Rush Hour (1998)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Brett Ratner

Writers (WGA):

Ross LaManna (story)
Jim Kouf (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

18 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Thriller | Crime

Tagline:

Two cops. One is all talk. The other is all action.

Plot:

Two cops team up to get back a kidnapped daughter.

Plot Keywords:

Detective | FBI | Friend | Trust | Racial Slur

Awards:

6 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Ken Leung	...	Sang
Jackie Chan	...	Chief Inspector Lee
Tom Wilkinson	...	Thomas Griffin / Juntao
Tzi Ma	...	Consul Han
Robert Littman	...	First Caucasian
Michael Chow	...	Diner Guest
Julia Hsu	...	Soo Yung
Chris Tucker	...	Detective James Carter
Chris Penn	...	Clive Cod
Kai Lennox	...	Cop at Diner
Larry Sullivan	...	Cop at Diner (as Larry Sullivan Jr.)
Yang Lin	...	Consul Secretary (as Yan Ling)
Roger Fan	...	Soo Yung's Bodyguard
George Cheung	...	Soo Yung's Driver
Lucy Lin	...	Exposition Official

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sequences of action/violence and shootings, and for language.

Runtime:

98 min | Spain:93 min (DVD edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Ireland:15 | Malaysia:U | Iceland:12 | South Korea:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Mexico:B | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

Martin Lawrence was the original choice for Carter.

Goofs:

Continuity: The ransomer clearly demanded a combination of $10, $20, and $50 bills. Later, when the case of money bursts open and Carter is lying on the floor, we see him surrounded by $5 bills. (The fact that the ransom demand was increased shouldn't be relevant here, since the demands made for $50M would also apply at $70M.)

Quotes:

Carter: That's why I don't have no partner, that's one thing I learned from my daddy.
Lee: Your father was a policeman?
Carter: Fifteen years LAPD.
Lee: My daddy also a policeman.
Carter: Your daddy was a cop?
Lee: Not a cop, an officer, a legend all over Hong Kong.
Carter: My daddy a legend too all over America. My daddy once arrested fifteen people in one night by himself.
Lee: My daddy arrested 25 by himself.
Carter: ...My daddy once saved five crackheads from a burnin' building, by himself.
Lee: My daddy once caught a bullet with his bare hand.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Shooting the Police: Cops on Film (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

War

Chris Tucker at his best!

Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, the best comedic duo since Lethal Weapon bring us Rush Hour. A classic action movie that brings great action as well as awesome comedy that makes you laugh every minute. Chris Tucker has always been one of my favorite comedians, even before I saw Rush Hour, so it was great to see him in Rush Hour. I know a lot of people find him annoying, but I thought he was just so funny. He showed off his talents in Rush Hour. Not only him, but this is the film that is making Jackie Chan into a world wide super star. His stunts are simply incredible. Rush Hour is one of those very fun action/comedy movies that I'm sure you'll enjoy if you love movies like Lethal Weapon or 48 Hours. The story was just pure entertainment and really kept me on the edge.

Lee is a body guard to the Chinese ambassador and is also a close friend, he also is a teacher to his daughter, Soo Yong. The ambassador goes to the United States with his daughter, but she is kidnapped by an evil man of the Chinese Consol. They want 50 million dollars in return, but the ambassador thinks that Lee should be involved, so he sends for him, but the F.B.I. doesn't want him near the case. So they hire L.A.P.D. screw up, James Carter, to babysit him. But together, the fastest hands in the east meets the fastest mouth in the west, they must learn to work together despite their complete opposite personalities and get the girl back.

Rush Hour is a guaranteed classic down the lines somewhere, I'm sure. It's already spawned a sequel and it's been a success. Chris and Jackie are such a great team, I was really impressed with their chemistry. My favorite scene is where Lee plays "War" by Edwin Starr in Carter's car, and he doesn't know how to say the lyrics correctly, and Carter shows him some moves, it was such a classic scene that brought me down to the floor laughing. I highly recommend Rush Hour, it's all in good fun and it'll give you more than a few good laughs.

8/10