Before there was Fast and Furious, there was Taxi, a cool French action-comedy full of exciting chase scenes. And when I say exciting, I really do mean exciting. Mostly because these were still the nineties and some of the stunts here look really dangerous. However, exactly that’s what’s making them so much fun. It’s based on a script written by Luc Besson and no matter what you think about him, he knew how to write a fucking movie.
Taxi opens with a crazy scene where a pizza delivery guy is weaving through heavy traffic on a scooter. A freaking scooter! After a bit of exposition, we’re back in the thick of it with another exciting race to the airport. This recipe continues throughout the movie, making it this tasty and delicious adrenaline-fueled cake. This means there will be a lot of car porn. In case you were wondering what kind of car Daniel drive, it’s a custom 1997 Peugeot 406.
Over the last several decades we’ve seen a lot of similar movies featuring this recipe. Luc just updated to today’s standards. Well, nineties standards to be more precise. After a huge success both at home and abroad, Taxi spawned no less than four sequels, a television show, a spin-off and an American remake starring Queen Latifah. The formula simply works, as demonstrated by the F&F franchise. I would also like to mention CHIPS, as another fun movie full of chase scenes.
Daniel is a charming young man who knows how to drive really well. He decides to put that knowledge to some good use and becomes a taxi driver. At the same time, Emilian and the rest of the police are having trouble catching a gang of criminals stealing shit all over Paris. Fate will put these two men on a collision course same as most of the cars who find themselves in their way.
Apart from excellent action sequences, Taxi also features a well-written and genuinely funny script. A script delivered by a great young and attractive cast. You’ll probably recognize Marion Cotillard, but we also have Frédéric Diefenthal and Samy Naceri. Although, since I saw this movie in my late teens, the biggest impression on me left Emma Wiklund as Petra, Emilian’s boss.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention the whole buddy cop angle, romance and bank robberies. It’s that type of movie, featuring a lot of different elements that fit so well together. Finally, if you’re looking for similar French movies, check out Banlieue 13. Although it’s not about cars but parkour, it’s still a lot of fun. Plus, you can always check out our Subversive Rabbit selection of movies about driving.
Director: Gérard Pirès
Writer: Luc Besson
Cast: Samy Naceri, Frédéric Diefenthal, Marion Cotillard, Emma Wiklund, Bernard Farcy, Edouard Montoute
Fun Facts: More than a 100 cars were used during the production.
Rating:
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0152930/
