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{{Short description|1998 American action comedy film by Brett Ratner}}
{{Use American English|date = August 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox film {{Infobox film
| name = Rush Hour | name = Rush Hour
| image = Rush hour ver2.jpg | image = Rush Hour poster.png
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| image_size =
| caption = Original film poster
| director = ] | director = ]
| producer = ]<br />]<br />Arthur M. Sarkissian | producer = {{Plainlist|
* ]
* ]
* ]
}}
| writer = '''Screenplay'''<br />] and ]<br />'''Story'''<br />Ross LaManna
| narrator = | screenplay = {{Plainlist|
* ]
| starring = ]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br>]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />Julia Hsu
* ]
}}
| story = Ross LaManna
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
}}
| music = ] | music = ]
| cinematography = ] | cinematography = ]
| editing = ] | editing = ]
| distributor = ] | studio = ]
| distributor = ]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/members//catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=61551 |title=Rush Hour |website=] |access-date=September 20, 2016 |archive-date=October 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020065006/http://www.afi.com/members//catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=61551 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| released = September 18, 1998
| runtime = 97 minutes | released = {{Film date|1998|9|18}}
| country = ] | runtime = 98 minutes
| country = United States<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b80e4db26 |title=Rush Hour (1998) |website=] |access-date=November 20, 2016 |archive-date=November 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121104306/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b80e4db26 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| language = ]<br />]<br />]
| budget = $33 million | language = {{Plainlist|
* English
| gross = $255,300,000
* Cantonese
| preceded_by =
}}
| followed_by = '']'' (2001)
| budget = $33{{ndash}}35&nbsp;million<ref name=mojo /><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1998/RUSHH.php |title=Rush Hour (1998) |website=] |access-date=April 28, 2020 |archive-date=November 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109214205/http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1998/RUSHH.php |url-status=live }}</ref>
| gross = $244&nbsp;million<ref name=mojo />
}} }}
'''''Rush Hour''''' is a 1998 American ] ] directed by ] and written by ] and ] from a story by LaManna. It stars ] and ] as mismatched police officers who are assigned to rescue a Chinese diplomat's abducted daughter. ], ] and ] play supporting roles.


Released on September 18, 1998, the film received positive reviews from critics and has grossed over $244&nbsp;million worldwide. Its box office commercial success led to ]: '']'' (2001) and '']'' (2007).
'''''Rush Hour''''' is a ] ] and the first installment in the ]. Directed by ] and starring ] and ], Rush Hour was a major success and became the 7th top grossing film of 1998, with a gross of over $140 million dollars at the U.S. box office.


== Plot == ==Plot==
On the ] in ], Detective Inspector Lee (]) of the Hong Kong police leads a raid at a shipping bar wharf, hoping to arrest the mysterious crime lord Juntao. He finds only Sang (]), Juntao's right hand man, who manages to escape. However, Lee successfully recovers numerous Chinese cultural treasures stolen by Juntao, which he presents as a farewell victory to his departing superiors: Chinese Consul Solon Han (]) and British ] Thomas Griffin (]). On the ] of Hong Kong on June 30, 1997, Detective Inspector Lee of the ] leads a raid at the wharf, hoping to arrest the unidentified, anonymous ] Juntao. He finds only Sang, Juntao's right-hand man, who escapes in a boat. Lee recovers numerous Chinese cultural treasures stolen by Juntao, which he presents as a farewell victory gift to his departing superiors, Chinese consul Solon Han and British ] Thomas Griffin.


Two months later after Han takes up his new diplomatic post in Los Angeles, Han's daughter Soo Yung is kidnapped by Sang while on her way to school. Han calls Lee to assist in the case, but the ], fearing that Lee's involvement could cause an international incident, pawns him off on the ]. Detective James Carter, a talented but obnoxious LAPD officer who is disliked by the rest of his precinct for his self-aggrandizing attitude, is tricked into "babysitting" Lee as punishment for botching a sting operation. When Carter finds out, he decides to solve the case. Carter takes Lee on a sightseeing tour, keeping him away from the embassy while contacting informants about the kidnapping. Lee gets into trouble when Carter tells him to follow his lead, resulting in Lee calling a black bartender the ], not knowing it is offensive. Several black patrons attack Lee as a result, forcing him to defeat them. Carter tries to prevent Lee from leaving him but Lee makes his own way to the Chinese Consulate, where Han and the FBI await news about his daughter. While arguing with Special Agent in Charge Warren Russ, Carter unwittingly negotiates with Sang, arranging a $50 million ].
Shortly after Han arrives in the United States to take up his new diplomatic post in ], his daughter, Soo Yung, is kidnapped on her way to her first day of school. The leader of the kidnappers is none other than Sang. Shortly after this incident, the ] inform Consul Han, who calls in Lee to assist in the case.


