The Tuxedo
Encyclopedia
The Tuxedo is a 2002 American comedy
-action film
directed by Kevin Donovan and starring Jackie Chan
and Jennifer Love Hewitt
. It is a spy spoof
that involves a special tuxedo
that grants its wearer special abilities and a corporate terrorist threatening to poison the United States' fresh water
supply with bacteria that spills electrolytes into the blood and totally dehydrates the host.
) is a taxi driver notorious for his speed and ability to get his customer anywhere in the least amount of time, usually without too many illegal methods. His reputation soon lands him a job as the personal chauffeur of the mysterious but wealthy Clark Devlin (Jason Isaacs
). Jimmy does not really know what his new boss' job is, but Devlin's friendly nature, imperturbable demeanor, and willingness to offer Jimmy advice wins Jimmy over and the two become friends. Jimmy has no idea that Devlin is a spy
and when an attempt to kill Devlin partially succeeds, sending Devlin into a coma, Jimmy ends up accidentally wearing a rather unusual tuxedo of Devlin's.
The tuxedo is a gadget capable of granting its wearer special abilities (including martial arts
, speed
, the ability to dance, and being able to climb on walls) which Jimmy must use to stop the terrorist group responsible for Devlin's hospitalization. He joins genius scientist, Delilah "Del" Blaine (Jennifer Love Hewitt
) to stop them. At first, she thinks Jimmy is weird and annoying, but in the end when he saves her and the world, he and Del Blaine become better acquaintances and go for a coffee together. Ultimately Jimmy gives up, but discovers that Clark had a tuxedo made for Jimmy himself as he believed Jimmy could be a great agent. Using his own tuxedo, Jimmy defeats the villains. Jimmy also becomes Devlin's partner in the end.
, John Debney
was brought in to rescore the film (incorporating Beck's thematic material). Both composers ultimately had cues included in the final version.
Varese Sarabande
released a soundtrack album on October 1, 2002, including different cues written by the composers for the same scenes. Cues by Debney are in italics, cues by Beck in bold.
$104,391,623 USD.
of the Chicago Sun-Times
commented that "The movie is silly beyond comprehension, and even if it weren't silly, it would still be beyond comprehension" but does comment that the film has its good moments. He gave the film one and a half stars out of four. Out of 136 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, only 30 were positive, giving the film a "Rotten" score of 22%.
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
-action film
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
directed by Kevin Donovan and starring Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
and Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated...
. It is a spy spoof
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
that involves a special tuxedo
Tuxedo
A tuxedo is a type of semi-formal dress for men.Tuxedo may also refer to:-Places:Canada* Tuxedo, Winnipeg, Manitoba, a city neighborhood** Tuxedo , a provincial electoral district in Manitoba...
that grants its wearer special abilities and a corporate terrorist threatening to poison the United States' fresh water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
supply with bacteria that spills electrolytes into the blood and totally dehydrates the host.
Plot
Jimmy Tong (Jackie ChanJackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
) is a taxi driver notorious for his speed and ability to get his customer anywhere in the least amount of time, usually without too many illegal methods. His reputation soon lands him a job as the personal chauffeur of the mysterious but wealthy Clark Devlin (Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs
Jason Isaacs is an English actor born in Liverpool, who is best known for his performance as the villain Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, the brutal Colonel William Tavington in The Patriot and as lifelong criminal Michael Caffee in the internationally broadcast American television series...
). Jimmy does not really know what his new boss' job is, but Devlin's friendly nature, imperturbable demeanor, and willingness to offer Jimmy advice wins Jimmy over and the two become friends. Jimmy has no idea that Devlin is a spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
and when an attempt to kill Devlin partially succeeds, sending Devlin into a coma, Jimmy ends up accidentally wearing a rather unusual tuxedo of Devlin's.
