THE AISLE SEAT - "RUSH HOUR"
by Mike McGranaghan
On the surface, there doesn't seem to be much that's new about Rush Hour. It's another action-comedy featuring mismatched partners who gain respect for one another after teaming up on a big case. Sure, it's been done a million times, but Rush Hour also proves that old formulas can be made fresh with a few good ideas. In this case, someone had the bright idea to cast martial arts superstar Jackie Chan with comedian Chris Tucker. Together, they make the movie jump.
Tucker plays James Carter, a member of the LAPD who is teetering close to suspension for his outrageous on-the-job antics. Meanwhile, the daughter of the Chinese consul is kidnapped in the United States. The consul insists that a detective from back home - family friend Detective Lee (Chan) - be flown in to find her. The FBI resents the notion of an outsider helping them, and calls the LAPD to see if someone will babysit the detective, making him think he's working on the case when he's really not. Carter is assigned to the task as punishment for his deeds, but he initially thinks he's part of a top-secret mission. Both Carter and Lee are furious when they discover that they've been duped and set out to find the girl on their own.
Of course, they don't always get along. Carter is loud-mouthed and showy, Lee is methodical and precise. When Lee turns Carter's car radio to a station playing the Beach Boys, Carter admonishes him: "Don't you ever touch a black man's radio!" What they do have in common is that both are good cops, even if their talents come in different ways. And, of course, they both love to get into the middle of a big action scene.
Story-wise, this is old hat, but I really liked the combination of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. I've been a die-hard Chan fan for a while now. I love his combination of fast, furious action mixed with comedy. This is Chan's first American film, but there is still plenty of his trademark martial arts action and over-the-top stuntwork. As in his Hong Kong films, Chan stages very elaborate fight scenes. When he inadvertently spouts a racial epithet in a pool hall, everyone in the place starts coming at him; Chan then uses all sorts of billiard equipment to defend himself. I never get bored with his action scenes because they're always so technically dazzling.
Tucker, meanwhile, is someone of whom I'm quickly becoming a big fan. The comedian gave a fantastically funny performance in last summer's otherwise-dreary comedy Money Talks, and he has been solidly amusing in films like Jackie Brown. Rush Hour really makes him a star, though. Tucker's work has often been compared to that of the early Eddie Murphy for the way he takes over a scene with his pointed, no-holds-barred humor. He has a force of personality that is very likable. I think he's hilarious, especially in a role like this, where he gets to play a wise-guy who spends most of his time showing off.
There's more to the plot of Rush Hour, but plot isn't the reason to see it. The chemistry between its stars is the real draw of the film. Both men are funny, both exceedingly charismatic. They play off one another with a rhythm that is fast, edgy, and usually fall-down funny. You can tell they're having a blast making this movie, and the fun translates to the audience.
(
out of four)
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