Click here for a detailed explanation of how we determine our grades.

The MPAA has rated Rush Hour 3 PG-13 for sequences of action violence, sexual content, nudity and language.

2007 has been a year of many franchise movies, including the return of the law enforcing team of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker who are trying to bring Rush Hour back to life after a long absence.

In this half-hearted effort, Chan (playing Inspector Lee) is assigned to be the bodyguard of a Chinese ambassador visiting Los Angeles. Meanwhile Tucker, in the role of Detective Carter, spends most of his work time using his LAPD uniform (perhaps better described as his "costume") to pick up women. The two are brought together once again after a sniper takes a shot at Lee's charge. Suddenly finding themselves as targets of an underground gang called the Triads, the duo determines to follow a trail of clues that should lead to a mysterious person capable of unlocking the secret identities of the ringleaders.

Their path leads to Paris, a fortuitous turn of events for Detective Carter. Convinced women in France spend a third of their day naked, the sexually obsessed cop indulges in constant innuendo and derogatory remarks, such as quips about how undesirable "fat" females are. Nor is he above using deceit to feed his fetishes, like in the scene where he manages to gain entry into a backstage dressing room to inspect a row of undressed women (we see the rear view), under the guise of a costume designer.

As Carter incessantly babbles, Inspector Lee cuts through the evidence with his subtle sense of humor and affable personality, and kicks his way past countless bad guys -- which is the primary purpose of a Jackie Chan movie anyway. Unfortunately, while this talented guy's abilities are still fantastic, the years are taking their toll on the martial arts master. Consequently, a lot of careful camera angles and editing techniques are needed to sustain the action. Yet it is still his moves that comprise the bulk of the content in this movie, with numerous fighting scenes. Other violence includes a shooting (with blood shown), and a woman crushed in a piece of machinery (not clearly seen, but clearly heard).

While it is hard not to admire the fact Chan does all his own stunt work, it is almost equally difficult to endure Chris Tucker's obnoxious character. After listening to this verbal assault and the sloppy script, it's hard not to hope it will be a long time before theater crowds get stuck in another Rush Hour.

Beyond the movie ratings: What parents need to know about Rush Hour...

Like most Jackie Chan movies, the purpose of the story is to showcase this actor's amazing Martial Arts capabilities. However, along with the obvious violence, this film also provides Chris Tucker with numerous opportunities to spout sexual commentary and derogatory remarks toward women. In one scene, he inspects a line of chorus girls who he has convinced to undress after telling them he's a new costume designer. He frequently makes remarks to Chan's character about getting women to have sex with, and at one point he overhears Chan fighting with a woman and misinterprets the reasons for the sounds. Violence focuses on hand-to-hand combat in a marshal arts style, with many fights featuring people of both genders being kicked, hit and thrown. More graphic scenes include two shootings with blood, and a character who is crushed by a machine, which we don't see but clearly hear. A Frenchman says he desires to be an American so he can kill without reason. A character is seen smoking a cigarette.

Talk about the movie with your family...

In this movie, women are either portrayed as being highly impressionable and reliant on men for their protection or they are portrayed as being very violent and needing to be terminated. How are both of these "disposable" character stereotypes intended to interest men?

Video alternatives...

This movie is a sequel to Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2.

DVD Notes: Rush Hour 3

DVD Release Date: 26 December 2007

Rush Hour 3 zooms onto DVD with audio tracks in English (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX and Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), with subtitles in English and Spanish.

Rod Gustafson