The tuxedo is a gadget capable of granting its wearer special abilities (including martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, speed
Speed
In kinematics, the speed of an object is the magnitude of its velocity ; it is thus a scalar quantity. The average speed of an object in an interval of time is the distance traveled by the object divided by the duration of the interval; the instantaneous speed is the limit of the average speed as...
, the ability to dance, and being able to climb on walls) which Jimmy must use to stop the terrorist group responsible for Devlin's hospitalization. He joins genius scientist, Delilah "Del" Blaine (Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated...
) to stop them. At first, she thinks Jimmy is weird and annoying, but in the end when he saves her and the world, he and Del Blaine become better acquaintances and go for a coffee together. Ultimately Jimmy gives up, but discovers that Clark had a tuxedo made for Jimmy himself as he believed Jimmy could be a great agent. Using his own tuxedo, Jimmy defeats the villains. Jimmy also becomes Devlin's partner in the end.
Cast
- Jackie ChanJackie ChanJackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
as Jimmy Tong - Jennifer Love HewittJennifer Love HewittJennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated...
as Del Blaine - Jason IsaacsJason IsaacsJason Isaacs is an English actor born in Liverpool, who is best known for his performance as the villain Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, the brutal Colonel William Tavington in The Patriot and as lifelong criminal Michael Caffee in the internationally broadcast American television series...
as Clark Devlin - Debi MazarDebi MazarDeborah "Debi" Mazar is an American actress, perhaps best known for her Jersey Girl-type roles; as sharp-tongued women in independent films; and for her recurring role as press agent Shauna Roberts on the HBO series Entourage.-Early life:...
as Steena - Ritchie CosterRitchie CosterRitchie Coster is an English film, television and theatre actor. Coster was born in London, England and attended The Latymer School, Edmonton...
as Dietrich Banning - Peter StormarePeter Stormareis a Swedish film, stage, voice and television actor as well as a theatrical director, playwright and musician.- Early life :...
as Dr. Simms - Mia Cottet as Cheryl
- Romany MalcoRomany MalcoRomany Romanic Malco, Jr. is an American actor and music producer. He has been nominated for several awards, including an NAACP Image Award, MTV Movie Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award. Malco portrayed Conrad Shepard on the Showtime series Weeds. He most recently played George St...
as Mitch - Daniel KashDaniel KashDaniel Joshua Kash is a Canadian actor and director.He was born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Canadian opera singer Maureen Forrester and violinist/conductor Eugene Kash. He is also the brother of actress Linda Kash. He studied at the Drama Center in London, England and has appeared in dozens...
as Rogers - Jody Racicot as Kells
- Boyd BanksBoyd BanksBoyd Banks is a Canadian stand-up comedian known for doing edgy material, and actor.-Biography:Banks has appeared in such films as Bruiser , Wild Iris , Dawn of the Dead , Phil the Alien , Land of the Dead , Cinderella Man , Diary of The Dead and Pontypool...
as Vic - Bob BalabanBob BalabanRobert Elmer "Bob" Balaban is an American actor, author and director.-Personal life:Balaban was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Eleanor and Elmer Balaban, who owned several movie theatres and later was a pioneer in cable television...
as Winton Chalmers (uncredited) - Christian PotenzaChristian PotenzaChristian Potenza is a Canadian actor born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.- Biography :He has been in television since 1997, when he first appeared in the television series Riverdale as the character Jimmy....
as CSA Agent Joel - Scott WickwareScott WickwareScott Wickware is an actor. He is mostly known for his performances in the TV Series Goosebumps, as the Haunted Mask. Over his career, he has acted in many television series and movies, most of them Canadian...
as CSA Agent Wallace - Karen Glave as CSA Agent Randa
- Scott YapheScott YapheScott Yaphe is a Canadian actor and comedian best known as a cast member of the YTV variety show It's Alive!. He moved over to the game show Uh Oh! after its cancellation in 1996...
