Going easy on "Rush Hour 3"

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Why does Joe Leydon smirk and shrug shoulders and go so easy on Rush Hour 3 in this video-clip thingie? What could his motivation possibly be? Is he some kind of devout believer in amiability for its own sake? It is necessary to be merciless in the face of mediocrity and the resulting oppression, especially in times like these.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on August 11, 2007 at 1:29 PM

comment #1

Noah says ...

Interesting way of turning a mezzo-mezzo film review into a catastrophe. It's not Joe Leydon's job to put all his passion into taking down a film, especially if he didn't hate it with every fibre of his being. It's his job to report on his opinion and that's what he did.

Posted by Noah at August 11, 2007 2:18 PM

comment #2

James Leer says ...

I don't think I've read anything even remotely close to a takedown (or even a really brutal pan) from Joe Leydon.

Posted by James Leer at August 11, 2007 2:50 PM

comment #3

Joe Leydon says ...

James:

http://www.movingpictureshow.com/archives/mpsAlongCameSpider.htm

http://www.movingpictureshow.com/archives/mpsAvengers.htm

http://www.movingpictureshow.com/archives/mpsAmatiGirls.htm

http://www.movingpictureshow.com/archives/mpsArmageddon.htm

And those are just the A's.

Posted by Joe Leydon at August 11, 2007 3:31 PM

comment #4

berg says ...

but we were all upstaged by the Movie Mom on armageddon when she spake "It will suck the air right out of your lungs." ... say hi to O ...

Posted by berg at August 11, 2007 4:18 PM

comment #5

T. Holly says ...

I was expecting a more vigorous defense here from Layden. Your review was like, "you know the drill, if you like that stuff, go see it."

Posted by T. Holly at August 11, 2007 4:50 PM

comment #6

Joe Leydon says ...

Holly: Well, yeah, that petty much sums it up. I had a few chuckles. It didn't give a headache. If it's a hot night and the theater's air-conditioned, what the hell.

Posted by Joe Leydon at August 11, 2007 5:10 PM

comment #7

T. Holly says ...

Wow, that is such a fly-over state attitude. I can't imagine picking it on that basis in NY or LA, where there are so many more choices.

Posted by T. Holly at August 11, 2007 6:11 PM

comment #8

Joe Leydon says ...

Holly: I caught you making a dumb-ass mistake on another thread by giving away a major spoiler for Ã¢â‚¬Å“3:10 to Yuma,Ã¢â‚¬Â and I call you out about it, so now you come over here like a bitch-ass punk spoiling for a fight by doing bitch-ass punk things like deliberately misspelling my name and make snotty remarks about where I live. Like, wow, what cuts. IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m so not impressed. The dog barks, but the caravan moves on. I could rise to your childish baiting by pointing out that, when it comes to having choices, we shitkickers here in Houston will be able to choose the world's first complete Antonioni retro to unspool after the great director's death -- cranking up the end of August at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston -- but you know what? I don't really think you're important enough to waste time on. Now, of course, if you think I'm important enough to devote time to, because I loom large like a god in your pitifully irrelevant life, feel free to fire away. I might read your latest riposte tomorrow or the next day. Right now, though, I'm going back to watching the Astros and the Texans on TV. We folks here in flyover country sure love us some sports. Just like I was telling Lyle Lovett the other day Ã¢â‚¬â€œ folks who donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t live here should be pitied, not mocked.

Posted by Joe Leydon at August 11, 2007 7:08 PM

comment #9

T. Holly says ...

You couldn't drag me by the hair to see RH3, and I always just wondered how to pronounce your name, that's all. Plus, I revealed no spoilers being that I've never read the book, seen the original or the remake, yet.

Posted by T. Holly at August 11, 2007 7:19 PM

comment #10

frankbooth says ...

Yikes! Please don't hurt 'em, Leydon!

Posted by frankbooth at August 11, 2007 7:39 PM

comment #11

Pelham123 says ...

Since he mentioned the Texans, this is a sports question to Joe -- I was reading a football preview by EW's Whitney Pastorek and the impression I got is that the Houston Texans are only liked in Houston and the Cowboys rule the rest of Texas. Is that true? I just assumed the Texans had a bigger following outside Houston (maybe the freshness has worn off). Okay, now back to "Rush Hour 3"...

Posted by Pelham123 at August 11, 2007 7:55 PM

comment #12

berg says ...

please you two, hug it out ... this is not about RH3 but about New Line and The Last Mimzy ... I love that fucking film, and the rabbit, and the Roger Waters original song ... I tried to get people to see the mimzy but to no or little avail ... as a film and state of mind it is probably 20 years ahead of its time ... frankly, RH3 was a bummer but I thought The Ten and Becoming Jane were worse

Posted by berg at August 11, 2007 7:58 PM

comment #13

JB Moore says ...