The FBI traces the call to a warehouse, where a team of agents are killed by ]. Spotting Sang nearby, Lee and Carter give chase but he escapes, dropping the detonator. Carter's colleague, LAPD bomb expert Tania Johnson, traces it to Clive Cobb, the man arrested by Carter in the earlier botched sting operation. Lee presses Clive into revealing his business relationship with Juntao, whom he met at the Foo Chow restaurant in ]. Clive is initially unwilling to speak to the duo but Lee shows him a picture of Soo Yung, causing him to relent. Lee then begins to earn Carter's trust. Carter goes to the restaurant alone and sees a surveillance video of Juntao carrying Soo Yung into a van. Lee arrives and saves Carter from Juntao's syndicate, but they are taken off the case as the FBI blames them for the botched ransom drop, with Lee sent back to Hong Kong. However, Carter refuses to give up and appeals to Johnson for assistance to sneak on board Lee's plane, where he persuades the Hong Kong detective to help stop Juntao together.
The FBI, afraid that the injury or death of Lee would result in negative attention, pawn him off on the ] Captain Diel, who gives the assignment to Detective James Carter (]), an overconfident, average looking, and arrogant police officer with aspirations of joining the FBI. Captain Diel gives him a choice: keep Lee away from the investigation or face two months suspension without pay. Carter reluctantly agrees, secretly intending to solve the case himself.


Griffin later involves himself in the case, revealing more about the HKPF's past with Juntao's syndicate, and implores Han to pay the ransom to avoid further bloodshed. At the opening of a Chinese art exhibition at the ], overseen by Han and Griffin, the now $70 million ransom is delivered, and Carter, Lee, and Johnson enter disguised as guests. Carter orders the guests to evacuate for safety, angering the FBI, but Lee catches Griffin accepting a remote for the detonator from Sang. Lee and Johnson realize Griffin is Juntao when Carter recognizes him from the Chinatown surveillance tape. Griffin threatens to detonate a bomb vest attached to Soo Yung and demands that the ransom be paid in full, as compensation for the priceless Chinese artifacts which Lee recovered in his raid. Juntao's men start a shootout with the FBI while Carter sneaks out, locates Soo Yung in the van, and drives it into the building within range of Griffin, preventing him from setting off the vest.
Carter meets Lee at the ] and then proceeds to take him on a sightseeing tour of Los Angeles, simultaneously keeping Lee away from the embassy and contacting several of his underworld informants about the kidnapping. Lee finally escapes Carter and makes his way to the Chinese Consulate, where an anxious Han and a group of FBI agents are awaiting news about his daughter. While being reprimanded by Agent-in-charge Warren Russ (]), Carter manages to accidentally involve himself in a phone conversation with the kidnappers, where he poorly arranges a ransom drop.


