RUSH HOUR
A movie review by Joe Barlow
(c) Copyright 1998
STARRING: Chris Tucker, Jackie Chan, Tzi Ma DIRECTOR: Brett Ratner WRITER: Jim Kouf RATED: PG-13 (for adult language and violence) YEAR: 1998 SEEN AT: Park Place 16, Morrisville NC
RATING: *** 1/2 (out of a possible *****)
Let me get this off my chest before we go any further: I hate Chris Tucker. I mean it. I'd love nothing more than to wrap my hands around his goofy little neck and just SQUEEZE, giggling with maniacal laughter as his face contorts into an expression even more spastic than the one he usually wears. I'm not a violent person by nature, but there's just something about his "fingernails on a chalkboard" voice, coupled with his jittery "let me get right in your face" attitude, that grates on every fiber of my being.
By contrast, I adore Jackie Chan; his sunny screen personality and hilarious physical humor can win over even the most jaded critic. Rarely seen without his trademark grin, Chan is one of those rare celebrities (like Leslie Neilsen, during his heyday) whose mere appearance on the screen can cause you to smile: even if he's not doing anything funny, your face feels the need to prepare itself for the laughter it knows is forthcoming. Chan's secret: he plays UP to the audience, going so far as to perform all his own stunts because (as he claimed in a recent interview), "that's what the fans expect." Now THAT'S dedication to one's craft.
The pairing of these two vastly different comedians is an intriguing concept, one that could've succeeded brilliantly or failed miserably. Did director Brett Ratner channel Chan and Tucker's conflicting comedic styles into a coherent film? Happily, yes. "Rush Hour" is a wild ride, a pleasant, giddy marriage of mirth and action, with Chan's physical humor serving as a nice counterpoint to Tucker's loud, verbal comedy.
James Carter (Tucker) is a Los Angeles cop with a penchant for annoying his boss, his co-workers, and pretty much everyone else he encounters. After his latest undercover assignment ends in disaster, Carter's superiors are looking for an excuse to get him out of their hair for a while. Their chance arrives when the daughter of a wealthy Hong Kong politician is abducted. The politician, Mr. Han (Tzi Ma), distrusts the American law enforcement agencies and wishes to bring in one of his own men: Detective Lee (Chan). The American authorities instruct Carter and Lee to partner up, intending to keep the bumbling pair busy with grunt work, and thus out of the way of the "real" investigation. Our heroes, naturally, have other plans.
"Rush Hour" crackles with energy and spirit, and director Ratner extracts great performances from his two leads. Tucker is more restrained here than his hammy appearance in "The Fifth Element," but nowhere near the level of his fine (borderline serious) work in Tarantino's "Jackie Brown"; nonetheless, he's entertaining enough that I tended to find myself laughing rather than wincing. (Incidentally, Tucker gets the film's funniest line: after his supervisor angrily announces that Tucker's shenanigans have resulted in the destruction of police evidence, Tucker meekly retorts: "We still got a little bit left.") I think I know why he didn't really bother me this time around: he's playing a character who's SUPPOSED to be obnoxious and annoying, and he performs the role with gusto. I guess I only find him infuriating when he's injecting that kind of attitude into a part that doesn't really need it, such as his "Fifth Element" character.
Chan is also in top form: his stunts are as impressive as ever, though perhaps less frequent than we've come to expect (reportedly at his insurance company's insistence); still, what's here is wonderful. The two finest moments for me were the pool hall fight sequence, and the surrealistic art gallery battle. And yes, like all of Chan's films, we're treated to a hilarious collection of outtakes and bloopers at the end of the final reel.
One of the reasons "Rush Hour" is such marvelous fun is the fact that the film is steadfastly unconcerned with anything other than telling its story; therefore, it does so with great flourish. Granted, the plot is nothing new: we have two mismatched cops who intensely dislike each other, but must nonetheless work together to solve a case. Over the course of their investigation, each will naturally develop a mutual respect and admiration for the other. Toss in the standard "guess which of the good guys is really the villain" plot, as well as the cliched "kidnapped daughter" storyline. The final cherry on top: the mandatory scene in which someone has to decide which wire to cut in order to defuse a bomb, a scene we've witnessed in "Armageddon" and countless other action movies.
Is "Rush Hour" breathtakingly original? Hardly. Is it a whole lot of fun? Very much so. The laughs are frequent, the action is first-rate... and Jackie Chan's passionnate rendition of the '60s rock anthem "War" is worth the price of admission by itself.
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