Way to stick up for Texas Joe. You're truly one of the good guys in a sea of ever growing douchebags on this site.

My uncle attended Rice in the 80s, and swore by their film series. He's got a great, yet unfortunate story about a rare print of ALPHAVILLE burning up in the projector. Besides the near-crippling humidity, Houston is a great city.

Not all of us are gun waving rednecks. Some of us can talk about the Nouvelle Vague just like we can football.

Posted by JB Moore at August 11, 2007 10:43 PM

comment #14

BurmaShave says ...

Desson Thompson went pretty easy on it as well. I'm also happy to report to all regular readers and posters that Ann Hornaday declared STARDUST "a decidedly mixed bag".

Posted by BurmaShave at August 11, 2007 11:04 PM

comment #15

christian says ...

i adore texas and austin is my favorite city in america.

houston, however, has the taint of bush. and it's the birthplace for privatized prisons of course. and there's always corrupt road construction going on forever. plus it's dirty. otherwise...

Posted by christian at August 12, 2007 12:44 AM

comment #16

James Leer says ...

Joe, fair enough, although those reviews are almost ten years old. You manage to find the good points in pretty bad movies, which is an admirable trait in a film critic (one ought to realize that good scenes can occur in bad films), but you've struck me as easy on everything I've read you on this year. But again, that's just according to my own opinion.

Posted by James Leer at August 12, 2007 3:55 AM

comment #17

T. Holly says ...

I will check out The Last Mimzy based on berg's recommendation and on what bummed him out.

Posted by T. Holly at August 12, 2007 8:22 AM

comment #18

Joe Leydon says ...

James: Well, I have to admit, I haven't seen much lately that has made me want to draw blood. LOL. But are these harsh enough for you?

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117933577.html?categoryid=31&cs=1

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117933244.html?categoryid=31&cs=1

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117933216.html?categoryid=31&cs=1

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117932699.html?categoryid=31&cs=1

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117932653.html?categoryid=31&cs=1

Posted by Joe Leydon at August 12, 2007 8:50 AM

comment #19

Joe Leydon says ...

As for sports: Yesterday, the Astros lost, the Texans lost (pre-season, but a loss nonetheless) and the Comets lost. Damn. Sucks to be any kind of sports fan in Houston.

Pelham: There is a long-standing animosity between Dallas and Houston, and a large part of it is fueld by sports rivalry. Or maybe "sports envy" would be a better term, because even though the Rockets claimed two national championships, our football teams (Oilers, then Texans) have either choked or sucked. Mind you, I'm just a casual sports fan. The more zealous,even frighteningly enthusiastic types are actually quite amusing to behold. That's why, as I've written elsewhere, I love to listen to sports talk radio: The passion the callers bring to discussing even trivial details is endlessly entertaining. They make the squabbles here look like patty-cake.

Also, listening to sports talk radio is a great way to discover what is slipping out of the elitist fringe and into the cultural mainstream. Put it this way: The first time I heard the sports talk guys discussing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon I knew that movie would leave the art houses and enter the megaplexes.

Posted by Joe Leydon at August 12, 2007 9:07 AM

comment #20

StewartforPresident says ...

Just for the record Christian. His connection with houston is minimal.

Bush was born in Connecticut, went to school in Massachusetts and attended college in Connecticut(Yale) and Massachusetts(Harvard). He was born Blue, lived blue and will probably die blue.

Posted by StewartforPresident at August 12, 2007 5:18 PM

comment #21

christian says ...

i lived in texas when shrub was guv. enron and kenny boy were all about houston. as were james a. baker and his gang of energy bandits at reliant energy based there. houston is the epicenter of bush's cronyism. everytime i drive past i think of ROLLERBALL...glad there's a tribute to antonioni there...

and you're right about bush's pure blue blood.

Posted by christian at August 12, 2007 6:04 PM

comment #22

StewartforPresident says ...

Christian,

Well played. Game, set and match.

As a Houston local I just have a natural reaction when any tries to link me in any way to GW.

Posted by StewartforPresident at August 12, 2007 6:49 PM

comment #23

Joe Leydon says ...

The real downside of Houston: Today was the hottest day on record here since August 2003. And it may be just as hot tomorrow. Thank you, God, for air-conditioning.

Posted by Joe Leydon at August 12, 2007 8:33 PM

comment #24