Review of Rush Hour (1998) by Ben L — 02 Feb 2012

I wonder if even Brett Ratner was surprised at the success of this film. I doubt he expected to make a series out of it. Yet there is some kind of magic here. Maybe it's just the classic buddy cop thing brought back for a new generation. All I know for sure is that, although Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker teaming up sounds ridiculous on paper, but it seems to work on the screen.

Jackie brings the action. Now his action is a special style that some people don't enjoy, but I like it in small doses. The idea of using any object he can find as a tool while fighting is entertaining. Chris on the other hand brings the majority of the humor. Perhaps the funniest thing about Chris is the way that others react to his loud mouth. It can grate on the nerves pretty quickly, but in small doses it is quite funny.

I just get annoyed with the language. Call me a prude, but as a Christian I get irritated with all the cursing, especially when they are trying to use it for humor. Just not funny to me. Of course the story is ridiculous as well. The idea that anyone would let Chris Tucker anywhere near a criminal investigation is laughable. Rush Hour is a fun little odd couple action movie, as long as you can shut off your brain for a little while (and tolerate all the cursing.).