Chris Tucker has been a funny guy for most of his life since finding out the power that comedy has when it’s used in a way that attracts people and grabs at their attention. Throughout his career as a stand-up comedian and then and then as an actor he’s been seen to use his funnier side to great effect and become known for his big mouth and loud demeanor. He’s been in other films however where his comedy has been toned down to almost nothing and he’s been able to put on a dramatic persona, which has been great to be honest since it shows a side of him that you don’t see all that often. The fact that he can play more than just the funny man is awesome since it helps validate him as more than just a comedian and elevates his status to something more than just a one-trick pony, proving that he’s a great actor.
Here are some of his best movies.
5. Money Talks
When his character, who’s a con man that runs his business out of and through a car wash/detailing establishment is busted for his crimes he’s sent to prison and subsequently handcuffed to a truly despicable criminal who is then busted out in transit by his associates. Being cuffed to the man Tucker has no choice but to listen in as the man and his accomplice talk about how they’re going to find a fortune in diamonds that’s been hidden away. From that point on Tucker has to find the reporter that sent him to jail in order to find the diamonds and stop the thieves before they can find and kill them both.
4. Silver Linings Playbook
He’s still pretty funny but way more subdued in this film since he plays the friend of the main character that was just released from a psychiatric care facility and is trying to get out before he’s allowed to do so. When he finally does get out however he helps his friend Pat finally learn how to talk to Tiffany, his dance partner, and to actually function as a human being. While they’re both emotionally unstable and not all right upstairs at times Tucker’s character acts as a nice balance to Cooper’s rather manic character and also serves as the best friend/conscience that helps to put him in the right frame of mind.
3. The Fifth Element
Ruby Rod is really ridiculous. Say that five times fast as you can. He does add a lot of flair to the movie but the manner in which he’s introduced and then allowed to traipse through the main part of the story made no sense to some people, but it was the kind of comic relief that kept this movie light and airy enough to be called a favorite of many. Corbin and Leeloo were great, but they needed someone else there to kind of balance out the seriousness of the situation, and Tucker did a great job since his presence wasn’t just annoying, it was so out of control that you actually wanted him to continue, otherwise it would have left a serious gap in the movie.
2. Friday
Go on and admit it, a lot of us have had friends like Smokey that we’d love to smack upside the head a few times to see if it would help their way of thinking. But beyond that Smokey was one of the best parts of the movie since he was the carefree individual that did what he wanted to do and worried about the consequences later. Of course when he was ripping off a noted drug dealer he got himself and Craig into a heap of trouble that escalated into a drive-by that had them running for their lives. The only reason that Smokey never came back into the picture however was that Tucker became a born-again Christian.
1. Rush Hour
Pitting Tucker with Jackie Chan seemed like an odd decision at first, but when the two of them really got going it proved to be one of the best things that could have ever happened since the dynamic between them was seriously impressive, not to mention fluid enough that they looked like they’d been working together for years. The biggest mouth in the west meeting the fastest hands in the east, or so it was proclaimed, was a hit that went on to inspire two more movies that, unfortunately, didn’t really live up to the hype of the first one but were still enjoyable all the same. Id nothing else Tucker and Chan seemed to have a good time on the set and turned in a great performance.
Having a big mouth and being able to use it to great effect is, in some cases, a rather annoying trait for someone to have. But for Chris Tucker it’s how he’s made a living for so long, and the reason that many people absolutely love to watch him.
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