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Rush
Hour |
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review | awards | availability | |
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Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan hang in Rush Hour. |
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Year: |
1998 |
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Director: |
Brett
Ratner |
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Producer: |
Arthur Sarkissian, Roger
Birnbaum, Jonathan Glickman |
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Cast: |
Jackie
Chan, Chris Tucker, Tom Wilkinson, Chris Penn, Elizabeth
Pena, Philip Baker Hall, Tzi Ma, Julia Hsu, Ken Leung,
Ken Lo Wai-Kwong,
Christine Ng Wing-Mei
(cameo) |
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The
Skinny: |
Due to the unlikely pairing of Jackie Chan and Chris
Tucker, the original Rush Hour became the surprise
box office sensation of 1998. With its winning formula
of outrageous comedy, crackerjack martial arts, and
(can you believe it?) an absorbing plotline, Rush
Hour remains Jackie Chan's best American film to
date. Sorry Cannonball Run fans. |
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Review by
Calvin
McMillin: |
Though Rumble in the
Bronx is credited for Jackie Chan's reemergence
in the West, Rush Hour is the true breakthrough
crossover vehicle that finally won over American audiences.
And, unlike Rumble in the Bronx, this Brett Ratner-directed
movie is a polished, well-executed addition to the Jackie
Chan film library.
In the movie, Jackie Chan
returns to the familiar role of Hong Kong police officer.
As Inspector John Lee, Chan flies to Los Angeles to
help an old friend, Consul Han (Tzi Ma), recover his
kidnapped daughter Soo Yung (Julia Hsu). Well, the good
'ol boys from the FBI don't take to kindly to foreign
interference, but since they don't want to bother with
Lee themselves, they call in motormouth LAPD cop James
Carter (Chris Tucker) to keep tabs on Inspector Lee.
Of course, the two detectives become embroiled in a
heated clash of cultures with poor Chan serving once
again as the proverbial fish out of water. But with
Soo Yung's life in danger, the mismatched heroes must
join forces to catch the criminals responsible, trading
wisecracks and busting heads all the way to the film's
stellar finale.
After enduring below average
fare like Mr. Nice Guy, it's good to see a movie
in which Chan is backed up by a solid script and competent
actors. As a direct result, Rush Hour is hands
down one of the funniest films in the entire Jackie
Chan canon. Tucker and Chan have an undeniable chemistry
that allows the film to transcend the constraints of
the simple "buddy cop movie" formula. And
perhaps best of all, the film has an underlying message
about cross-cultural understanding just beneath its
comic exterior. Jackie Chan himself admitted that he
does not grasp much of the humor (or appeal, for that
matter) of the Rush Hour series, but since Chan's
a fan of physical comedy (Buster Keaton and Charlie
Chaplin are his heroes after all), his opinion is understandable.
In truth, Rush Hour relies far more on verbal
and situational humor than any movie Chan has ever done.
And so, along with other buddy cop flicks like 48
Hours and Lethal Weapon, the first Rush
Hour is a certified genre classic. (Calvin McMillin, 2002) |
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Awards: |
1999 MTV Movie Awards
• Best Onscreen
Duo (Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker)
1999 ALMA Awards
• Outstanding
Actress in a Feature Film (Elizabeth Pena)
1999 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
• Favorite
Duo (Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker)
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Availability: |
DVD (USA)
Region 1 NTSC
New Line Home Video
16x9 Anamorphic Widescreen
English Language
Dolby Digital 5.1
Behind the Scenes, Deleted Scenes, Trailers, and Music
Videos
Audio Commentary and Isolated Score |
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image
courtesy of New Line Cinema
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| LoveHKFilm.com
Copyright ©2002-2017 Ross Chen
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