Taxi 3 (2003)

(In theaters, June 2003) If you’ve seen the first two Taxi films, this third entry is almost an obvious choice. Don’t bother if you’re not a fan of the series, though; while there are a few good action sequences, the only thing bigger than the self-indulgence of the production is the indulgence they ask of the audience. Dumb comedy, underwhelming villains and lukewarm action scenes; I’m just about ready to say that writer Luc Besson has run out of ideas. Oh, the actors are cool enough (the opening credit sequence hilariously parodies the Bond series, complete with writhing Santa Clauses) but on most other levels, the film relies on stock situations (pregnancies; oh, ah) and overly dramatic scenes that seem out of place in this context. Some gags (the “torture” and drug jokes) are just lame, and this sentiment escapes from the vignettes to contaminate the entire film. Do we need a Taxi 4? I’m not sure we do.