The Tuxedo Parent Guide

Nearly four decades ago, Jackie Chan stepped into an Asian spotlight and since then has developed an international career that combines comedy relief with martial arts action. Now his latest box office undertaking has a slightly different cut of the cloth than the role he usually plays.

When playboy millionaire Clark Devlin (Jason Isaacs) needs a new chauffer, CSA Agent Steena (Debi Mazar) goes looking for the kind of man who can fill the role. Jimmy Tong (Chan), a New York cabbie, has an aggressive driving style that’s earned him some notoriety in the local paper, but failed to impress the pretty art gallery salesclerk (Cecile Cristobal) he wants to ask out. Following a rather unorthodox interview session with the hard-nosed operative, Jimmy is hired for the job he hopes will improve his image.

But when Devlin is hospitalized following a serious accident, the new employee is asked to step into his clothes and carry out an undercover mission. What Jimmy doesn’t know is that this tuxedo comes with all kinds of special features in addition to the satin lapels. In it, this everyday driver becomes a martial arts master (thus allowing Chan to do what he does best).

Partnered with Del Blaine (Jennifer Love Hewitt), a rookie field agent for the CSA, Jimmy tries to follow his injured boss’s last instructions. Along the way he uncovers a plot by business baron Diedrich Banning (Ritchie Coster) that will jeopardize the world’s water supply. Under the influence of the black tie attire, the unlikely hero can punch, slap and kick his way through the bevy of bad guys that always seem to be swarming around. But when he is intentionally disrobed by Banning’s bombshell fiancee (Mia Cottet), his powers are stripped away too.

While the film offers a steady moving storyline and plenty of laughs, the violence (spoof or not) and some moderate profanities, along with the threads of sexual misdemeanors woven into the plot, follows a similar pattern to Chan’s Rush Hour series. Before watching this film, parents may first want to make sure The Tuxedo is tailored to their family viewing habits.

About author

Kerry Bennett

Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for over 15 years. As a parent herself, she believes parents play a powerful role in teaching media literacy in their homes.