Johnson gets the vest off Soo Yung, while Griffin heads to the roof with the bag of money. Lee takes the vest and pursues Griffin, while Carter shoots Sang dead in a gunfight and saves Russ. Lee has a brief altercation with Griffin that culminates in both dangling from the rafters. Griffin, holding on to the vest, falls to his death when its straps are torn, but when Lee falls, Carter catches him with a large flag. Han and Soo Yung are reunited and Han ]. Before Carter leaves, agents Russ and Whitney offer him a position in the FBI, which he mockingly refuses, proudly stating he is LAPD. Carter boards the plane with Lee, who annoyingly starts singing ]'s "]" off-key. A desperate Carter yells for a ], demanding that she give him another seat.
After their arrival at the agreed drop point, Lee tries to warn the FBI that something is amiss, but is ignored until a bomb inside the building is detonated, killing several agents. Spotting Sang nearby, Lee and Carter give chase, but Sang escapes, dropping a strange detonator in the process. After showing it to Carter's colleague, LAPD bomb expert Tania Johnson (]), they learn that Juntao was behind the kidnapping. Following a lead to a restaurant in ], Carter is captured after going in alone, though he sees a surveillance video of Juntao carrying Soo-Yung into a van. Lee arrives and rescues Carter, and they are met outside by the FBI, led by Russ, who blames them for ruining the ransom exchange. Sang phones the consul, angrily telling him that the ransom has been increased from $50 million to $70 million, and threatens to kill Soo-Yung if anything else goes wrong. Disgraced and guilt-ridden, Lee and Carter are ordered off the investigation, and Lee is informed that he will be sent back to Hong Kong. Carter refuses to drop the case and confronts Lee on his plane to enlist his help, and the two men decide to save Soo-Yung together.


== Cast ==
The final confrontation comes at the opening of a Chinese art exhibition at the ], which Han and Griffin are overseeing, while the ransom is being delivered. Carter, Lee, and Johnson enter disguised as guests. After Carter recognizes Griffin from Chinatown, he creates a scene by alerting the spectators about a bomb threat in the building and tells them to evacuate. In the confusion, Lee sees Sang handing Griffin a detonator identical to the one he and Carter had previously recovered, deducing that Griffin is Juntao. Griffin/Juntao then threatens to detonate a bomb vest attached to Soo Yung if the delivery is interrupted. During the stand-off, however, Carter manages to sneak out and locate Soo Yung. Carter proceeds to take the vest off her but Soo Yung tells him that she heard them say that the vest will go off if anyone tries to take it off incorrectly. Carter then drives the van into the building and brings the bomb vest within range to kill everyone inside the exhibition. After a gunfight breaks out, Lee and Johnson climb into the back of the van and Johnson manages to get the vest off Soo Yung but tells Lee that it still can be set off with the remote. Lee then takes the vest and persues Griffin. Meanwhile Griffin goes up to the upstairs control room and shoots the agents up there, including Russ. A few moments later Sang also goes into the control room and starts putting money into another briefcase. Then Russ, who was not killed by Griffin, groans, and Sang turns his gun on him. Just as he is about to shoot Russ, he is interrupted by Carter, who tells him that he is alone. Sang then challenges Carter to 'fight like a man'. Carter agrees, but as both men put their guns down, both bring out their alternative guns, and Carter shoots Sang in the process. Meanwhile, Griffin attempts to escape with the ransom money, and Lee pursues him up several sets of maintenance ladders. During the pursuit, both men fall over the rail with Lee holding onto a rafter and Griffin holding onto the bomb vest, which Lee is now wearing. The money falls out of the case that Griffin was holding. The bomb vest then rips apart semding Griffin falling to his death into a fountain below, Lee then looses his grip and falls from the rafters, but Carter is able to reascue Lee placing a large flag under him to catch him.
* ] as ] Lee, a top Hong Kong cop skilled in martial arts who comes to Los Angeles to help his friend find his kidnapped daughter.
* ] as Detective James Carter, a fast-talking street-smart LAPD Detective originally assigned by the FBI to babysit Lee and keep him out of their investigation.
* ] as Thomas Griffin/Juntao, a British diplomat and colleague of Han's who is secretly a top crime lord in Hong Kong.
* ] as Consul Solon Han, Soo Yung's father and a Hong Kong diplomat who has just moved to Los Angeles.
* ] as Sang, Juntao's second in command.
* ] as Detective Tania Johnson, an aspiring bomb squad technician in the LAPD who helps Carter rescue Soo-Yung.
* ] as ] Special Agent Warren Russ
* ] as FBI Agent Dan Whitney, Russ's partner
* ] as Clive Cod, a small time ] who was arrested by Carter in a botched sting operation.
* ] as Captain Bill Diel, Carter's supervisor. He gives Carter the FBI assignment as punishment for a botched undercover sting operation.
* Julia Hsu as Soo-Yung Han, Consul Han's daughter who is kidnapped by a criminal organization. She is also a martial arts student of Lee's.
Other cast members include ] as Carter's informant "Stucky", ] as Carter's cousin Luke, ] as prison guard Bobby, ] and ] as Soo-Yung's bodyguards, ] as a taxi driver, and ] (in her final film role) as a socialite. ] members ], Nicky Li Chung-chi, Chan Man-ching and ] appear as Juntao's henchmen.


