"Rush Hour 3" is a rather difficult score to get into.  The film itself, embraced more by audiences than critics, has done well for itself as the 3rd installment in the series.  The best thing going for the soundtrack, however, is that veteran composer Lalo Schifrin was on board to write the score, as he did for the previous two pictures. 

 

The "Rush Hour" series was brought to us by director Brett Ratner, who has done well for himself in the industry.  While his films are typically 'safe' pictures, his movies seem to gross a ton of money.  Something between he and the cinema going audience just happens to connect well. Perhaps its because everyone knows what to expect going in and he delivers precisely that, right down the middle. 

 

What I will applaud Ratner on is his choice of the composer in the series.  While most filmmakers turn away from the great composers who have been around the business a while, he readily accepts the involvement of Schifrin in his "Rush Hour' films.  Not only that, but the director also expresses a ton of praise and gratitude in the liner notes of this particular collaboration, telling us that Lalo offers a dose of urban coolness to the films and a strong leitmotif style that keeps the listener/viewer readily aware of the "Rush Hour" world.

 

Overall, the score for "Rush Hour 3" turned out to be a lot more intense than I thought it would be.  The main theme of the score is fantastic and indeed hip in a retro style, however, there is a barrage of action and mayhem music in the soundtrack that I found to be surprising.  It proved to be a bit much.  The score is at its best is when the tone strays away from the weight of the action and peril and sticks more closely to the theme.  The music is top notch when this happens and brings back the memories of the urban scores from the 70s.  This style can best be heard in the opening track as well as the concluding cue, which is presented in a 'remixed' format.

 

While the crux of the film's story takes place in Paris, the score would be remiss if there weren't any references to the music of the Far East.  There are indeed elements of Asian melodies within the work, as it should be given the tandem in the film and the nemesis they have to face, but its not overused and is effectively balanced.

 

Overall, "Rush Hour 3" was a lot more gritty than I thought it would be.  While there certainly is a good amount of music to enjoy here, I would have preferred less brawn and more of the vibe that the main theme delivered.  That being the case, Lalo Schifrin proves again that he still has a lot of great enthusiasm to offer and that the young crop of directors coming up in the industry would be prudent to look his way for their future projects.