48 Hrs.Lethal Weapon.Hot Fuzz.
The best buddy cop comedies adhere to a simple formula.
One guy is straight-laced, by the book, and really good at his job.
Rush Houris no exception, pairing serious Hong Kong inspector Lee with a motormouth LAPD detective named Carter.
Chris Tucker fits the bill for the latter role, coming off of big performances inFridayandThe Fifth Element.
But for the serious partner, they castJackie Chan, perhaps the greatest physical comedian since Buster Keaton.
And they completely wasted him.
Misunderstanding Jackie Chan
Do you understand the words coming out of my mouth?!
That simultaneously condescending yet clownish crack from Tuckers Carter featured heavily in the movies trailers.
The line permeated the culture.
It even probably helpedRush Hourearn $244.4 million in late 90s money.
Sadly, it also captures directorBrett Ratners approach to the material.
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Ironically, Jackie Chan also made his career also inviting jokes at his characters expense.
The sequence climaxes with Jackie fighting off his opponents with only a ladder.
Yet as awesome as it is, the ladder sequence isnt about how Jackie is unstoppable.
Rather he stops to wince in pain when his fingers get caught in the ladder.
And then he plops down on the ladder, refusing to do more.
By showing the viewer how scared and hurt he gets, Chan raises the stakes of the stunts.
Its virtually the dynamic of all three Rush Hour movies.
When he lands inside the RV, Chan gives an embarrassed apology to the confused Americans watching him.
But director Brett Ratner shoots it all with the passion of a TV show.
Ratner mutes the power of Chans drop from the sign overhead by keeping his feet off-screen when he lands.
However, Ratner does take time to clarify one joke during the sequence.
That scene shows the primary problem withRush Hour.
Ratner has terrible instincts, which Tuckers loud, motormouth persona can overcome.
He similarly requires of Chan the bare minimum of his physical talents.
The action sequences in the firstRush Hourparticularly undervalue Chans athleticism and comedic timing.
Nice Guy, all also available on Tubi.
Rush Hour is now streaming on Tubi.