== Production ==
Han and Soo Yung are reunited, and Han sends Carter and Lee on vacation together to Hong Kong. Before Carter leaves, Agents Russ and Whitney offer him a position in the FBI, which he refuses. The film ends with Lee and Carter enjoying their flight to Hong Kong.
''Rush Hour'' began as a spec script written in 1995 by screenwriter ]. The screenplay was sold by LaManna's ] agent Alan Gasmer to ], a division of ], with ] attached as producer. After attaching director ] and developing the project for more than a year with producers including Sarkissian, ] and ], Disney Studios chief ] put the project into turnaround, citing concerns about the $34&nbsp;million budget, and ]'s appeal to American audiences. Several studios were interested in acquiring the project. ] was confident in Ratner, having done '']'' with him, so they made a hard commitment to a budget and start date for ''Rush Hour''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-06-fi-29697-story.html |title=Studios Were in Passing Lane for 'Rush Hour' |last=Eller |first=Claudia |date=October 6, 1998 |work=] |access-date=April 28, 2020 |archive-date=March 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307035920/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/oct/06/business/fi-29697 |url-status=live }}</ref>


], ], ], ] and ] were considered for the role of Detective James Carter; Murphy turned down the role to do '']'' instead while Snipes turned down the role in favor of '']'', which was also for New Line Cinema.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ix4ADUCCG9c |title=Martin Lawrence & Wesley Snipes almost played Chris Tucker's role in Rush Hour &#124; EPISODE 18 - YouTube |website=] |date=January 28, 2021 |access-date=June 13, 2021 |archive-date=July 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713223856/https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=ix4ADUCCG9c |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/amp/2012/04/the-lost-roles-of-dave-chappelle.html |title=The Lost Roles of Dave Chappelle |date=April 5, 2012 |access-date=June 13, 2021 |archive-date=June 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613154524/https://www.vulture.com/amp/2012/04/the-lost-roles-of-dave-chappelle.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/amp/2011/04/the-lost-roles-of-eddie-murphy.html |title=The Lost Roles of Eddie Murphy |date=April 7, 2011 |access-date=June 13, 2021 |archive-date=June 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613154511/https://www.vulture.com/amp/2011/04/the-lost-roles-of-eddie-murphy.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Chan wanted Lawrence for the role, but he turned it down due to a low offer.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://people.com/martin-lawrence-turned-down-jackie-chan-rush-hour-8658710 | title=Martin Lawrence Says He Turned Down Offer to Costar with Jackie Chan in 'Rush Hour': 'Not Enough Money' }}</ref>
== Cast ==
* ] as Detective Inspector Lee (who gets promoted to ''Chief'' Inspector at some point between this film and ])
* ] as Detective James Carter
* ] as Thomas Griffin/Juntao
* ] as Consul Solon Han
* ] as Sang
* ] as Detective Tania Johnson
* ] as Special FBI Agent In Charge Warren Russ
* ] as FBI Agent Dan Whitney
* ] as Clive Cod
* ] as Captain William Diel
* Julia Hsu as Soo Yung Han


After the success of '']'', Ratner wanted to put Chan in a buddy-cop movie, not as a co-star or sidekick but on equal footing with an American star. Ratner flew to ] where Chan was ] and pitched the film. A few days later Chan agreed to star and not long after flew to Los Angeles and met ], the latter actor who ended up taking the role as Detective James Carter.<ref name="Pappademas">{{Cite web |url=https://www.gq.com/story/jackie-chans-gq-profile-2017 |title=Jackie Chan's Plan to Keep Kicking Forever |author=Alex Pappademas |date=October 3, 2017 |website=GQ |url-status=live |access-date=August 20, 2019 |archive-date=August 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820140551/https://www.gq.com/story/jackie-chans-gq-profile-2017 }}</ref>
===Juntao's Men===
* Chan Man-ching (as Man Ching Chan)
* Andy Cheng (as Andy Kai Chung Cheng)
* Stuart W. Yee (as Stuart Yee)
* Nicky Li (as Nicky Chung Chi Li)
* ] (as Kenneth Houi Kang Low)
* ] (uncredited)
* William Tuan (uncredited)
* David Leung (uncredited)
* Johnny Cheung (uncredited)


