Director:
Tim Story

Cast:
Queen Latifah
Jimmy Fallon
Gisele Bundchen
Ann-Margaret

Official URL:

http://www.taximovie.com

Country: USA
Rating: PG-13
Studio Name: Twentieth Century Fox
Running Time: 0 hr 89 mins
Release Date: October 6, 2004

Critics's Rating:
(2 Reels) 

October 6, 2004

By Veronica Mixon

Jimmy Fallon is the latest of the Saturday Night Live comics to exit for a career on the big screen and like most he’s appearing a silly movie that hasn’t quite shown his talents in the best life. For that matter, Queen Latifah, who is red hot after Chicago and Barbershop 2: Back in Business, seems to be making ridiculous choices in movie career as well. Taxi is a noisy mess! There are few laughs and too much over-acting.

The cute, affable Fallon plays Washburn, a New York City detective who can’t drive and Queen Latifah is Belle, a speed demon taxi driver who joins forces with Washburn as he chases a group of clever bank robbers led by leggy model Gisele Bundchen. Of course, a number of rules are broken causing Washburn’s boss (Jennifer Esposito Summer of Sam) to impose sanctions against him. Meanwhile, Belle’s long suffering boyfriend (Henry Simmons) is trying to propose marriage if he can pen the girl down for more than a few minutes. But, since Washburn and Belle are trying to capture the gang before the FBI, that’s pretty difficult.

Taxi is a one-gag film. Fallon can’t drive and Belle is super-macho. This reversal of sexual roles should be cute but it isn’t. Fallon’s personality is naturally boyish so he doesn’t seem man enough to interest Esposito who was promoted over him once they left the Police Academy. When Ann-Margaret (Grumpy Old Men) shows up as his drunken but lovable mom who lives next door, you’re not surprised at the wisecracks that Belle makes. But, then we don’t believe that she’s the red hot lover of handsome hunk Henry Simmons, who is best known for his TV role on NYPD Blue. Simmons, like Fallon, seems decidedly uncomfortable on the big screen. As he folds the voluptuous Queen Latifah in his beefy arms, he’s probably ignited the fantasies of many female fans but what woman would stand up such a good-looking man? He’s simply a ‘boy toy’ for the star.

For the most part, I love Queen Latifah’s work. After a wildly successful recording career and a hit television series, Living Single, she made an impressive screen debut in Spike Lee’s 1992 film Jungle Fever. Her well-crafted performance as a lounge singer opposite Holly Hunter in Living Out Loud signaled a truly gifted dramatic actress. She quickly started to produce film projects under the auspices of her own production company, Flavor Unit with Bad Girls which co-starred Jada Pinkett. But, it was the racially raw comedy, Bringing Down the House that made Queen Latifah a bone fide box office smash and that was unfortunate especially when you realize that she was an executive producer of the film. The jokes and racial stereotypes of Blacks, Latinos and whites were extremely insensitive and often very dumb. She’s appeared in the lam-brained The Cookout and now Taxi. I’m sure she’s having the time of her life but these films play to the lowest common dominator and just aren’t as funny as they could be. Queen Latifah is a fine actress and very successful but frankly, she’s lost her way.

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