CinemaNow - Taxi

Taxi doesn't fare well at all in the hands of the critics. Dave Kehr in the New York Times describes it as a bland, half-finished film that seems to have been conceived as off-peak cable fodder. Calling the movie dismal, Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times writes that appears to be made without ambition, imagination, or purpose. Bob Townsend in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggests that a line in the dialogue sums up the movie: Crazy and stupid is my style. Saturday Night Live's Jimmy Fallon, making his first appearance in a movie, is being ragged by critics. Peter Howell in the Toronto Star comments: By inadvertently living up to his SNL billing as one of the Not Ready For Prime Time players, Fallon demonstrates in his first lead movie role just how difficult it is to play an idiot. Tom Maurstad in the Dallas Morning News is even harsher: Jimmy Fallon wastes little time showing that when it comes to the big screen, he's strictly small screen, he writes. Michael O'Sullivan in the Washington Post observes that Fallon is funniest in the outtakes shown behind the closing credits of the movie. It's a shame that the movie, couldn't capture that sense of joyous, on-the-fly wisecracking, he writes. Queen Latifah, who co-stars in the movie, receives mostly sympathetic comments from the critics. Jan Stuart in Newsday writes: Queen Latifah is a persuasive screen presence, to be sure, but nothing in her bag of brassy tricks can persuade freshness and spontaneity out of a jerry-built comedy such as this.