Rush Hour 2 Critique

On Monday, September 14, I watched the movie Rush Hour 2 directed by Brett Ratner, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. The movie is a sequel to the original Rush Hour, featuring two mismatched detectives fighting gangs in Hong Kong, China. Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) heads to Hong Kong to visit his partner Chief Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) to enjoy a relaxing vacation. Inspector Lee is assigned to a case that becomes personal after Lee discovers it involves his father’s murderer and Triad gang leader Ricky Tan. While Carter is interested in partying and meeting exotic ladies in Hong Kong, Lee becomes involved in police work and drags Carter into the drama.
The film effectively balances intense fighting scenes with legend Jackie Chan and comedic situations with the hilarious Chris Tucker. Detective Carter dances, fights, and talks himself into trouble throughout the movie, but never ceased to make me laugh hysterically. In one scene in particular, Inspector Lee enters a night club to find a lead to Triads that may have been involved in a bombing of the U.S. Embassy. However, Carter thinks that the two are out for the night to find women and party. At a club infested with Triad gang members, Carter is ashamed of an awful karaoke performance of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop.” While Lee is searching the club for gang members, he walks back in the club lobby only to find Carter eccentrically dancing and singing the same song. The women in the crowd eventually get on the stage and dance with Carter while all the Triad men just sit there and critically gaze. The irony of the situation combined with Carter’s ignorance and performance results in a masterful comedic scene.
The fact that Carter and Lee have such polar opposite personalities and style of fighting and communicating with each other makes their partnership so hilarious. Jackie Chan adds the action side to the movie, while even Chris Tucker is involved in most of the fights, except his role is a little more comedic. Their interactions with each other seem so real because although sometimes they do not get along, they actually do care about one another.
In conclusion, Rush Hour 2 is one of my favorite movies I have ever watched, and I would recommend for anyone who enjoys watching comedy or action films to view this movie. Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan do an excellent job balancing out each other in the movie, and Brett Ratner worked wonders by creating equilibrium of hilarity and conflict in the film.