Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) and Detective Carter (Chris Tucker) are back in action in Paris. After Ambassador Han is almost assassinated, they need to protect Genevieve (Noémie Lenoir), a French woman who has a list of the Triads' leaders. Lee also has personal struggles with a Chinese-Japanese criminal mastermind named Kenji (Hiroyuki Sanada), who is also Lee's long-lost blood brother.
Their race will take them across the city, from the depths of the Paris underground to the breathtaking heights of the Eiffel Tower, as they fight to outrun the world's most deadly criminals and save the day. Of the three, this is the least well-received.
This film provides examples of:
- Action Girl: Soo-Yung seems to have Taken a Level in Badass after fighting the chinese hitman and kicking Jasmine in the elevator tower.
- All Part of the Show: The Triads attempt to kill Genevieve in her cover as a headliner/musician. When they shoot at her, the audience applaud at the gunplay and Lee and Carter escaping with Genevieve as it was revealed that Genevieve was put on a mafia inspired performance.
- Big Bad: Kenji, who is Lee's brother.
- Big Damn Heroes: George saves Lee, Carter, and Genevieve from Reynard by shooting him in the back.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Lee and Carter battle a very tall Chinese man, but they easily get beaten by him.
- Damsel in Distress: Soo-Yung gets kidnapped again, this time by Kenji tied to a rope and in the air. Also doubles as Badass in Distress after she Took a Level in Badass.
- Dragon Lady: Jasmine who is literally credited as "Dragon Lady".
- Foreign Cuss Word: When interrogating the French-speaking triad before Sister Agnes' arrival, the triad lets out a flurry of swear words in untranslated French, which doubles as a Bilingual Bonus for anyone familiar with the language.Je parle pas aux poulets moi ! J'emmerde les flics ! Je t'emmerde! note
- French Jerk: Commissaire Revi is very unpleasant towards Lee and Carter, such as giving them a cavity search, and trying to take credit for their heroism in the end.
- Living MacGuffin: Much of the plot is based on a search for "Shy Shen", a semi-mythical individual of great importance to the Triads, said to be hiding somewhere in Paris. Subverted when they later find information that the Shy Shen not a person, but a list of Triad leaders passed down by an informant... only to be subverted again when it turns out it's both: the list is tattooed on the back of said informant's head as part of an ancient Triad ritual.
- Ms. Fanservice: Genevieve wears a very beautiful dress, and also her attempted sex scene with Carter.
- Pain Mistaken for Sex: Lee and Carter sneak into a secret Triad casino looking for information, with Lee being led into an upstairs suite by a Dragon Lady promising him information... before then trying to assassinate him. Carter only catches a glimpse of Lee and an attractive woman heading into a bedroom together, and when he gets a moment to put his ear up to the door, he's assuming based off their noises that they're having some wild sex, rather than his partner literally fighting for his life.
- She Is All Grown Up: Both Lee and Carter are quite surprised seeing Soo Yung for the first time in several years, now that she isn't a child but portrayed by the gorgeous Zhang Jing-chu.
- Sword Fight: The film climaxes with a pretty epic one between Lee and Kenji, on the balconies of the Eiffel Tower a few hundred feet above solid ground. Ironically, Lee (the Chinese Jackie Chan) uses a katana for the duel, while Kenji (Japanese Hiroyuki Sanada) uses a jian instead.
- T-Word Euphemism: It turns out interrogating a suspect in front of a nun - serving as a French-to-English translator - is harder than it looks.
- Lee: [stopping Carter from cussing at the suspect, who just called Carter the N-word in French] Carter! She's a nun.
Carter: Sister, you tell this piece of S-word that I will personally F-word him up.
- Took a Level in Badass:
- Soo Yung displays martial arts skills that allow her to defend herself to some degree. She isn't quite on Lee's level and still gets kidnapped in the climax but is a step up from the helpless little girl from the first movie.
- Carter claims to have earned two black belts in Wushu. The climax shows that this is not empty bragging when he takes on Kenji's men without any help from Lee.
- Who's on First?: This was done in a dojo when Carter was speaking with Master Yu and Sifu Mi.Carter: Who are you?
Yu: Yu.
Carter: No, not me, you!
Yu: Yes, I am Yu.
Carter: Just answer the damn question! Who are you?
Yu: I have told you!
Carter: Are you deaf?
Yu: No, Yu is blind.
Carter: I'm not blind, you blind.
Yu: That is what I just said.
Carter: You just said what?Yu: I did not say "what", I said "Yu"!Carter: That's what I'm asking you!Yu: And Yu is answering!Carter: Shut up! (to Mi) You!Yu: Yes?Carter: Not you, him! What's your name, man?Mi: Mi.Carter: Yes, you!Mi: I am Mi.Yu: He's Mi, and I'm Yu. - Your Mom: During the interrogation scene, the suspect lets out one of these on Carter... in French. Which the nun, Sister Agnes, uncomfortably translated:Sister Agnes: He used the "N" word again, but this time he mentioned your grandmother.
Carter': You tell him, his mom is a h! note
