Customer Reviews

Taxi (Widescreen Edition)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Jimmy Fallon is a cop who is such a bad driver he loses his license. Queen Latifah is a cab driver with a souped up Taxi who is a great driver. When Fallon comandeers Latifah's cab to stop a bank robbery, vehicular mayhem and fun break out! Add to the mix the fact the bank robbers are Brazillian Super Models and you have a surreal good time for all!
Ignore the critics who have cut this movie to shreds. Its pure escapist fun that rates four stars. Enjoy!

I must confess, this is the first of Queen Latifah's movies I've watched. I dunno why, but I was convinced I didn't care for her as an actor. I was wrong.

Latifah plays Belle, an adrenalin addicted cab driver who's anxious to begin her career as a NYC cabbie in her souped up Ford Crown Victoria, yet despite her female macho outer shell, she's really a romantic softie at heart. Her character, despite being larger then life (come on... how many overweight black females actually ride as a bike courier in NYC?) is also not the typical paper-thin, one dimensional empty shell that so many comedy roles are. And her role perfectly complements the male lead.

Jimmy Fallon plays police detective Washburn, and he does such a fantastic job of playing a pathetic little dweeb of a cop that more then once I wanted Latifah to pound his skinny little a@@. The comedy kicks in when Washburn, who drives worse then a 90 year old grandma, looses his license and gets a demotion. He manages to hook up with Belle and her crown vic, and together the two unwilling partners must team up to stop a band of bank robbers.

Okay, so there's nothing deep or profound about the movie, but, Latifah and Fallon are talented comedians and together they make for a lot of laughs and a fun ninety minutes.

Enjoy!

This movie is a good rental, but I wouldn't buy it, I like Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon so I thought the cast was pretty good. There were some pretty funny parts, One part I was crying because I was laughing so hard. Like I said it is a good rental movie if your looking for something stupid-funny too watch.

This was a one of those movies that seems to go off track here and there. Jimmy Fallon and Queen Latifah fans will see the best and the worst of both stars. What you won't see is any consistency in this film.

Taxi is a movie that seems to change directors from day-to-day filming; there are scenes that have all the excitement and star quality of a "Lethal Weapon", and there are scenes that have all the drabness of a daytime soap opera.

Jimmy Fallon plays a cop who is not a very good driver and has an ex-girlfriend (so he says) for a boss. Their banter is not the least bit entertaining, even though I believe it is supposed to be.

Queen Latifah plays a bike courieor who finally gets her cabbie license. QL is an excellent actress, and at times I almost felt like she was doing everything in her power to carry this film. I think she is so appealing to the masses because she seems like such a "down-to-earth" person. She has a real charm on the screen.

Fallon's character has some truly funny moments: The huge pile-up of cars when he tries do commandeer a citizen's vehicle and his alcoholic mother are amusing, but these good spots are rare.

The whole movie seemed to need a rewrite. I didn't hate this movie, but I definitely didn't think it was all it could have been. Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon are so talented that it takes an amazing script to utilize their talents. I would advise them both to be more picky with their scripts.

So all and all...If there is nothing else to buy or rent, try this movie. I wouldn't make it my first choice.

See ya next review.

I wasn't sure about Taxi. I hate to admit I have been very disappointed at most of the comedy genre this summer. Taxi however was a refreshing change a new take on the buddy genre with Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon I was quickly involved in the laughs. The two of them play so well off of each other and the jokes were just silly enough to keep me laughing out loud. It was refreshing and Ann Margaret is hilarious as Jimmy's drunk mother.
So this is well worth a check out whether at the matinee or once it hits the cheaper seats. It was a very funny ride.

Though the movie is only average, the driving is really well done; that's the one area where I really liked the cinematography. If you're looking for a good movie, skip it; if you want great driving scenes, it makes a great film.

"Taxi" is a ridiculous movie based on a series of ridiculous French films by Luc "Transporter" Besson. I don't know what aspect of the story is the most bizarre: that the New York banks are being robbed by Portuguese bikini models, Queen Latifah having bike skills that'll pounce Mat Hoffman, a taxicab that acts like a transformer, or Jimmy Fallon as a cop? My money's on Jimmy Fallon. In fact, if there's one thing that would ruin an otherwise run-of-the-mill popcorn flick, it would be that guy. His attempt at comedy is about as effective at tickling my funny bone as a sledgehammer, and it's just as painful. His character does nothing but cause problems instead of solving them: he can't drive a car, he charges into enemy headquarters, and he patronizing with armed criminals. He's an insignificant nuisance, and even if he does grow out of these problems with the help of a Natalie Cole song, he's still a humorless character with no trace of charm; I sorta wished Jennifer Esposito's character (wearing a low-cut top for a lieutenant) would just fire him at his first offense.

Why couldn't this movie be all about Queen Latifah? Her wisecracks need to be diminished, but she's more than capable in getting the job done on her own. She knows where she had to go, she has her people to scout the area, she understands the mind of a criminal, and she drives like Nascar; that woman's a better cop that Fallon is, and she's just a cabbie. I know this set-up of the incompetant/competent pair is deliberate, but all this incompetent fellow did was look at a map. If the movie has to be another ebony-and-ivory buddy cop flick, why couldn't she team up with Mel Gibson? He may be controversial in recent times, but I can trust that psycho over this comedian.

As far as "Taxi" goes, the sensual nature of the villains and the cast made it too silly, and too much of its humor is about two leads arguing; they're not funny, and they go on like clockwork. But the car chases were entertaining, even if they are absurdly planned. But as absurd as the movie is, it's a fun distraction of an absurdity, same as "Hudson Hawk".

Belle Williams is a speed demon. Flying through the streets of New York in her tricked-out taxi, she's earned a rep as New York's fastest cabbie. But driving a hack is only a pit stop for her real dream: Belle wants to be a race car champion. And she's well on her way, until she's derailed by overeager cop Andy Washburn, whose undercover skills are matched only by his total ineptitude behind the wheel. Washburn, whose lack of vehicular skills has landed him in the precinct doghouse, is hot on the heels of a gang of beautiful Brazilian bank robbers, led by Vanessa, their cold, calculating and leggy leader. To nab the evasive crooks, drivers license less Washburn convinces Belle to team up with him to pursue Vanessa and crew. Belle has carte blanche to drive at any speed and break any law. The car less cop and speed demon cabbie New York's unlikeliest partners begin a high-speed game of cat and mouse with the robbers. That is, if Belle and Washburn don't end up killing each other first. The action is fast, and the chase scenes are just great. Taxi is a good time because of the rest of the cast and the storyline is fast paced action. Queen Latifah alone is worth watching.

I thought this movie was very good, and funny. Queen Latifah played a wondferul part. Jimmy Falllon, I really didn't know his work, so I can't judge him, but if your a Queen Latifah fan, this movie should be in your collection

This movie is such a hoot! The plot has several levels of insanity and all of them are delightful, with the solution to the "crime" a subtle, "only in NYC" surprise. The obligatory "chase" scene is hysterical. Queen Latifa and crew at their joyous best.