there's nary an inspired instance to be found. And, in a development that's almost a sacrilege for a Chan movie, wires (and perhaps computer manipulation – it's difficult to determine for sure) are used to enhance some of the kung-fu sequences.
The Tuxedo has its share of funny moments, but nearly all of them could be accomplished by any actor with a bad accent and a good sense of comic timing. The best of these (a $7 palm greasing to get into an exclusive locale; a complex "seduction" involving a troupe of special agents) require no physical work whatsoever. I laughed out loud about six times during the film, which is actually a high number for a mainstream comedy (that statement is more of a condemnation of the genre as a whole than an endorsement of this movie), so it's impossible for me to state that The Tuxedo is devoid of entertainment value. But there were times I wished the film would break so I could leave.
In some ways (all of them superficial), The Tuxedo reminds me of the Jim Carrey vehicle, The Mask. Both films are about men wearing costumes that give them superhero powers. However, while the 1994 film drew upon Carrey's rubbery features and contortionist body, The Tuxedo sees Chan as little more than a human body to clothe with a fancy suit. When the film begins, Jimmy Tong (Chan) is a taxi driver who has been recruited as the chauffeur for secret agent Clark Devlin (Jason Isaacs). When Devlin is ambushed and ends up in a coma, Jimmy dons his tuxedo and takes over for him on his latest mission, unbeknownst to his bosses or his new partner, Del Blaine (Jennifer Love Hewitt). The villain is megalomaniac Diedrich Banning (Ritchie Coster), a bottled water magnate who intends to poison the world's water supplies so that the survivors are forced to rely upon his product. He is assisted by the diabolical Dr. Simms (Peter Stormare in his patented idiot/bad guy role).
The Tuxedo's storyline is virtually impossible to follow, which may be the point. (If you stop for a moment to think about what's going on, you'll burst out laughing at the sheer ludicrousness of the plot.) So why bother spending so much time advancing the dubious narrative? Why not give Chan free reign and let him do what he does best instead of struggling with a part that hundreds of other actors could have done as adeptly (albeit without that twinkle in the eye)? And why make the most incredible feat in the movie the scene in which Debi Mazar applies her makeup in the backseat of a careening cab without even the tiniest mistake? Until Hollywood can answer questions like that, Chan's work in this country isn't going to come close to equaling what it was overseas.
© 2002 James Berardinelli