Ratner credited Tucker with getting his first feature film '']'' and thought Tucker and Chan would make a great team.<ref name="Clement">{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/spotlight/brett-ratner-rush-hour-chris-tucker-dwayne-johnson-1201963915/ |title=Crowd-Pleasing Hits Pepper Walk of Fame Honoree Brett Ratner's Resume |last=Clement |first=Nick |date=January 19, 2017 |website=Variety |access-date=August 20, 2019 |archive-date=August 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820151214/https://variety.com/2017/film/spotlight/brett-ratner-rush-hour-chris-tucker-dwayne-johnson-1201963915/ |url-status=live }}</ref><!-- also very positive test screenings --> Filming began on November 30, 1997.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cox |first1=Dan |title=Wilkinson merges into 'Rush Hour' |url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/wilkinson-merges-into-rush-hour-111660788/ |access-date=15 July 2023 |work=Variety |date=5 November 1997}}</ref> Shooting took place mainly in locations around the ], including the ], ], ], ], and ]. The opening sequence was shot in ].
== Trivia ==
{{Trivia|section|date=April 2009}}
* Chan and Tucker were considered for the role of Wa Sing Ku and Detective Lee Butters, respectively, for the 1998 film '']
* The movie is set in 1997. Britain handed over Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China on July 1, 1997.
* ] was the original choice for Carter.
* ] was also considered for Carter. He referenced this and his reaction to not getting the part in the ] skit 'The Three Daves'.
* Carter's ] license plate has the same three-letter combination as the license plate of the van that the consul's daughter is held in.
* At ], Carter shows Inspector Lee the foot prints of ]. In '']'' (2000) Jackie Chan plays a character called Chon Wang - which is a play on John Wayne.
* According to director Brett Ratner, during the scene at Grauman's where Detective Carter bribes Stucky for information, there was so much improvisation between Chris Tucker and John Hawkes that they almost did not think they could edit it together as a coherent conversation. There are still continuity errors in the dialogue for this reason.
* Chris Tucker improvised much of his dialogue as he commonly does in his films.
* The afro and mustache in the photo on Detective Carter's badge were added as an afterthought in post-production.
* Brett Ratner was a big fan of Jackie Chan's Hong Kong movies. He felt that American audiences would not be familiar with the jokes in Jackie's other movies, and deliberately re-used some of his gags. For example, the scene where Inspector Lee accidentally grabs Johnson's breasts is a reference to Jackie Chan's film '']'' (1997).
* Carter telling Detective Johnson that the LAPD are the most hated police in the world may be a reference to the beating of ].
* Elizabeth Peña played a prank on Director Brett Ratner in which she appeared on the set wearing nothing but her character's bomb squad vest. According to Peña, she thought Ratner would laugh and howl; instead he was extremely nervous and embarrassed.


