Taxi

I guess the Germans just like picking on the French. In the 1998 French action/comedy film TAXI, notorious German bank robbers, dubbed the Mercedes Gang, are giving fits to the French constabulary. These brazen criminals have a habit of publicly stating their intended target days prior to commiting the actual robberies. And they've been getting away with it. The Marseilles police force get word that their city is next and make preparations. Which prove to be embarassingly futile as the Mercedes Gang once again have their way, thanks to the bumbling of hapless young Police Inspector Emilien Coutant-Kerbalec (Frederic Diefenthal). This sucks even more for Emilien as he's been trying to impress Petra, the gorgeous teutonic Chief Inspector.

But TAXI is also a buddy film so Emilien gets a break when he bumps into Daniel Morales (Samy Naceri), a pizza delivery boy turned daredevil taxi driver. Emilien, who can't drive, catches Daniel massively speeding and sees potential in the cabbie's skills. Daniel drives his tricked-up taxi so fast that his passengers vomit upon disembarking. Under threat of wresting away Daniel's driver's license, Emilien forces him to help ensnare the Mercedes Gang.

If you've only seen the lame American version of TAXI, you might be wondering about the original French picture. Is it worth it? Yes, it is. Do yourself a favor and get your mitts on it. The original TAXI is funny and action-oriented. Action mostly by way of gripping car chases and stunts, mind you, but these sequences are shot with vivid, testosterone-raising energy. Naceri (Daniel) and Diefenthal (Emilien) make a good odd couple and come thru with several hilarious moments. Naceri - street savvy, brash, yet sweet - is definitely the breakout star of the film. Bernard Farcy, who plays the very politically incorrect and befuddled Commisioner Gibert, gets a chance to flex his comedic muscles. But I probably laughed the hardest with the bit about the Korean cabbies. And, if humor's not your bag, TAXI also offers up two eye candies in the persons of the statuesque Emma Sjoberg (Petra) and the very sexy Marion Cotillard (Lilly). To quote these cats: "Ooo-la-la!"

Written by Director/Producer/Writer Luc Besson (The Fifth Element (Ultimate Edition), The Transporter (Special Delivery Edition), La Femme Nikita (Special Edition), TAXI isn't only for gearheads. It's pretty much for anyone who enjoys a good, unassuming action comedy buddy flick. And there's even a bit of romance thrown in. TAXI was very well received in France, good enough that it merited 3 sequels (Taxi 2, Taxi 3 (Original French Version with English Subtitles), and TAXI 4), all penned by Luc Besson and all with Naceri and Diefenthal reprising their roles. As mentioned, TAXI inspired a dubious American remake in 2004 with Jimmy Fallon and Queen Latifah, as well as a pretty nifty Bollywood adaptation (DHOOM). Ignore the U.S. remake, check out Dhoom, and definitely take a peek at the French sequels. But watch the original TAXI first. C'est un bon film ! (did I say it right?)

Beware, though. I ordered this particular dvd, and it doesn't come with English sub-titles. I ended up having to purchase another copy, this time an Asian import (but it provided English sub-titles for the feature film).

I've always love Luc Besson's movies - and all of the Taxi serias are funny! Car racing is very cute too, even though I am not into it. Better to watch in original language and read subtitles, so you can actually have a real "taste" of his movies.

I saw this movie when it first came out at the cinema and owned the DVD , but when I moved to America the bloomin' DVD was the wrong format and didn't work. I found this one and have practically worn it out watching it! Love it! Original and best!

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