Taxi Blu-ray Review

4 Star High Revving, Tyre smoking, Robber Catching Fun.

This 1998 Luc Besson (The Fifth Element) creation takes us to Marseilles France. Directed by Gerard Pires (Sky Fighters), between them they created the start of a classic series of films and now a TV series. From the sun kissed streets of Marseilles we see a lot of tyre marks on the tarmac. Ace

Wake up and smell that high octane tyre squealing vulcanised rubber. Oh and don’t forget your sick bag.

We start the film behind a Pizza Joes’ delivery moped as it winds its way around cars and tight corners with sparks flying off the centre stand as the rider gets as low as possible to get the tightest line, it must be an important delivery. But suddenly the brakes are slammed on and the rider does a flip over the handle bars and lands gracefully on his feet as the button is pushed on a stop watch. A new record has been set and by the person who has handed in his resignation. Daniel the best rider Pizza Joe has ever had, a much loved employee by all and they show it with a large gathering followed by a drive-by of all the delivery personnel.

Daniel has had a dream to be a taxi driver and now his dreams can come true as he takes his girlfriend of two years Lily (Marion Cotillard, The Dark Knight Rises) to his place, a garage where his 1997 Peugeot 406 is kept, the love of his life except for Lily of course.

Daniel and Lily keep trying to get it on with each other but there is always an alarm going off that keeps them apart. The first is the morning when he has to go to the department to get all his papers for the taxi. But when he arrives he is told that he has to take a ticket, just as number 77 is called. It’s going to be a long day as Daniel pulls out ticket 247. Daniels first fare is a woman with shopping and the destination can be seen out of the back of his cab. Camille (Manuela Gourary, Paris 36) takes pity on Daniel. As the fare is so low, she makes him a sandwich and tells him that her son Emilien (Frederic Diefenthal, Savage Souls) works for IBM. As he sits in his cab eating the sandwich, a distraught businessman (Philippe du Janerand) throws his briefcase in through the window and says he has a flight in 25 minutes or he is dead. “Can you make it?” he says, stuffing a load of money in Daniels hand. So buckle up for the ride of your life time as the plain Peugeot 406 turns into a tuned V6 street racing machine. 14 minutes later he comes to a screeching halt at the terminal.

Camille lied to Daniel. Her son isn’t working for IBM but for the Marseilles police as a detective, but a bungling one that has aspirations for greater things especially, the Chief Inspector Petra (Emma Sjoberg, Big Kiss). But her boss, the Commissaire Gibert (Bernard Farcy, Brotherhood of the Wolf) has a major problem in the form of a gang of thieves that have been doing hiests all across Europe including Belgium, Italy, Germany and now France. These robbers announce where the robberies are going to take place and he has 3 days to stop this gang.

It is only when Camille gives Emilien Daniels card that things look up for Emilien and look very bad for Daniel, as Emilien has the power to take away Daniels licence for a very long time. They must work together to stop the Mercedes Gang and save his licence.

Ace fun for the petrol heads in the family, get set for a fast-paced cop show with guns, guys, gals and cars.

Available to Order Now on Blu-ray.