Review of Rush Hour 2 (2001) by Ben L — 30 Jan 2012

The Rush Hour movies are easy for people to hate. Some people find Chris Tucker annoying, and Jackie Chan's style of fighting can be an acquired taste as well. Yet, apparently I fall in the target audience because I find both of these elements entertaining. Then you combine the two and you have something really unique. I'm actually surprised that these two actors work so well together on the screen because it seems like the oddest couple imaginable.

This sequel perfectly follows in the footsteps of the first film. The story is very reminiscent of the first, but adds a great fish-out-of-water section as Carter ineptly tries to navigate Hong Kong. Unfortunately that element only makes up about half of the film, then they return to the states. Of course Chris Tucker in a casino is almost as entertaining, so you don't lose much of the funny. The fight scenes are as crazy as always in a Jackie Chan film, but that doesn't stop them from being really entertaining to watch.

The big problem with this movie is the storyline. It just doesn't make any sense (and, no, I'm not talking about Jackie fighting the same 6 guys every scene.) I could site half a dozen examples off the top of my head, but I'm afraid I might actually get dumber if I waste brain cells trying to figure out the plot at all. However, these movies aren't about a good plot, are they? The Rush Hour series is about silly laughs and improbable fight scenes, and this movie provides both of those in spades.