Taxi
      remake
      one
      dull
      ride
     
     
      Film
      not
      worth
      the
      time
      or
     
     
      effort
     
    
   
   
    
     
      EDMONTON
      (CUP)
      --
      Sometimes
      movie
      stars
      can
      make
      giant
     
     
      asses
      of
      themselves.
      Otherwise
      decent
      performers
      are
      thrown
      into
      movies
     
     
      with
      half-finished
      scripts
      while
      studios
      hope
      that
      their
      stars'
      talent
      for
     
     
      "daring"
      improv
      will
      add
      hilarity
      that
      isn't
      in
      the
      story.
      Take,
      for
      instance,
     
     
      Queen
      Latifah
      and
      Jimmy
      Fallon
      in
      Taxi.
     
    

    
     
      Taxi
      is
      a
      remake
      of
      the
      1998
      French
      film
      of
      the
      same
      name,
      which
     
     
      was
      produced
      and
      written
      by
      Fifth
      Element
      creator
      Luc
      Besson.
      The
      film
     
     
      was
      an
      enjoyable
      little
      popcorn
      flick
      that
      revelled
      in
      its
      own
      stupidity
      and
     
     
      had
      more
      than
      a
      few
      spectacular
      action
      sequences.
      The
      American
      remake,
     
     
      on
      the
      other
      hand,
      takes
      itself
      too
      seriously
      and
      relies
      solely
      on
      humour
     
     
      that
      simply
      isn't
      there.
     
    

    
     
      The
      story
      features
      Belle
      (Queen
      Latifah),
      a
      bike
      courier
      who
      has
     
     
      saved
      enough
      money
      to
      move
      up
      to
      the
      level
      of
      taxicab
      driver.
      Washburn
     
     
      (Jimmy
      Fallon)
      is
      a
      screw-up
      cop
      with
      his
      heart
      in
      the
      right
      place
      and
      an
     
     
      insurmountable
      fear
      of
      driving.
      After
      he
      gets
      his
      driver's
      license
      taken
     
     
      away,
      Washburn
      and
      Belle
      team
      up
      to
      take
      out
      a
      band
      of
      supermodel
      bank
     
     
      robbers
      in
      Belle's
      tricked-out
      cab.
     
    

    
     
      If
      this
      sounds
      dumb,
      that's
      because
      it
      is.
      The
      point
      of
      the
      plot
      is
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      segue
      into
      the
      daring
      eye
      candy
      of
      the
      driving
      sequences
      and
      the
      humor-
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ous
      interplay
      between
      the
      characters.
      Unfortunately,
      this
      "humorous
      inter-
     
     
      play"
      is
      painfully
      absent.
      The
      jokes
      are
      too
      often
      based
      on
      something
      fun-
     
     
      damentally
      unfunny
      --
      take
      the
      gag
      that
      Washburn's
      mother
      is
      a
      lush.
     
     
      Frequently,
      the
      character
      interaction
      will
      drag
      on,
      leaving
      an
      awkward
     
     
      and
      unsettling
      feeling
      instead
      of
      laughter.
      One
      part
      in
      particular,
      where
     
     
      Belle
      is
      teaching
      Washburn
      to
      drive
      by
      making
      him
      sing
      songs
      he
      loved
     
     
      as
      a
      child,
      is
      particularly
      excruciating.
     
    

    
     
      The
      action
      scenes
      fare
      better,
      but
      are
      nothing
      exceptional.
      While
     
     
      the
      daring
      car
      chases
      through
      the
      tight
      streets
      of
      New
      York
      City
      are
     
     
      decently
      exciting,
      they
      aren't
      strong
      enough
      to
      hold
      up
      the
      rest
      of
      the
      film.
     
     
      If
      you
      simply
      want
      to
      look
      at
      exciting
      car
      crashes,
      you'd
      be
      better
      off
      rent-
     
     
      ing
      The
      Matrix:
      Reloaded,
      Bad
      Boys
      2,
      or,
      if
      you're
      desperate,
      The
      Fast
     
     
      and
      the
      Furious
      --
      movies
      whose
      directors
      obviously
      spent
      more
      time
      and
     
     
      effort
      crafting
      their
      car
      chase
      centrepieces.
     
