Rush Hour (1998)

reviewed by
John Smyth


RUSH HOUR (1998)
Rating: *** out of ******
Review of Film
http://www.reviewfilm.com

As the outgoing Hong Kong chief of police, Han (Tzi Ma) celebrates his appointment as Chinese consul to the United States, his most trusted detective, Lee (Jackie Chan), leads a raid against a top crime boss, Juntao. The raid is successful but the crime leader escapes. Meanwhile, Los Angeles police detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) is in trouble. Though he successfully apprehended Clive (Chris Penn), a dealer illegally selling explosives, he managed to cause an explosion, and his captain is about to suspend him.

Soon after Han arrives in Los Angeles, his daughter is kidnapped in a violent ambush. The FBI takes charge of the investigation, and is not happy to hear that Han has asked his friend Lee to fly to the States to help with the investigation. They resolve to ensure that Lee is kept well away from the investigation, and ask the LAPD to supply a detective to act as a nursemaid for Lee - Carter gets the job (thinking he has been promoted to the FBI).

The reason people go to see movies with Jackie Chan is neither to see subtle character studies or hear reams of dialogue. No, the reason people pay to see Jackie Chan movies is to see Jackie do his martial arts thing. Chan's movies usually thin on plot but compensate with spectacular stunt work and martial arts skills. Chan plans and executes most of the stunts, which are generally breath taking and done with a great deal of humour and skill. I have to confess to having a soft spot for Jackie Chan - his movies hark back to a time when actors such as Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin invented exciting and complex stunts and didn't use doubles for the dangerous stunts. Chan's Hong Kong movies have had a cheap and cheerful feel to them, and he has yet to make a breakthrough in the English-speaking market, particularly the United States.

The decision to put Chan with brash, wisecracking comedian Chris Tucker seems to be a good idea - let Tucker do the talking and let Chan do the high kicking. Alas, there is far too much talking. Tucker made his mark in The Fifth Element as the voluble DJ with the outrageous coiffure who helped Bruce Willis save the universe, and followed it up with a small role in Jackie Brown. He gets far more screentime in Rush Hour but he doesn't seem to know what to do with it. It becomes obvious after a few scenes that Tucker hasn't much to say, and his allegedly comic presence soon becomes tiresome. He seems content to pass off a tired pastiche of Eddie Murphy (circa 48 Hours and Beverly Hills Cop) rather than carve out a distinct persona of his own. Unfortunately, Tucker's prominence means there is less of Chan and his acrobatic antics. The action sequences that do appear are strangely subdued, and are not exactly awe-inspiring.

All in all, this film is incredibly pedestrian - it certainly doesn't capture Chan at his best, and it proves that too much of Chris Tucker is definitely not a good thing. You would be much better served by renting a video of Supercop(1996), which stars Chan and Michelle Yeoh (of Tomorrow Never Dies fame) - it is much more fun.

(c) Review of Film 1999


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