October 6, 1998

Brandon Padgett
Online Editor

Rush Hour
Chalet Theater

New Line Cinema follows up on the success of “Blade” with the comedic action-thriller“Rush Hour.”

Combining the talents of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, “Rush Hour” breaks through post-summer drivel to deliver blockbuster-sized fun.

Although it’s not a typical role for either actor, fans of both stars will be pleased with the collaboration.

Garnering a PG-13 rating, the in-your-face action and comedy are toned down a bit; however, “Rush Hour” manages to supply enough of Tucker’s lively comedy and Chan’s stunt-fest action.

The user-friendly rating made for big bucks as “Rush Hour” pulled in over $33 million in its opening weekend, making it the number one movie in the country.

The adventure begins as Detective Lee (Jackie Chan) is called in by the Chinese consul-general for Los Angeles (Tzi Ma) to aid in the recovery of his kidnapped daughter (Julia Hsu).

In typical Hollywood fashion, the FBI lends itself nicely to the plot of this action-thriller. To placate their egos, they attempt to remove Lee from the situation by requesting the aid of the LAPD. Enter Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker).

Carter is considered the proverbial loose cannon that is prevalent in every cop movie.   After demolishing a city block in an arms deal gone bad, Carter is assigned the “special” case of baby-sitting Lee.  Let the good times roll.

In their first encounter, Lee pretends not to speak English while Carter rambles on about the raw deal assignment given to him.  After Lee has demonstrated his English comprehension, he attempts to escape from Carter to begin searching for his friend’s daughter.  What follows is an assault on the funny bone.

Carter and Lee’s relationship cements itself in a series of life-saving incidents and a bonding session in which they compare stories about their fathers; both cops killed in the line of duty.

During  a Chinatown stakeout, Lee breaks into a rendition of Edwin Starr’s 1970 hit “War.”  Throw in Carter’s dancing, and you get an instant classic.

Director Brett Ratner’s decision to let Jackie Chan downplay his character in relation to Tucker’s loud detective results in a terrific interplay and subtle character development.

Typical of every Jackie Chan film, the outtakes at the end of the movie shed some light on the fun and danger involved in working in a Jackie Chan movie. They also make up some of the funniest moments of the movie.

Just another hit for Chan, “Rush Hour” might be the platform Tucker needs to catapult himself into stardom.

Even though “Rush Hour” follows the action-thriller formula, Chan and Tucker’s sheer creativity shines through and makes “Rush Hour” a must see.

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