Luc Besson

(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.

(In theaters, October 2000) Straight sequel to the hugely entertaining French car-chase/shoot-em-up action/comedy that somehow still hasn’t been re-made by Hollywood. Luc Besson wrote the script, and it shows, what with the simplistic plotting, trite -even juvenile- humor, broad clichés and punchy pacing. It doesn’t matter very much, as we’re there to see car crashes and gunfights. On that level, Taxi 2 works well, and if the film isn’t as good as the first one, it’s as sympathetic and even a bit funnier. The direction is rather good, if at time needlessly hectic. Worth a double-bill with the first one, if you can find it…

(Second viewing, On DVD, February 2003) Dumber than the usual, but maybe a little bit funnier, this is a film that’s best seen right after the original for comparison purposes. (Some slight gags also make more sense.) The “impregnable car” still looks cheaper than anything that deserved to be on-screen. There isn’t much to say about this film, really; it’s slightly offensive in its casual racism and definitely a lot of fun nevertheless. The Region-1 DVD contains the film, the trailer and a too-short making-of featurette that still offers some good behind-the-scenes footage.

(In theaters, November 1998) You probably won’t see this until it’s (inevitably) remade as a big-budget Hollywood production, and you’ll be missing a pretty good compilation of car chases. French action films aren’t too common (two of the last few were remade as Point Of No Return and True Lies), but Taxi has the added pedigree of a script by Luc Besson. Granted, that’s not much of a recommendation in the storytelling department. Still, Besson’s flair for imaginative action set-pieces are obvious, and you haven’t seen a car chase until you’ve seen one through the terrifyingly cluttered French streets. (It’s worse than in Ronin.) It was a treat to see an action movie with the characteristic French rhythms and attitude. Taxi loses points for inane episodic incidents, nonsensical setups, juvenile humour and a gratuitous usage of drugs but does sports a few niiice gun battles and high-speed driving. The last stunt is pretty cool, if unlikely. I’m actually looking forward to the Hollywood remake!

(Second viewing, On DVD, February 2003) There’s a lot of dumb stuff in this film and, upon seeing it again on the small screen, not as much action as I remembered. But it’s still a lot of fun, thanks to the dynamic performances of the leads and some inspired action directing. The script may be dumb, but it’s dumb in a charming way. The fact that it comes from France is a plus in itself, as it offers something different than the usual sunny L.A. backdrops we could expect from such a story. The region-one DVD has the film, the trailer, and not much else.