While the laws of the buddy/action comedy and the romantic comedy are very different from one another, chemistry between the leads is a crucial element in each of these well watched genres. Unfortunately, although being enthusiastic and charismatic in their own right, motormouthed Chris Tucker and rubber-limbed Jackie Chan don’t get along very well. Yes, their roles as LAPD Detective James Carter and Hong Kong Detective Inspector Lee are meant to be incompatible. The issue is that the performers come out as being out of sync with their on-screen personas. Chan and Tucker have less moments together than sizzling Roselyn Sanchez, but there is more going on between the two of them.
The humour is at best erratic
Rush Hour, a 1998 movie that saw Jackie Chan finally break through to Hollywood, was such a hit that it seemed inevitable there would be a follow-up. This is really more of the same. Chan is given the chance to perform a bit more of what he does best, while Tucker’s demeanour has been slightly softened (he is no longer continuously annoying, only rarely so). Rush Hour 2’s stunt work isn’t as creative as Chan’s finest Hong Kong-produced movies, but at least this effort shows more respect for Chan than Rush Hour did. However, Rush Hour 2 only really succeeds in its action scenes.
The humour is at best intermittent, and certain gags are overdone to the point that they move from being moderately humorous to outright stupid (in all honesty, the funniest sequences are during the closing credits). However, filmmaker Brett Ratner’s poor attempts at character development are worse than the comic. Thankfully, Rush Hour 2 doesn’t go too far into the dramatic minefield because, when it does, it’s comically awful.
The plot
Like in other films of this calibre, the storyline serves just as a clothesline for the action and comedy scenes. In Hong Kong, where Lee is touring Carter around, Rush Hour 2 begins. The intrepid pair are on the job after the U.S. Embassy is destroyed, searching for Fu-Cang-Long Triad boss Ricky Tan (John Lone), dodging his murderous deputy, the stunning Hu Li (Zhang Ziyi), and trying to determine Customs Agent Isabella Molina’s actual motivations (Roselyn Sanchez). Their inquiry leads them from Hong Kong to Los Angeles to Las Vegas, where the conclusion takes place in and around the strip’s newest, most opulent casino.
Ratner has put together a fascinating cast, in addition to Chan and Tucker, who give the movie its star power and the lion’s share of its appeal. The antagonist in Jone Lone’s film is slick, sophisticated, and composed, which is an interesting change from the psychopaths that typically appear in these kinds of films. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to really despise Lone because he’s so cool-headed and in charge. Hu Li, played by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’s Zhang Ziyi in her debut Hollywood-backed film, is the more compelling antagonist. Although Zhang’s only significant contribution is to appear ferocious and repeatedly kick Tucker in the face, her presence is appreciated. Lee is drawn to a mysterious woman played by Roselyn Sanchez. And seasoned comic Alan King plays a rich businessman in a serious role.
One of the movie’s more obvious issues is that, like its predecessor, Chan’s physical prowess and Tucker’s linguistic gymnastics are given different amounts of attention. Rush Hour 2 might cover a lot of faults if it were hilarious or even just somewhat humorous, but it only manages to provide four or five major chuckles, which aren’t enough to bridge the gap between action scenes. There are a few good martial arts fights, including one that happens on a bamboo scaffolding, but nothing that will make you gasp in horror or jump for joy.
Rush Hour 2 feels subdued in comparison to the high-octane work in the most recent Jet Li film, Kiss of the Dragon. Additionally, Chan’s physical talent is diminished by Ratner’s excessive editing throughout these moments, a music video veteran. Rush Hour 2 is yet another trite sequel in a summer that has seen no lack of them because everything about it is required, from the action to the tedious conversation.