Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (August 8, 2024)
After the success of 1998’s Rush Hour, Jackie Chan got a chance to become a mainstream star in the US. This didn’t really take, though Chan’s American movies didn’t truly bomb either.
Still, anything Chan did outside of Rush Hour’s sequels failed to turn a profit, a category that includes 2002’s The Tuxedo. With a $60 million budget, its $104 million worldwide gross left it underwater.
Jimmy Tong (Chan) works as chauffeur for millionaire Clark Devlin (Jason Isaacs). When an accident sends Devlin to the hospital, Jimmy goes to retrieve some of his boss’s belongings.
While he does so, Tong finds and tries on a special tuxedo that gives the wearer exceptional abilities. Now mistaken as a secret agent, Jimmy embarks on a crazy adventure.
You don’t suppose wild and dangerous stunts will occur along the way, do you? Excuse the snark, but in Chan films, it doesn’t seem to matter what kind of character he plays, as the end result feels the same.
Yeah, the secret agent motif allows Chan to break into slightly new territory, especially because the titular special suit enables him to defy reality. While much of Tuxedo prompts Chan to operate in his standard manner, it goes with physically impossible stunts as well.
In theory, this makes Tuxedo a fun riff on the spy genre. In reality, it becomes a silly dud.
Part of the problem stems from the plot, or lack of one. We learn of evil Dietrich Banning (Ritchie Coster) and his attempt to taint bottled water for his own financial gain.
As depicted, this endeavor makes little sense, and it all feels irrelevant anyway. Tuxedo exists as a collection of wacky action scenes so any actual story winds up as secondary.
Or maybe not even that high on the hierarchy. Really, the whole Banning narrative barely even qualifies as a MacGuffin, for the movie cares too little about this tale to classify it as a real factor.
No - Tuxedo exists just as a star vehicle for Chan, one that I suppose he figured would broaden his brand. Instead, the film just turns into an awkward fit.
Though I’m not sure who would fare better, mainly because Tuxedo offers such thin gruel. I wouldn’t mind the inherent lack of plot if the action scenes worked better.
Instead, these sequences feel silly and contrived. The movie totally revolves around its nutty fights and stunts, and it never manages to make them fun.
Some of this stems from Chan’s apparent discomfort. Much of Tuxedo detours from his bread and butter, and he never quite seems to adjust.
Not only do we get a spotty effort from the lead, but also his main co-star becomes a negative. Jennifer Love Hewitt plays neophyte agent Delilah "Del" Blaine, and she does so in an abrasive manner.
I guess Hewitt wanted to come across as strong and assertive, but instead she just seems angry and shrill. A generally likable actor, Hewitt seems out of her depth here and her unpleasant performance turns into a problem.
Not that the movie would soar with better work from the lead’s main co-star, as The Tuxedo seems too messy and ridiculous to succeed. More a collection of over the top scenes than a coherent plot, the film sputters.
Footnote: like most Chan films, bloopers run during the end credits.
