Judging by this latest action-comedy from Hong Kong's grandmaster of martial arts slapstick, Jackie Chan is getting old.
At 48 - and having broken almost every bone in his body at least once - it's easy to see why Jackie wants to slow down, but without the motormouth backup of "Rush Hour" co-star Chris Tucker, the hijinx in "The Tuxedo" fall flat.
Playing the same kind of hapless secret agent as he did in "The Accidental Spy" and "Who Am I?", Chan is Jimmy Tong, a chauffeur for a CIA agent (Jason Isaacs) who finds himself drawn into the dangerous world of international espionage when his boss falls into a coma.
Just as well he's got a special tuxedo - a Tactical Uniform Xperiment ("Tux 1" for short) - packed with enough technical goodies to turn Jimmy Tong into James Bond at the touch of a button...
Squandering everything that Chan's worked for in his American movies, "The Tuxedo" is a disappointing mess.
The sparse martial arts action seems to have been put together in the editing room rather than on set, while the lame comedy is far below the standard set by "Rush Hour" and "Shanghai Noon".
Worst of all, first-time director Kevin Donovan seems uncertain who's the real star - Chan or Jennifer Love Hewitt, who plays Jimmy's secret agent partner, Del Blaine.
Sticking Hewitt in as many skimpy costumes as possible, while making endless jokes about her bust size, Donovan's blatant sexism leaves a nasty taste in the mouth.
Surely Jackie Chan deserves better than this?
The Tuxedo (2003)
