Tucker shines in otherwise empty 'Talk'

"Check it out! I'm the best thing that could have happened to 'Money Talks.'"

Critics have already begun calling Chris Tucker, the comedian who wowed audiences in "Friday" and "The Fifth Element," the next Eddie Murphy. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that in his first leading role, Tucker stars in a movie that is strangely similar to Murphy's hit "Beverly Hills Cop" series.

"Money Talks" is a comedy thriller that brings together Tucker and Charlie Sheen in the same fashion as the stars of "48 HRS" (another Murphy hit) and "Lethal Weapon." Tucker is a fast-talking, wisecrack-firing con-artist who, by circumstance, gets paired up with an intense, strictly-business television reporter.

Tucker plays Franklin Hatchett, a small-time crook whose specialty is scalping basketball tickets in the heart of Los Angeles. He gets sent to jail because of James Russell (Sheen), an ambitious reporter who sets him up so that he can get busted on camera.

REVIEW
	Money Talks 3 stars At Showcase

While being transported, Hatchett is cuffed to a laconic French diamond smuggler named Villard (Gerard Ismael). Villard escapes during a planned prison break involving explosions and helicopters, taking Hatchett along for the ride.

By the time Hatchett escapes from Villard and his cronies, he has gained knowledge of where Villard's stash of diamonds is, and he is being chased by the police who believe he is the one who orchestrated the escape.

Hatchett goes to Russell for help, who gladly accepts the fugitive and the chance for a career-boosting exclusive interview. Soon both men are being chased by the police and a group of angry, cutthroat diamond thieves.

It soon becomes obvious that the best thing about "Money Talks" is Tucker. His quirky performance does not disappoint fans, as most of the laughs in the movie involve him. He can easily go from boasting that he enjoys killing for fun in one moment, to screaming like a young sorority girl in a USA Up-All-Night horror film in the next. His style of throwing out amusing wisecracks at every possible opportunity is very much like Murphy's.

Other comedic highlights include a hilarious bidding scene at an automobile auction involving violent hand gestures, and a rehearsal dinner for Russell and his beautiful bride-to-be (Heather Locklear) in which Hatchett toasts the couple by quoting Barry White.

Otherwise, the movie is predictable with a choppy and uneven pace. There are times when the movie focuses on being a comedy and times when the movie focuses on being a bullet-ridden, charged action movie, but director Brett Ratner switches gears too erratically for the film to flow well.

Furthermore, Sheen's straight man is a little too serious and flat for him to be much more than dead weight for the movie. Sheen pretty much fades into the background, which is unfortunate because we've come to expect much more from this quality actor.

For all the ridiculous plot turns and the lack of plausibility that threaten to bomb this movie, "Money Talks" does deliver cheap laughs by way of Tucker. Perhaps this is the perfect vehicle to launch a talented young comedian's career - an asinine, mediocre movie that allows a star to shine. Nevertheless, "Money Talks" gives audiences a fairly good time and a look at an actor who is on his way to the top.

09-03-97