Taxi (2004)

A mouthy and feisty taxicab driver has hot tips for a green and inept cop set on solving a string of New York City bank robberies committed by a quartet of female Brazilian bank robbers.

Director:

Tim Story

Writers:

Luc Besson (earlier screenplay), Robert Ben Garant (screenplay)

Stars:

Queen Latifah, Jimmy Fallon, Gisele Bündchen

3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Queen Latifah	...	Isabelle 'Belle' Williams
Jimmy Fallon	...	Andrew 'Andy' Washburn
Henry Simmons	...	Jesse
Jennifer Esposito	...	Lt. Marta Robbins
Gisele Bündchen	...	Vanessa
Ana Cristina de Oliveira	...	Redhead
Ingrid Vandebosch	...	Third Robber
Magali Amadei	...	Fourth Robber
Ann-Margret	...	Mrs. Washburn
Christian Kane	...	Agent Mullins
Boris McGiver	...	Franklin
Adrian Martinez	...	Brasilian Man
Joe Lisi	...	Mr. Scalia
Bryna Weiss	...	Mrs. Scalia
GQ	...	Stopwatch Messenger

Storyline

Belle Williams is a speed demon. Flying through the streets of New York in her tricked-out taxi, she's earned a rep as New York's fastest cabbie. But driving a hack is only a pit stop for her real dream: Belle wants to be a race car champion. And she's well on her way--until she's derailed by overeager cop Andy Washburn, whose undercover skills are matched only by his total ineptitude behind the wheel. Washburn, whose lack of vehicular skills has landed him in the precinct doghouse, is hot on the heels of a gang of beautiful Brazilian bank robbers, led by Vanessa, their cold, calculating--and leggy--leader. To nab the evasive crooks, drivers license-less Washburn convinces Belle to team up with him to pursue Vanessa and crew. Belle has carte blanche to drive at any speed and break any law. The car-less cop and speed-demon cabbie--New York's unlikeliest partners-- begin a high-speed game of cat and mouse with the robbers. That is, if Belle and Washburn don't end up killing each other ...

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Plot Keywords:

woman | united states of america | usa | driving a car | car | 

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Taglines:

Take a Ride on the Wild Side.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language, sensuality and brief violence

Details

Official Sites:

20th Century Fox [United States] Official site [Brazil]

Country:

USA France

Language:

English Portuguese Spanish

Release Date:

6 October 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

New York Taxi

Filming Locations:

23rd St. & Madison Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,029,832, 10 October 2004, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$36,611,066

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$68,895,435

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox,EuropaCorp,Robert Simonds Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min 104 min (extended)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

WILHELM SCREAM: When the red BMW drives down the sidewalk.

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Goofs

When the New Jersey license plates are revealed, there are no registration stickers on the plates, yet in a following scene, the registration sticker is on the upper right corner of the plate.

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Quotes

Washburn: Didn't see my nads, did ya?

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Crazy Credits

Outtakes are shown during the closing credits

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Liam Neeson/Terry Gilliam/Tim McGraw (2014)

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Soundtracks

Pass the Courvoisier (Part II)
Written by Trevor Smith, Jermaine Denny, Bernard Edwards, Q-Tip (as Kamaal Fareed), Chad Hugo, James Jackson, Dominick Lamb, Sandy Linzer, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Denny Randell, Nile Rodgers, Malik Taylor, Mystikal (as Michael Tyler), Pharrell Williams and Jamal Woolard
Performed by Busta Rhymes
Courtesy of J Records
(Contains re-sung elements from "Rapper's Delight"- written by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers; "Scenario" - written by K. Fareed, B. Higgins, J. Jackson, A.S. Muhammad, T. Smith and M. Taylor; "Shake Ya Ass" - written by C. Hugo, M. Tyler and P. Williams; and a sample from "Easy Come, Easy Go", written by Sandy Linzer (as S. Linzer) and Denny Randell (as D. Randell)
Performed by Odyssey
Courtesy of RCA Records Label, a unit of BMG
Under license from BMG Film & TV Music).

User Reviews

Off duty!

Unfortunately, this was a film that looked better in the trailers when the film was being promoted, prior to its commercial release. We just caught with it thanks to a borrowed DVD and we are so happy we didn't have to pay to watch this "masterpiece".

The film, directed by Tim Story, is a rip off. It is loosely based on much better French comedies created by Luc Besson. This one here gives credit to Ben Garant as its writer.

"Taxi" is an exercise in how not to make movies. The casting of Jimmy Fallon for the main role was a poor judgment by whoever decided to give the comedian this plum job; he is not even funny! The opening sequence involving the undercover operation where Washburn fakes to be a Cuban mafioso, shows that Mr. Fallon needs to reconsider future appearances in films.

Queen Latifah, a charismatic performer, is handicapped having to act next to an inane actor that ruins some of her best moments in the movie. Ann Margaret must have been feeling desperate when she agreed to appear in this film as the lush mother of Washburn, but on second thought, it makes perfect sense that with a son like him, drinking is the only way this woman can go through life.

Watch it at your own risk!