Taxi 3

The TAXI series (this is obviously the third installment) are highly successful French movies which for mysterious reasons are never distributed in USA (or at least in Miami).

Created and produced by the legendary and admired (ex-director) Luc Besson (you remember him from masterpieces like The Professional, La Femme Nikita, The Big Blue or The Fifth Element) he managed to create a mix of action and comedy, with some of ingenuous gags, some adults jokes and plenty of action (mostly car stunts) and very mild violence and overall VERY HUMAN.

TAXI 3 tracks Emilien's (the police officer) obsession to catch a gang disguised as Santa Claus with the help of Daniel (the nuts taxi driver) both trying to overcome their conjugal issues and the pregnancy of their wives. The story is very simple (as is the movie short), so everything rest on the characters (some of them very funny and some not so) and on the impressive stunts which are really very good and a lot more realistic than the computer generated car chases of Bad Boys II.

As I said before, it is really a pity this funny movies get no distribution here. Of course Hollywood can make things like this. Technically better probably but without the natural grace and believability of this very sympathetic group of actors.

If you like Taxi 1 and Taxi 2, you must see Taxi 3. It isn't a perfect movie but is still funny and has good Taxi stunt scenes (speed, pursuit, braking e.t.c) like Taxi 1 and 2. The cops (police) can't drive!! (they always crash their cars and this is very funny).

It's too bad the movie is too short, but is entertaining almost all the time. I would prefer the bad guys drive cars like the Mercedes(Taxi 1) or the black Lancer Evos (Taxi 2)instead of skates. This movie never arrived to México so I watched on TV. Yes, I think Taxi 1 and 2 are better, but again, this movie (Taxi 3) is still funny. Very good actors and actress

Taxi 4 I haven't seen yet!!

For all you intelektuwal critics: this movie is not meant to be the subject of a 100+ pages paper, it is meant to be fun, fun, fun. And oh yes, the Taxi-series delivers again. Excellent music, supercool acting jobs all around, offbeat humor and absolutely no twelve-year-olds doing magic stuff... really, what more do you want?

I don't think you HAVE to be a TAXI fan to like the movie. It is at least as entertaining as the first two POLICE ACADEMY movies or the third VACATION movie, and while it is not a great work it is fun to watch despite the fact that the plot is thin because the jokes work. It is certainly funnier than TORRENTE 2, and that was a blockbuster over here. Perhaps the difference is that the humour in TAXI 3 is more subtle... or maybe just not so raunchy...

Also, the short appearance by SLY is a great introduction for those who are not familiar with the characters, and he does his part well.

Of course, TRANSPORTER was a much better film (with better chase scenes through the same Marseille streets) but then that was a thriller rather than light comedy.

Yes, it is funny but I am getting a little tired of watching the same thing the third time around. I like the first one because it was fresh and different... But, Taxi 3 is just a copy of the previous 2 with a little new twist... I hope there will be no Taxi 4 coming out any time soon...