Taxi (1998)

Daniel is an aging pizza boy with only one thing on his mind - speed. For the past six years, he's waited for one day, and its finally here.the day he gets his taxi license. With his ride already souped up, Daniel is out on the streets in no time breaking speed limits. One passenger turns out to be Emilien, a bumbling police inspector who busts him. However, instead of sending him to jail, he makes a deal with Daniel - if Daniel helps him catch a gang of bank robbers, then Daniel's record will be wiped clean. Now the two must team up to stop the Mercedes Gang before they get away...again.

Taxi is one part racing, one part buddy cop flick. The formula works well here, though there's less racing than I would have liked. The movie is entertaining throughout, though the storyline remains a bit on the thin side.

Conclusion: It is an OK French comedy/action. Fun to watch but might be rated fairly. I mean this movie is not very bad and not very good. This movie is on the middle side.

Fmovies: What a film! I had a list of films to watch on a plane and my last choice would have been the French one. But it was suggested to me and would have been ignorant not to have watched it. A thrill packed, speedy comedy. The car chases were superb and the French humour translated perfectly. I thought the subtitles might get in the way, but I was wrong. Half of the time you didn't even need to read them. I would recommend this to anyone who likes the thrill of driving fast and comedy thrown in for good measure. Don't let the subtiltles put you off...

I bought this film by accident, not realising it was French, and when I did I just stuck it in a cupboard and thought I'd pass it off onto someone else. Some months later I actually open it up and stick it in, thinking I'd may as well see what I'd bought.

I am VERY glad I did, this film is excellent, and put me onto the path of discovering foreign cinema by starting at the best. Sure it may not have the high budget thrills that Hollywood seem to think are necessary in such films but for breathtaking action and some hilarious comedy moments Taxi is amazing. Filmed on location for a lot of it, there are some stunning shots of Marsielle, the marina and countryside etc.

So for brilliant action, comedy, and a fair bit of sexiness, Taxi is an ideal film. Tres bon!

Taxi fmovies. This is a very Gallic film indeed, but as a fan of French cinema - and of the French in general - I have to say that I enjoyed this film very much indeed. The plot is, I admit, weak in places. That doesn't matter though - this film isn't about cerebral entertainment, it's about car chases and jokes, and humour is something the French do very well. The car chases are spectacular - and far better, for my money, than the car chases featured in Gone in 60 Seconds, The Matrix Reloaded or The Fast and the Furious. Hollywood could do a lot worse than look over the Atlantic to see how car movies are made. Unfortunately, it now seems that they have but I didn't mean that they should copy the French, they need original ideas, but they also need to imitate the French flair. The jokes come thick and fast, and had me howling with laughter - it takes a lot of humour for me to forgive an absence of plot - this film has it in spades. So there you have it. Ignore the American rip off. Watch the original. You won't regret it.

The movie is developed in Marseille where a pizza delivery named Daniel, (Sami Naceri) drives a scooter, though he ultimately gets his wishes, a taxi license. The foul-mouthed cabbie join forces with a bungler inspector, a loser named Emilien(Frederic Diefenthal). Daniel is the fastest cabman with an attractive fiancée(Marion Cotillard), while Emilian goes after a gorgeous Inspector woman(Emma Sjoberg) and commanded by chief Commissaire(Bernard Farcey). The police Inspector is a complete inept behind the car and under skirts his mother. When Daniel is caught for speed infraction, then he's forced to collaborate with Emilien. They pursue a gang of violent German banks robbers and when they are on the heels of the band , the crooks drive a speed demon pursued by the taxi in a fast and furious race cars. This action-comedy film chronicling the relationship between the narrow-minded cabdriver and a botcher cop.

The motion picture blends action packed, cars pursuits, humor, shootouts, rip roaring and is pretty amusing. From the start to the ending the action pace is fast moving, provides fast and furious entertainment with spectacular scenes.Displays nonstop action and is extremely bemusing and hilarious. There are chases galore in breathtaking velocity and with impressive finale race cars, filmed by magnificent stunts and excellent visual effects. Luminous cinematography and adequate musical score fitting to action by Akhenaton. The picture is lavishly produced by great producer and director Luc Besson and well directed by Gerard Pirés. Followed by three sequels : Taxi 2(2000), Taxi 3(2003) y Taxi 4(2007), all directed by Gerard Kraczyc and same actors and an American version with Queen Lafitah and directed by Tim Story. The flick will like to adrenaline lovers and those young people looking amusing and strong emotions, It's a must see for the cars buffs.

I normally avoid action films and car chases bore me, but I watched Taxi on a friend's recommendation and have to say that it is one of the best films I've seen in a long time. Everything about it is pure class which may be something to with it being French. The premise of the film is beautifully simple - a speed-freak taxi driver Daniel and an inept policeman have to work together to catch some bank robbers. The relatively trivial nature of their mission is the perfect vehicle (excuse the pun) for the ever-so French humour of the script. They aren't out to save the world or stop evil for the good of all mankind (as is too often the case in American action films), but both want to stop the criminals for their own purely selfish reasons. In this setting the witty banter of the heroes is perfectly natural, especially compared with the cliched one-liners said in the face of doom found in most films in this genre.

A mismatched pair of heroes is pretty much standard in action films (Lethal Weapon being the most famous case), but here is works well as they manage to be more than just stereotypes and are believable even if their circumstances aren't. Both characters come across as real people, flawed, but likeable, especially the roguishly charming Daniel.

Despite being an action film, special-effects are kept to a minimum and although they are a large part of the film, the high speed car sequences are never self-indulgent, peppered with humour and brilliantly directed so as to hold the attention of even of the most "seen it all before" viewers (i.e. me).

All in all a refreshing change from Hollywood comedy or action films and one which I would happily watch again and again.