When talking about legendary industry duos, we cannot skip the protagonists of Rush Hour. Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker made the audience go crazy with their performance. In addition, they’ve successfully reached the Rush Hour series with their power-packed action and rib-tickling comedy.
Chris Tucker has always been famous for his comic gigs. Also, Jackie Chan has attracted many with his incredible stunts and action. However, Rush Hour is a culmination of the stars and their incredible talents. Even the story is worthwhile, making the movie an overall full-packed entertainment.
The franchise entails Rush Hour, Rush Hour 2, and Rush Hour 3. In addition, there were announcements about Rush Hour 4 finally happening, as confirmed by Tucker. However, the release has yet to be confirmed. The basic plot of all the movies in the series revolves around two detectives, Chief Inspector Lee and Detective James Carter. They join forces against corrupt criminals and go on around the city, creating their adventures while solving mysterious cases. The film combines martial arts, comedy, and cop friendship and loyalty.
Rush Hour
Credit: Rush Hour
The first of the series was released in 1998. The Chinese Consul’s daughter gets kidnapped in Los Angeles. So, he asks for detective Lee, a family friend, to be flown in for the case. The FBI was against using a Chinese guy or any LAPD detective, so they paired the two. Detective Carter was considered a troublesome cop, which made the chief come up with the idea of assigning him to keep Lee away from the investigation.
Both of them hated working with a partner. This resulted in several ridiculous combat scenes during the initial few minutes of the movie. However, on realizing the true intentions of the FBI and lee’s emotional attachment to the Consul’s daughter, they decided to work together to find the missing girl. The Chan and Tucker worked so well in the film that they received the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for the Favorite Duo in 1999.
Rush Hour 2
Credit: Rush Hour
The second movie was released in 2001. Even though no cast member (other than the duo) reprised their roles in this one, it was still the most-grossing film in the series. This also revolves around the two detectives solving crimes, only this time in Hong Kong. Their vacation was full of life-threatening situations and fights, all along with the contagious gigs that make up the Rush Hour series special.
Chief Inspector Lee and James Carter go on a vacation to Hong Kong, which is hindered by a murder case. When two undercover US Customs agents die in an explosion at the American embassy, Lee suspects the involvement of a Triad gang lord. The two detectives get indulged in solving the mysterious bombing. They also discover the truth about the death of Lee’s father.
Rush Hour 3
Credit: Rush Hour 3
The third film of the Rush Hour series came out after six years. This time the duo travel to Paris to track an assassin and reveal a mystery about Chinese triads. The movie came out in 2007 but did not get as positive reviews from the audience as the first two films. However, it still grossed well at the box office.
In the third installment, Detective Lee accompanies Chinese ambassador Hans as his bodyguard to an event where a mob shoots Hans. On the mission to find the killer and retrieve a list containing precious names, Lee and Carter head toward Paris. This film features another one of their adventures among lethal gangsters. It becomes more exciting as the gang is headed by Lee’s childhood foster brother, Kenji. Thus, seeing him struggle with emotions from the past, along with the central action-comedy theme, makes the movie one colossal rollercoaster ride.
To Conclude
Rush Hour is a light action-comedy movie series that brings many emotions. The bitter cop war turning into a beautiful companionship fills the audience with awe. Moreover, the original action stunts by Chan and the gigs and dialogues delivered in Tucker style made them all the way better. There was nothing not to like, and the series was an overall global success.
Even today, many OTT platforms contain the Rush Hour series. After the three blockbuster films, the fourth one was announced to come out soon. Although there has been no confirmation on the release date yet, many predictions are still made about Rush Hour 4, considering the massive success of the previous ones.
Though the movies got mixed reviews from the viewers, it is still considered worth watching as the leading duo made an impact with their skills. Even after two decades, the Rush Hour series is still up and running on various platforms. It is a recommended movie for action-comedy junkies.
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