New Line Cinema, Rated PG-13
Directed by Brett Ratner
Written by Jim Kouf & Ross LaManna

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that a Jackie Chan-Chris Tucker screen pairing would sell movie tickets. Just not this many. Rush Hour recently had the highest grossing August-September-October weekend in history, as well as in the entire history of New Line Cinema. I too was looking forward to this film, but I left the theatre somewhat disappointed.
One would think that the movie, about Detective James Carter (Tucker) teaming up with Detective Inspector Lee (Chan) to investigate a kidnapping, would give equal time to both stars. However, this is mostly a Tucker-fest and he chews up the scenery as often as possible. In fact, Chan has stated that he once threw away the script, frustrated that he couldn't follow along with Tucker's countless ad-libs. Tucker is very funny in this movie, but a little of him goes a long way, as seen in The Fifth Element. Tucker shrieks every line, like Eddie Murphy on acid. Yet he seems to be gaining the kind of popularity Murphy had in the mid-'80s. I wasn't particularly interested in the fast mouth, just the fast hands, and Chan did have some opportunities to show off his great fighting moves. However, it seems like that received a fraction of the screen time Tucker's one-liners did.
The plot is almost negligible and what is there works, yet on Chan's end of things it's not enough. Only once does he have a truly great set-piece and death-defying stunt, and both of these are in the last 10 minutes of the movie. Still, both of them are charming which almost makes up for everything that's missing here. Almost. ** 1/2

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