    

    
     
      From
      tepid
      humour
      to
      average
      action,
      Taxi
      always
      feels
      like
      it's
     
     
      holding
      back
      --
      it's
      a
      censored
      version
      of
      itself.
      If
      you've
      seen
      the
      trailer,
     
     
      there's
      a
      scene
      where
      Queen
      Latifah
      says,
      "Buckle
      up
      for
      safety,
      mother
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .."
      with
      the
      trailer
      cutting
      away,
      implying
      that
      her
      line's
      R-rated
      conclu-—
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sion
      will
      be
      in
      the
      film.
      However,
      the
      film
      plays
      the
      scene
      just
      as
      it
      was
     
     
      in
      the
      commercial.
     
    

    
     
      Not
      that
      Taxi
      could've
     
     
      been
      saved
      with
      four-letter
     
     
      words,
      but
      the
      result
      is
      a
      movie}
     
     
      that
      feels
      like
      a
      castrated
      version
     
     
      of
      an
      enjoyable
      film.
      And
      whe
     
     
      the
      original
      wasn't
      even
      a
      cine-
     
     
      matic
      masterpiece
      itself,
      Taxi's
     
     
      one
      dull
      ride.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Canadian
      University
      Press
     
     
      Newswire
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Notice
      of
      Motion
      to
      Amend
      The
      Constitution
     
     
      a
      ae
     
     
      January
      17,
      2003
     
     
      Article
      7
      -
      d.
      Executive
      Committee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Was:
     
     
      d.
      The
      term
      of
      office
      for
      the
      members
      of
      the
      Executive
      Committee
     
     
      shall
      be
      from
      May
      Ist
      to
      April
      30th.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Amend:
     
    

    
     
      d.
      The
      term
      of
      office
      for
      the
      members
      of
      the
      Executive
      Committee
     
     
      shall
      be
      from
      May
      Ist
      to
      May
      31st
      of
      the
      following
      year.
      (To
      allow
      time
     
     
      for
      the
      incoming
      Executive
      to
      work
      with
      the
      outgoing
      executive).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Article
      I]
      -
      b
      -
      2
      Amendments
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Was:
     
    

    
     
      z
      To
      all
      members
      of
      the
      Association,
      by
      publishing
      the-proposed
     
     
      amendment
      in
      the
      Netted
      Gem,
      at
      least
      fourteen
      days
      prior
      to
      the
      General
     
     
      Assembly
      vote.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Amend:
     
    

    
     
      me
      To
      all
      members
      of
      the
      Association,
      by
      publishing
      the
      proposed
     
     
      amendment
      in
      the
      school
      news
      paper,
      at
      least
      fourteen
      days
      prior
      to
      the
     
     
      General
      Assembly
      vote.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      NOTICE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      of
      September
      1,
      2004
      MAPUS
      fees
      for
      part-time
      students
      have
      been
     
     
      increased
      to
      $10.00
      per
      course
      per
      semester
      to
      a
      maximum
      of
      $20.00.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      IN
      MMILGsdiecaonacumete
      ee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ure,
      which
      benefit
      can-
      Queer
      McGill
      sent
      10
     
     
      irch.
      people
      to
      the
      walk,
      and
      has
      so
     
     
      is
      always
      difficult
      for
      us
      far
      raised
      $400
      to
      be
      donated
      to
     
     
      it
      people.
      People
      are
      AIDS
      Community
      Care
     
     
      een
      all
      these
      different
      Montréal.
     
    

    
     
      said
      Taillefer.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      rease
      in
      participation
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      kend,
      the
      UPEI
      men's
      volleyball
      travelled
      to
      Fredericton
     
     
      e
      in
      a
      double-header
      against
      STU.
      The
      boys
      played
      well
     
     
      eir
      first
      two
      matches
      of
      the
      year,
      finishing
      with
      a
     
     
      rd.
      This
      weekend
      the
      boys
      play
      in
      another
      double-header,
     
     
      :
      against
      UNBSJ,
      at
      the
      Chi-Wan
      Young
      Sports
      Centre
      in
     
     
      ld
      possibly
      be
      the
      only
      home
      matches
      of
      the
      season
      for
     
     
      lling
      team.
      Come
      out
      and
      catch
      some
      of
      the
      best
      volley-
     
     
      n
      in
      the
      region.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      age
      17
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      October
      12,
      20