== Reception == == Reception ==
=== Box office ===
''Rush Hour'' opened at #1 at the North American box-office with a weekend gross of $33 million in September 1998. Rush Hour grossed over $244 million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web | author=| date= September 18, 1998| title=Rush Hour | work=boxofficemojo.com | url=http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=rushhour.htm | accessdate=2006-06-25}}</ref>
''Rush Hour'' opened at No. 1 in September 1998 at the North American box office, with a weekend gross of $33&nbsp;million. It surpassed '']'' to have the highest September opening weekend and '']'' to have the biggest opening weekend for a ] film.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vitucci |first=Clarie |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pittsburgh-post-gazette-its-rush-hour/112806712/ |title=It's 'Rush Hour' at weekend box office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230514154209/https://www.newspapers.com/article/pittsburgh-post-gazette-its-rush-hour/112806712/ |date=September 22, 1998 |access-date=May 14, 2023 |archive-date=May 14, 2023 |page=79 |work=The Associated Press |publisher=] |via=] |url-status=live}} {{Open access}}</ref> The film would hold latter record until the following June when '']'' took it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jun-14-ca-46313-story.html|title=Feelin' Pretty Groovy: 'Austin Powers,' the Spy Who's No. 1|website=] |date=June 14, 1999 }}</ref> ''Rush Hour'' would continue to hold the September record for three more years until it was surpassed by '']'' in 2002.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-oct-01-et-boxoffice1-story.html|title=Moviegoers Make It a 'Sweet' September|website=]|date=October 1, 2002|access-date=November 5, 2022|archive-date=November 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105221102/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-oct-01-et-boxoffice1-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Overall, it would top the box office for two weeks before getting displaced by '']''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/10/05/animated-antz-crawls-to-top-in-box-office-debut/|title=Animated "Antz' crawls to top in box office debut}}</ref> ''Rush Hour'' grossed over $140&nbsp;million in the US and $103&nbsp;million in the rest of the world, for a total worldwide gross over $244&nbsp;million.<ref name="mojo">{{Cite web |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=rushhour.htm |title=Rush Hour |website=] |access-date=June 25, 2006 |archive-date=June 19, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619074924/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=rushhour.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Wolk">{{Cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/1998/09/28/losers-take-all/ |title=Losers Take All |last=Wolk |first=Josh |date=September 28, 1998 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=October 24, 2010 |archive-date=September 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927115404/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,83742,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref>


=== Critical response ===
The film gained relatively positive reviews from critics.<ref>{{cite news|title= FILM REVIEW; Kicks, Swivels and Wisecracks on Hollywood Boulevard|work= The New York Times|date=|url= http://www.nytimes.com/1998/09/18/movies/film-review-kicks-swivels-and-wisecracks-on-hollywood-boulevard.html?scp=4&sq=rush%20hour%20jackie%20chan&st=cse|accessdate=2010-09-21}}</ref> Many critics praised Chris Tucker for his comical acts in the film and how he and Chan formed an effective comic duo.<ref>{{cite web | author=Ebert, Roger| date= September 18, 1998| title=Rush Hour | format=| work=rogerebert.com | url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980918/REVIEWS/809180303/1023 | accessdate=2006-06-25}}</ref> The film currently holds a 61% approval rating at ], just enough to be certified "Fresh".
On ], a ], ''Rush Hour'' holds an approval rating of 62% based on 77 reviews and an average score of 6.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "While it won't win any awards for originality, the combustible chemistry between its stars means ''Rush Hour'' hits just as hard on either side of the action-comedy divide."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rush_hour/ |title=''Rush Hour'' (1998) |website=] |access-date=30 June 2024 |archive-date=22 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622152506/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/rush_hour/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On ], the film received a ] of 61 out of 100 based on 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/rush-hour |title=''Rush Hour'' (1998) |website=] |access-date=June 30, 2024 |archive-date=March 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190312030424/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/rush-hour |url-status=live }}</ref> Audiences polled by ] gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+&nbsp;to&nbsp;F scale.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{Cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= Cinemascore |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= December 20, 2018 }}</ref>

