The Tuxedo is a 2002 American action-comedy film directed by Kevin Donovan and starring Jackie Chan, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jason Isaacs. 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.
The film received negative reviews from critics. The film earned a total worldwide box office gross of $104.4 million.
Plot[]
James "Jimmy" Tong is a taxi driver notorious for his speed and ability to get his customers anywhere in the least amount of time, with no accidents whatsoever. His reputation lands him a job as the personal chauffeur of the mysterious but wealthy Clark Devlin. 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. What Jimmy does not realize is that Devlin is a secret spy and undercover government agent, for an agency called the CSA. When an attempt to kill Devlin with a car bombing sends him into a coma, Jimmy ends up with Devlin's recent case notes and a special watch that controls Devlin's rather unusual tuxedo.
The tuxedo is a gadget capable of granting its wearer special abilities (including martial arts, speed, the ability to dance, sing, cling to walls, and various acrobatics) which Jimmy must use to stop the criminal organization responsible for Devlin's attempted murder. The group is a terrorist organization disguised as a corporation named Banning Corporation and is headed by the notorious and ruthless Dietrich Banning. Its goal is to take over the global drinking water supply, starting with the poisoning of major US reservoirs by means of genetically modified water strider insects. These water striders have bacteria that can spread from person to person, causing severe dehydration. By pure chance, Jimmy is joined by a genius scientist with aspirations of field work, Delilah "Del" Blaine. Blaine is completely new to field work and is delighted to be on assignment with Devlin, only to be very confused by Jimmy as he impersonates Devlin, relying on the tuxedo's special abilities to compensate for his lack of skill and training.
At first, Blaine thinks Jimmy is weird and annoying, and then a fraud when Jimmy's impersonation is finally exposed. She confiscates his borrowed tuxedo and attempts to stop the evil Dietrich Banning on her own by feigning a desire to become a turncoat for Banning Corporation. Meanwhile, Jimmy is ready to give up and go back to his life as a taxi driver, but while packing his belongings he discovers that Devlin had ordered a second suit for Jimmy himself, believing that Jimmy could also be a great agent. Using his new suit, Jimmy defeats the villain, Banning, by putting a cigarette in Blaine's mouth. Banning's tuxedo automatically forces him to pull out a lighter and light her cigarette. While Blaine is (comically) puffing on the lit cigarette, Jimmy begins to punch Banning. During the fight, Jimmy throws a glass containing the queen of the water striders into Banning's mouth. He is then infected with bacteria from the water strider. The other remaining water striders attack Banning and he then dies instantaneously from terminal dehydration.
As compensation for his role in bringing down Banning, the organization uses its resources to orchestrate an operation so that Jimmy can finally meet his dream girl. However, confused by Blaine's and the now-recovered Devlin's conflicting instructions on how to act Jimmy succeeds only in alarming the girl into threatening to mace him, resulting in the operation being aborted. Consoling Jimmy afterwards, Blaine admits feeling sad that no one had ever tried to do for her what Jimmy had just done, and Jimmy tells Blaine that she has to change her shrewish personality and be more accommodating if she ever wants to have a boyfriend. Feeling a tentative attraction for each other, they walk away to buy coffee together.
Cast[]
- Jackie Chan as Jimmy Tong / Clark Devlin
- Jennifer Love Hewitt as CSA Agent Delilah "Del" Blaine
- Jason Isaacs as CSA Agent Clark Devlin / Brad Dillford (Inspired by Ian Fleming's James Bond)
- Debi Mazar as CSA Agent Steena
- Ritchie Coster as Dietrich Banning
- Peter Stormare as Dr. Simms
- Mia Cottet as Cheryl
- Romany Malco as Mitch
- Daniel Kash as Rogers
- Jody Racicot as Kells
- Boyd Banks as Vic
- Bob Balaban as CSA Director Winton Chalmers (uncredited)
- Christian Potenza as CSA Agent Joel
- Scott Wickware as CSA Agent Wallace
- Karen Glave as CSA Agent Randa
- Scott Yaphe as CSA Agent Gabe
- Jordan Madley as Holly
- James Brown as himself
- Colin Mochrie as Gallery Owner
- Noah Danby as Bike Messenger
- Kim Roberts as ER Nurse