“Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?” —James Carter
Today’s quick review: Rush Hour. When Soo Yung, the 11-year-old daughter of a Chinese diplomat, is kidnapped in Los Angeles, Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan), a personal friend of the girl, travels from Hong Kong to find her. James Carter (Chris Tucker), a loudmouthed local cop, is assigned to keep Lee away from the real investigation run by the FBI. But uncontent to sit on the sidelines, Lee and Carter decide to involve themselves in the investigation anyway.
Rush Hour is a buddy cop comedy starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. Jackie Chan plays Inspector Lee, a loyal and resourceful Hong Kong police officer who only cares about the missing girl. Chris Tucker plays James Carter, a shrill Los Angeles cop who only cares about himself. The two make a very effective comedy duo, with Lee’s focused approach to the investigation playing nicely off Carter’s more dynamic style.
Most of the comedy comes from these two strong personalities. Rush Hour is a culture clash movie at heart, with Lee emblematic of Chinese dedication and Carter of freewheeling American culture. Carter runs his mouth at every opportunity, a hilarious stream of banter that can border on the annoying for anyone unused to it. Lee and Carter trade off as the butt of jokes, and their moments of bonding and teamwork actually feel well-earned.
The action is a natural fusion of cop movie shootouts and martial arts fight scenes. Jackie Chan is as skillful as ever, unleashing a flurry of seemingly-improvised stunts to get the better of foes larger and more numerous than him. The fight scenes are not the main focus of the film, but they are well-choreographed, entertaining, and an excellent fit for the movie’s tone. There are few jaw-dropping stunts, but a fair number of impressive ones.
Watch Rush Hour if you are in the mood for a light action comedy with solid execution. No particular quality distinguishes Rush Hour from other entries in the genre, but the combination of humor, story, action, and heart make Rush Hour pleasant and enjoyable. Skip it if you are annoyed by Chris Tucker’s voice.
6.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for a good blend of comedy and action.