The first Rush Hour is one of the most forgettable action comedies ever made. But it was an enjoyable collision of flashy hands (Chan) and motor mouth (Tucker) that made a fortune at the box office. So here we are again. This time we start out in Hong Kong, where L.A. cop Carter (Tucker) has gone on vacation to visit his buddy detective Lee (Chan). Of course, they're soon caught up in an international conspiracy involving a Chinese gang lord (Lone), a ruthless hitwoman (Zhang), an American billionaire (King) and a seductive U.S. agent (Sanchez). The case takes them to Los Angeles and then Las Vegas for increasing action and mayhem.

From the limp opening, with jokes that fall flat and a half-hearted action sequence on a bamboo scaffold, the film takes its time building up steam, only arriving in full-energy mode in time for the big finale. Everything shudders to a halt frequently in order to set up and explain the plot's convolutions, which aren't as complicated as they want to be. When the film finally gets going, the humour is quite funny and smart. But action-wise, there are only a few good bits. Nothing's very exciting until the terrific final casino sequence, which shifts gears several times surprising us with its inventiveness. The film badly needs more of this! This results in a feeling that everything has been, erm, rushed and underused--from Hong Kong itself to the considerable skills of Zhang (Crouching Tiger). Sure, Tucker is still very funny and completely over the top as the comic foil for Chan's impressive and ingenious chop socky. There's a definite chemistry between them that keeps us smiling. But even here, it isn't until the hilarious outtakes in the closing credits that we really warm to them. As for the rest of the film, I've forgotten it already. When does Rush Hour 3 open?

action, violence

30.Jul.01

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