as CSA Agent Gabe - Paul BatesPaul BatesPaul Bates is an American actor. He is most known for his minor roles in 8 Mile, True Romance and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.He is also known for playing Oha in the 1988 film Coming to America.-External links:...
as Lundeen - Noah DanbyNoah DanbyNoah Dalton Danby is a Canadian film and television actor. He is best known for portraying Connor King on the series Painkiller Jane.-Life:...
as Bike Messenger - Colin MochrieColin MochrieColin Andrew Mochrie is a Scottish Canadian actor and improvisational comedian, most famous for his appearances on the British and US versions of television improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway?.-Early life:...
as Gallery Owner - Kim RobertsKim RobertsKim Roberts is an award-winning American poet, author, and editor residing in Washington, D.C..-Life:Roberts was born in Charlotte, North Carolina...
as ER Nurse - Fred RutherfordFred RutherfordFrederick "Fred" Rutherford is a fictional character in the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver. The show aired October 4, 1957 to June 20, 1963. Fred is portrayed by Richard Deacon...
as Banning Party Bouncer - Craig Eldridge as Doran
- Ron Gabriel as Frank Rollins
- James BrownJames BrownJames Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
as Himself - Chris CoppolaChris CoppolaChris Coppola is an American actor.Coppola is best known for such films as Friday the 13th, Far Cry, Postal, Loveless in Los Angeles, The Polar Express and Beowulf.-External links:...
as Bodyguard (uncredited) - Brad AllanBrad AllanBradley James Allan is an Australian martial artist, action choreographer, actor and stunt performer...
as Bodyguard (uncredited) - Michael BuninMichael BuninMichael Louis Bunin is an American actor perhaps best known for playing the role of "Kenny" on the TBS sitcom My Boys. A prolific and highly successful commercial actor during the early part of his career, starring in at least 50 national commercials, the transition to the single camera comedy on...
as Bodyguard (uncredited) - Paul Anderovski as Bodyguard (uncredited)
- Byron McIntyre as Bodyguard (uncredited)
- Jeanette Roxborough
- John Stoneham Jr.
- Claire Hodgson (extra)
Soundtrack
Initially scored by Christophe BeckChristophe Beck
Christophe Beck , also credited as Chris Beck, is a Canadian television and film score composer....
, John Debney
John Debney
John C. Debney is an American film composer. He received an Academy Award nomination for his score for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ...
was brought in to rescore the film (incorporating Beck's thematic material). Both composers ultimately had cues included in the final version.
Varese Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums as well as newer releases by artists no longer under a contract...
released a soundtrack album on October 1, 2002, including different cues written by the composers for the same scenes. Cues by Debney are in italics, cues by Beck in bold.
- Jimmy's Tux (2:50)
- Skateboard Chase (2:00)
- Mad Bike Messenger (1:04)
- Jimmy's Dream (:48)
- Main Title - "The Tuxedo" (3:01)
- First Mission (2:54)
- Swallow The Queen (2:25)
- Demolition (1:20)
- Putting on Tux (1:59)
- Demolition Program (1:02)
- Rope Fight (2:58)
- Rope Fight (2:14)
- Superhuman (1:39)
- Walter Strider (1:21)
- High Noon (:49)
- Banning Opens The Pods (2:29)
- Banning Swallows Queen (:49)
- Jimmy Saves Blaine (1:50)
- Get Up (I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine) - James BrownJames BrownJames Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
(3:19)
Box office
On a reported budget of $50 million, the movie grossed $50,547,998 in the United States. In its opening weekend the film grossed a moderate $15 million from 3,022 theaters. The film total worldwide gross is$104,391,623 USD.
Reception
The Tuxedo received negative reviews and the film has been referred to "one of Chan's worst". Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
commented that "The movie is silly beyond comprehension, and even if it weren't silly, it would still be beyond comprehension" but does comment that the film has its good moments. He gave the film one and a half stars out of four. Out of 136 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, only 30 were positive, giving the film a "Rotten" score of 22%.