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Money Talks

1997, Movie, R, 92 mins

Money Talks: Review

Thanks to a few cutting details and a hilariously manic performance from Chris Tucker, this loud and very violent action comedy isn't half as dumb as it could -- and by all rights should -- have been. Franklin Hatchett (Tucker) is a fast-thinking, motor-mouthed Los Angeles hustler with a lucrative ticket-scalping operation, until he's fingered by TV reporter James Russell (Charlie Sheen) and sent to the clink, cuffed to ruthless international smuggler Raymond Villard (Gerard Ismael). The jail-bound bus is hijacked by a team of Villard's commandos, who spring their leader and the attached Franklin while slaughtering everyone else on board -- including two policemen. Pegged as a cop-killer, Franklin strikes an uneasy bargain with Russell, who promises to help in exchange for the exclusive rights to Franklin's story. Granted, former video director Brett Ratner's debut feature is a fairly routine actioner, but it's predicated on some unusually harsh assumptions about L.A. life that give it genuine bite: The media happily traffic in people's lives for the sake of ratings; everyone owns a gun and is eager to use it; and the L.A. Sheriff's office is a nest of corrupt, trigger-happy thugs who wouldn't think twice about opening fire in a crowded cafe if it meant nailing a suspect. The picture stops short of directly accusing the LAPD of racism, but the references to O.J. and Rodney King embedded within Tucker's exhausting, rapid-fire schtick aren't just topical window-dressing. leave a comment --Ken Fox