Rush Hour (1998)
Director: Brett Ratner Cast: Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Tom Wilkinson, Elizabeth Pena, Tzi Ma, Julia Hsu Screenplay: Jim Kouf Producers: Roger Birnbaum, Jonathan Glickman, Arthur M. Sarkissian Runtime: 97 min. US Distribution: New Line Cinema Rated PG-13: action violence, language
By Nathaniel R. Atcheson (nate@pyramid.net)
It's hard to imagine sitting through anything starring Jackie Chan and not finding at least some kind of guilty enjoyment from the proceedings. This has happened recently, as American audiences have gotten some of his five-year old hits on the big screen. Some of his films are mediocre, and some of them are well-made fluff. Rush Hour is the first film I've seen of his (and I haven't seen a lot, so don't be too harsh on me) that actually strikes me as a film with a purpose. Sure, it's a buddy-cop movie in the spirit of Lethal Weapon, but it has all the components for a successful formula: big laughs and light action. It's a hugely appealing film, one that passes swiftly and leaves you feeling good.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that it also stars Chris Tucker. Lots of people hate Tucker; I'm not one of them. I did find him excessive and grating in The Fifth Element, but I've found him likable in the numerous interviews I've witnessed. And he made me laugh really hard in Rush Hour. Here you have a superb combination of comic elements -- Chan, with his goofy, brilliant physical comedy, and Tucker, with his obnoxious and perfectly-timed verbal comedy. Rush Hour works effortlessly as an elaborate canvas for two skilled comedic artists.
The story, however, is pretty dumb. I almost let it bother me, but the film is too skillfully executed to dislike. I've gotten used to the idea that most action films are required to have dumb stories, but that doesn't stop me from wishing otherwise. Tucker plays James Carter (why did they pick that name?), a loud-mouthed cop who makes you wonder how he ever got the job. A bunch of bad Chinese guys come to the states and kidnap a young girl named Soo Yung (Julia Hsu), daughter of the Chinese consul in the United States. Chan plays Chinese cop Lee, who comes in from China to help with the case.
When the FBI assumes control, and Carter is assigned to look after Lee, the two engage in a culture clash. It's a well-intentioned culture clash, with all kinds of nifty themes to keep the audience from getting too offended. Naturally, our two heroes have become good friends, and their main goal is to save Soo Yung. For some reason, despite their progress, the FBI doesn't want them helping, and they are forced to work alone on the case, which ends up a destructive endeavor. Overall, none of this is very important. My irritation with the banality of the story was fairly intense through half the film, but by the end, I was successfully diverted.
When you realize that the story is dumb and deserves no thought, it becomes clear that Rush Hour is composed of only a few prominent elements: the performances of the two leads, and the direction. Director Brett Ratner is best described as competent, for though he doesn't mess anything up and make the film needlessly confusing and tricky, he adds almost no interest to the story. It's paced well, which is a plus, but there's no style in his direction. It also would have been nice if he had been a little more consciousness of the silly story, rather than play it straight.
Nonetheless, Chan and Tucker are the stars, and they carry the mediocre script with ease. Chan is very funny when he's speaking English (the outtakes at the end are really entertaining), and though there aren't a lot of action sequences (the ones that are present are clearly present to showcase Chan's talents), he makes the best of all of his dialogue. He's just a likable guy to watch, and Rush Hour caters to that quality. Tucker, on the other hand, is a surprise: I expected him to be irritating, but he's not. He's funny, his lines are funny, the faces he makes are funny, and the way he uses his screeching-tires voice is funny.
And, because of these two talented men, Rush Hour is funny. It's a film that is everything it aspires to be; it doesn't skimp on the story and direction as much as it simply diminishes the importance of those elements. Let's face it: you're going to see this film to watch two comedians in action. And since these comedians are so good at what they do, there's basically no way you won't like the film. I certainly liked the film, and I approached it with a solid sense of uncertainty. Chan met my expectations, and Tucker exceeded them -- these two guys are worth watching in anything.
*** out of **** (7/10, B)
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Nathaniel R. Atcheson
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