Get Carter (Rush Hour (DVD))

Member Name: Belgian999

Product:	Rush Hour (DVD)
Date:	28/12/01 (56 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good action, easy viewing

Disadvantages: Formulaic

‘Rush Hour’ is an amusing diversion but not really much more, based on a formula that has been tried and tested in several police/comedy films down the years, probably most notably in the 1980s Schwarzenegger star vehicle ‘Red Heat’. The main theme of both films is remarkably similar – a policeman from a Communist country is sent to investigate a crime in the USA, he is paired with something of a renegade cop and encounters all sorts of linguistic difficulties before bringing his special skills to the fore in a lasting partnership that transcends political and cultural boundaries.

The plot of the film is not a straight rip-off of ‘Red Heat’ – times have changed and it is probably a safe bet that the producers were not allowed to portray the shiny, new China as some sort of Communist ogre for fear of damaging the burgeoning trade links between the Peoples’ Republic and the United States. The film touches on the return of Hong Kong to Chinese rule, and the rise and spread of organised crime in the former British colony as the daughter of the former Chinese consul in Hong Kong is kidnapped. Detective Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) is dispatched to LA to help the FBI with their enquiries, which will presumably centre on the criminal underworld in Chinatown.

Meanwhile, Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) is busy making a hell of a mess during a drugs bust, which lands him in a whole lot of hot water with the judicial authorities. Consul Han files a request for help with the LAPD, asking for an officer to accompany Lee as he tries to assist the investigation, and Carter’s superiors see this as the ideal opportunity to pack their troublesome young cop off on a harmless mission for a few days, shepherding the Chinese policeman around town and generally staying out of everyone’s way. Carter, however, thinks that his big break has come and that the FBI wants him to head the investigation but t
he Feds want as little to do with him as possible. They too just want him to keep Lee out of their hair and let them get on with solving a crime in what the regard to be an exclusively American area of jurisdiction.

Well, you can guess the rest. The FBI’s plans are thwarted, the kidnappers demand extortionate amounts of ransom money and Lee and Carter manage to get in very deep indeed as the survival of Soo Yung (the consul’s daughter) hangs in the balance. There is plenty of expertly choreographed martial arts action from Jackie Chan (all executed by the man himself, as you can see in the outtakes in the closing credits), lots of action and chases through Chinese restaurant kitchens as the mismatched partners close in on Juntao, who seems to be the ringleader of the kidnappers. There is also an attempt to provide some background for the two main characters, with a contrived scene early on explaining the different fates that befell their fathers, both of whom were policemen. That seemed like a half-hearted attempt to give the film some depth, when I reckon it would have been better to just leave it as a straight no-brainer action flick, but there you go.

Another film that ‘Rush Hour’ draws on quite strongly is ‘Beverly Hills Cop’, and the performance of Eddie Murphy in particular. Once again, the similarities are quite striking when you think about the plot and characterisation of both films – a young cop trying to make a name for himself treads on too many toes and makes too many waves, in both films coming unstuck in an undercover drugs bust, and the stressed police captain then has to send his young tyro away and out of the limelight to protect him and the reputation of the force. However, this period of calm proves to be almost the exact opposite, as the young officers battle against the BHPD or the FBI, only to prove their worth and earn themselves promotion and respect in the end.

Indeed, Chr
is Tucker seems to try and replicate Eddie Murphy in word and deed throughout ‘Rush Hour’, mimicking the quick fire delivery, wisecracks and attitude without really hitting the heights of wit or originality that made Murphy an instant hit in films like ’48 Hours’ and ‘Trading Places’. That is not to say that Tucker doesn’t perform well, more that he would probably do better to try and make a reputation for himself and find his own niche, rather than trying to be the poor man’s Axel Foley. That said, ‘Rush Hour’ is not a bad film – the action scenes are good, the acting is generally good (although I can’t really comment on the scenes in Chinese!) and while it’s hardly earth shattering, it’s an enjoyable enough way to spend 90 minutes.

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