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Review: Rush Hour 2
Even though it's only the second movie in the series, Chan and Chris Tucker have already achieved a lot of the chemistry that worked so well for Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in the Lethal Weapon series. Chan and Tucker don't act as well, and the plots and writing are weaker, but they're funnier, and Chan's martial arts tricks, gags and maneuvers are, as always, amazing. It was a nice touch to pair these two -- who do a non-stop series of black/Asian riffs on one another -- with Crouching Tiger's brooding and beautiful Zhang Ziyi.
This movie is neither balletic or inventive, but nobody expects it to be, and it makes no claims for itself that it doesn't fully deliver on, a rarity this summer. The movie is fast-paced and good-hearted. Tucker is a bit shrill, but he gets off a furious string of put-downs, double entendres and racial spoof lines, and plays well off of the good-natured Chan, who can kick-box 20 bad guys but can't yet say "Madison Square Garden" on the first take. The settings are neat too -- the movie skips from Hong Kong to L.A. to Las Vegas as Tucker and Chan track down one of the mysterious Hong Kong Triads - yes, they're in Lethal Weapon also -- bent on flooding the U.S. with counterfeit money.
The plot is even more ridiculous than the first Rush Hour but it doesn't matter. It's striking to see the impact Hong Kong cinema has had on American movies, from this comedy to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to The Matrix. Jackie Chan deserves a lot of the credit, bringing the genre to the attention of Hollywood studios and many moviegoers.
This is an honest Grade B comedy, playing off a few very good lines, lots of well-choreographed martial arts battles -- one goes up the side of a building under construction, another takes place in a steam bath with combatants clad only in towels. Chan and Tucker obviously have a lot of fun working together, and it comes through in the movie. There is always the sense of two cultures sparking off one another in funny ways, as Chan struggles to deal with hip-hop and Tucker mangles phrases from his Chinese-English dictionary.
Nobody will say this is a great movie, but it was plenty of fun. Chan's hilarious, self-mocking outtakes are, as always, well worth sticking around for. He brings the audience into the movie-making process in ways that are open and appreciated -- everybody in my theater stayed behind. He seems to be reminding us -- and maybe himself -- not to take things too seriously. CT Throwing in my 2 bits on this just because I can (complain all you want posters! I'm abusing my privilage!) I enjoyed the flick a lot. I walked in, and was entertained. Final Fantasy and Moulin Rouge were the last 2 movies that I can say that about. The action sequences are nothing compared to CTHD, but damnit, they're fun. Many shots are super spoofy and just really funny, but I only saw maybe one shot that looked really fake (and thats including the shots that were supposed to look fake). Tucker and Chan are terrible actors, and half of the jokes are the bland Saturday Night Live caliber comedy that I would leave the theater over, but then they hit a zinger. Dammit I laughed and had a lot of fun. Then I went home and watched Romeo Must Die to see some real action.
Go here
Under "Exclude Stories from the Homepage", check "JonKatz".
Be happy, and move along.
At least he didn't call Jackie that either.
Dave Chapell. You obviously don't watch enough stand up to make a real judgement on this.
I'm not one for spelling flames, but the irony of this one just got the better of me... When posting a link to a dictionary site, shouldn't it be a requirement that one properly spells the word he's attempting to define? Try "privilege".
The unsig!
What geek appeal does Rush Hour have ?
Why is it being reviewed on SlashDot ?
'privilege'. cripes do I have to read the article to you?
Thanks for playing what?
Here is a question for everyone.... if "White Men Cant Jump" had been called "Black Men Jump Higher" lets just amuse ourselves at all the lawsuits, lobbying for its expulsion, and political wrangling that would have happened.
Hypocricy, Power over others, Elitism, Tyranny, Closed mindedness, Freedom and Libery hating... those are just a few of the trademarks of a liberal
Except, Kats wrote the article?
"CT Throwing in my 2 bits on this just because I can (complain all you want posters! I'm abusing my privilage!)"
Is a direct qoute ok clown boy.
duh fucktwit, that's how taco spelled it.
What I don't get is how kats said he was entertained by FinalFantasy. He said the movie was a "stinker", had no plot, and the animation sucked. I disagree on all three points, wholeheartedly.
Really, Katz, I don't care what you think, but for christ's sake, please be consistent!
how did he spell it then genius?
An interesting note on the triads: it is rumored that several members of an actual triad gang tried to force the producers of Rush Hour 2 to pay for "protection". This movie was fun, but ignore Jon's suggestion, forego the CG and hip-hop ridden crap fast that is Romeo Must Die and watch the ridiculous yet amusing Black Mask.
Give me a break ...
no it isn't.
fp!
Jackie Chan stands on his own. Chris Tucker sucked in the first one, sucks in this one, and will suck in any other Chan movie.
I can't imagine what the movie executives were thinking when they put these two together. I can't imagine what Jackie Chan was thinking.
I hope this is the last of these dreadful movies. Let Jackie Chan be Jackie Chan!
Why doesn't the reviewer -ever- like the films?!
i want to pin her legs back like a tyson chicken!!
chinese women are the best
Sex? What's that?
Your mother must be very proud. Oh, that's right, you don't have a mother because you were spawned from a pile of vomit.
he hated snatch?????? omfg!!!!!!!!!!! hang him!
Did you just not read the part where he said that movies and technology interlace on many levels. And whats to say that we shouldn't have a pillow sale on slashdot, we geeks need are sleep. Actually, since everyone sleeps, why doesn't everyone have one? Katz reveiws a movie every sunday and I hate to be the one to break it to you, but a "geek" movie doesn't come out every week. And it's not like he is going to review the same movie twice.
And Katz is a repugnant creature
I like killing niggers