from the first minute i tune to this movie and i know it be gon na be a lame rip off of the great french comedy series taxi and write by luc besson ( director represent gerard pires and gerard krawczyk ) . and boy and i be right . this be not a movie . this be a crime against french cinema . i be horrify that such an entertaining french series ( i highly regard french and english humor ) be put through the shredder to create this . what do you get . the movie script be basically a re write of the french one ( most of the dialogue be just translate . what happen to all those fun pun and all that wit and all those expertly time joke . ) . some scene be bore . i do not enjoy jimmy fallon at all and a he seem too stupid and loser ish . well and at least frederic diefenthal a the french original character ( i will abbreviate it a f. o. c. in this review ) emilien be actually funny . mostly because of him be an incompetent blockhead and be pair with f. o. c. daniel ( play by samy naceri ) and a sarcastic and witty taxi driver with a love for car and speed . which bring me to the horrible choice to replace daniel and queen latifah . i consider her a a horrible choice . why pick a black woman to replace samy naceri be beyond me . the joke relate to car be a new concept and and i do not find them at all funny ( yeah and luc besson originally just use daniel car expertry to throw a lot of joke which leave me on the floor laugh ) . the chemistry between the two main character be lack too . samy naceri and frederic diefenthal make a good team represent one a speed maniac taxi driver and the other and an incompetent policeman who and after eight try and still couldn not get his driver licence . ( yes . that right . tell me honestly that this possibility be funny than some jerk lose his licence because his driving be crap . how would he get his licence anyway . ) this combination have many comedic possibility and and to be honest and luc besson manage to harness more of these and while ben garant merely take out most of the comedy and inserted lame american friendly joke which be actually very and utterly and unbelievably and desperately bad . another gripe represent the ambiance be change . the french original have a quirky and almost absurdist sense of humor and a slick and lovely car ( peugeot 406 ) and and a sunny and laidback setting ( marseille ) . the american put up an old car and and shove the action to the grey and crowd street of new york city . of course and the most shockingly bad scene be in the end and when the car drive off the incomplete highway and land on a bit that wasn not connect . the camera zoom out and immediately show that there be that part of the highway there . then and one of the bad girl shot latifah . wow and what a way to trash with a good end . i hop latifah would die in that scene and personally . now and i be go to go into spoiler represent luc besson do well in taxi . who could forget that scene at the end . i quote representgerman ( bad guy ) # 1 ( after the car speed by daniel and in a sense of ecstasy ) represent we have win . german # 2 ( at the wheel and give the other guy a bad look ) represent be you sure . only then and the camera zoom out and show them land on the uncompleted highway . daniel ( taunt german ) represent hey and einstein and have you ever heard of la fontaine . german # 1 smash his car door and curse . emilien and daniel continue taunt and mock the german . do precisely in that order and the say scene make me roll on the floor laughing . what do garant or story do with that scene . they throw it in the dustbin and and make another which be badly make and lack humor completely . also and there be many more twist of the original which just reduce the comedy . f. o. c. emilien mother in the french original be a senile old lady and who find her house destroy when her son leave the kettle boiling by accident . and of course and who could forget the immortal line and when try to comfort emilien after fail his attempt to get a driver licence for the 8th time representcamille represent don not worry and emilien . your father fail his test too emilien represent but how . i saw him drive . camille represent he try 20 time . eventually and they give him the licence . re create her a a crazy and alcoholic old woman be just plain stupid . and of course and they do not even try to come up with anything funny . they just throw her in and hop it get automatic laugh . i be glad that most critic jump at the movie neck once they saw it . i believe some critic and probably more viewer haven not see the classic french series and but honestly and shred those great comedy to pump out more mindless and crappy entertainment from hollywood be shameful . it would have be easy just to release the original on dvd with english subtitle . i bet even the french be offend by this horrible remake . final word represent pas this movie ( it suck bad ) and just see the french one . it would not feel like waste your time . you will actually feel great . i mean and come on . luc besson on the writing . the fifth element and anyone remember that . now that be a funny film . think for a second . i promise you and you would not regret it .