Lee and Carter are together again in Paris on a mission to find the assassin who shot Consul Han and expose the corrupt Chinese Triad. If you have seen one and two, then you saw three. There were few surprises and several repeated jokes that tended to pull the film down for me. In saying that, there were some funny moments dispersed throughout the film, but one can only take so much of Tucker. Chan is funnier on the screen than Tucker, in my opinion. Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker managed to pull this film off well and most people that saw the first two films will flock to the theater to see this one.

The stunts are excellent with lots of “Kung-fu fighting” and car chases. How can two cops destroy so much so quickly? The sheer destruction during this film is ridiculous. Lalo Schifrin’s score is as eventful as always with colorful action themes and a memorable Main Theme.

The supporting cast brings back Tzi Ma as Consul Han and the little girl from the first film, Jingchu Zhang. Max von Sydow graces us with his performances on the screen, of course playing the evil leader.

The biggest surprise cameo was Maggie Smith (Harry Potter) portraying a French Nun. That scene was one of the highlights for me. Like I said, there were some really funny moments mixed with complete absurdity. If you go in with moderate to low expectations, you will really enjoy this movie. Don’t forget to stay for the outtakes at the end of the film. Article by Richard Maher.

Rush Hour 3

Starring: Jackie Chan &

Chris Tucker

Director: Brett Rattner

Company: New Line

Now Showing: In area

Theatres

MPAA Rating - PG-13

Grade: B-

DVD Picks

A martial arts student avenges the death of his master in a futuristic world where combat is abundant. This movie leaves a great deal to be desired! I never saw a Kung-fu German film before. There are some things that you should just leave alone. The cast is pathetic and the dubbing is horrible. I have heard better dialogue on Tele-Mundo. As for the action, it is marginal to absurd. The movie “Bloodsport” rates as an Academy Award Contender compared to this one. Now I love a good Kung-fu film, but this one rates low on my scale. The music is also cheesy at best with the sets right out of the 5th Ward of Houston. If you are looking for a good action film set in the future, you are better off with something like Highlander, Bloodsport or Equalibrium. This one is great for a coaster on my coffee table or a Frisbee for my dog. Article by Richard Maher.

An American spaceship returns from the planet Venus crashing of the coast of Italy. During the rescue, one man survives to warn us of impending danger from an organism brought back that eventually turns into a monster threatening the ancient city of Rome. The 1950s brought sci-fi fans lots of great films. 20 Million Miles to Earth was one of those classics due largely to the special effects talents of Ray Harryhausen. The “stop-motion” creatures that he created can go all the way back to the original King Kong all the way up to “Clash of the Titans”. The cast is led by William Hooper who is best known for his role as Paul Drake in the Perry Mason series. The story is creative with lavish sets and Harryhausen’s creature. There are several moments when you have to ignore some of the intended effects and use your imagination. Viewing this film will give you an appreciation for the technical advancements in Hollywood. This 50th Anniversary DVD contains both color and black & white versions of the film with digital picture and sound. Extras include audio commentary with Ray Harryhausen, Dennis Muren, Phil Tippett and Arnold Kunert. Disc two contains several features including “Remembering 20 Million Miles to Earth”, interviews with Joan Taylor, Ray Harryhausen and Tim Burton. There are also features on the music, comic book and ad artwork. Sci-fi fans don’t want to miss out on this true classic. Article by Richard Maher.

Two Gelflings set out on a quest to find a missing shard of a massive crystal that, when combined, will bring balance to their world and defeat the evil plans of a race known as the Skeksis. Jim Henson and Frank Oz have given us their talents from Sesame Street to Star Wars.

Many of our fondest moments in film are due to the talents of these two gentlemen. The Dark Crystal was an experiment taking puppetry to a whole new level. Having the entire movie composed of puppets was a risk to see if the audience would buy into the concept. Remember, this is right around the time of Yoda and Star Wars. As a result, the show was a raving success forming a fanbase that exists today. The overall special effects were very lavish and the puppets/sets are some of the best examples of creativity in the business. Henson and Oz knew their craft and this show is just a sampling of their talents.

Trevor Jones composed the soundtrack for the film. Jones uses a full orchestra composing on the same scale as John William’s Star Wars. This takes the film to a higher level putting this score as one of Trevor Jones finest works. The soundtrack is available at this time in addition to this great DVD. Both compliment each other very well.