] praised both Jackie Chan, for his entertaining action sequences without the use of ]s, and Chris Tucker, for his comical acts in the film, and how they formed an effective comedic duo.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/rush-hour-1998 |title=Rush Hour |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=September 18, 1998 |work=rogerebert.com |access-date=June 25, 2006 |author-link=Roger Ebert |archive-date=June 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613015050/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/rush-hour-1998 |url-status=live }}</ref> Joe Leydon of '']'' called it "a frankly formulaic but raucously entertaining action comedy". Leydon is critical of the editing, saying that it "works against Chan by breaking up the flow of his frenzied physicality."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/rush-hour-3-1200455075/ |title=Review: 'Rush Hour' |last=Leydon |first=Joe |date=September 21, 1998 |website=] |access-date=June 22, 2015 |archive-date=June 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150622121103/http://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/rush-hour-3-1200455075/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Charles Taylor of Salon.com is critical of Hollywood misusing Jackie Chan: "Chan is a one-of-a-kind performer: Bruce Lee crossed with Donald O'Connor in the "Make 'em Laugh" number from '']''. Hollywood needs to stop treating him as if he were one of those fondue sets given as wedding gifts in the '70s: a foreign novelty shoved in a closet due to absolute cluelessness about what to do with it."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.salon.com/1998/09/18/reviewc_10/ |title=Hong Kong Hollywood |author=Charles Taylor |date=September 18, 1998 |website=Salon |access-date=August 20, 2019 |archive-date=August 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820031447/https://www.salon.com/1998/09/18/reviewc_10/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Michael O'Sullivan of '']'' calls the film a "misbegotten marriage of sweet and sour" and says, "The problem is it can't make up its mind and, unlike ], the sharply contrasting flavors of these ingredients only leave a bad taste in the customer's mouth." O'Sullivan says Tucker is miscast, the script "perfunctory and sloppy", and the direction "limp, lethargic".<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/rushhourosullivan.htm |title='Rush Hour': Slow Going |author=Michael O'Sullivan |date=September 18, 1998 |newspaper=] |access-date=August 20, 2019 |archive-date=September 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190910160613/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/rushhourosullivan.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Owen Gleiberman of '']'' gave the film a grade "C−" and was critical of the buddy comedy, saying, "The two characters barely even have a relationship; they're a union of demographics—the "urban" market meets the slapstick-action market."<ref name="ew">{{Cite magazine |url= https://ew.com/article/1998/09/25/rush-hour-5/ |title= Rush Hour |author= Owen Glieberman |author-link= Owen Glieberman |date= September 25, 1998 |magazine= ] |access-date= August 20, 2019 |archive-date= August 20, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190820040312/https://ew.com/article/1998/09/25/rush-hour-5/ |url-status= live }}</ref>

Chan has expressed dissatisfaction with the film: "I didn’t like the movie. I still don’t like the movie." Chan continued: "I don’t like the way I speak English, and I don’t know what Chris Tucker is saying". Although he respects the box-office success of ''Rush Hour'', Chan said he preferred the films he made in his native Hong Kong because they delivered more fight scenes: "If you see my Hong Kong movies, you know what happens: Bam bam bam, always Jackie Chan-style, me, 10 minutes of fighting."<ref name="Hart">{{Cite web |author=Hugh Hart |date=September 8, 2002 |title=His Career Is No Stunt |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-sep-08-ca-hart8-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028084936/http://articles.latimes.com/2002/sep/08/entertainment/ca-hart8 |archive-date=October 28, 2018 |access-date=April 28, 2020 |website=]}}</ref><ref name="foxnews" /><ref name="thr">{{Cite web |url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jackie-chan-calls-curbs-political-401946 |title= Jackie Chan Calls for Curbs on Political Freedom in Hong Kong |author= Clarence Tsui |date= December 13, 2012 |website= ] |quote= I dislike Rush Hour the most, but ironically it sold really well |access-date= August 20, 2019 |archive-date= August 20, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190820132606/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jackie-chan-calls-curbs-political-401946 |url-status= live }}</ref>

== Cultural influence ==
''Rush Hour'' was the catalyst for the creation of the review-aggregation website ]. Senh Duong, the website's founder and a Jackie Chan fan, was inspired to create the website after collecting all the reviews of Chan's ] as they were being released in the United States. In anticipation of ''Rush Hour'', Chan's first major Hollywood crossover, he coded the website in two weeks and the site went live shortly before the film's release.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/20-years-later-rush-hour-is-still-a-buddy-cop-gem/ |title=20 Years Later, Rush Hour Is Still a Buddy-Cop Gem |date=September 18, 2018 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=December 14, 2018 |archive-date=April 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190413142620/https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/20-years-later-rush-hour-is-still-a-buddy-cop-gem/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y1tJDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT26 |title=Hater: On the Virtues of Utter Disagreeability |last=Semley |first=John |date=2018 |publisher=] |isbn=978-0-7352-3617-2 |pages=26–27 |access-date=December 14, 2018 |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803133929/https://books.google.com/books?id=Y1tJDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT26 |url-status=live }}</ref>


== Sequels == == Sequels ==
A sequel '']'', was made in ], which was primarily set in ]. A third movie, '']'', was released on August 10, 2007<ref>{{cite web | author= | date= July 10, 2005| title= Chan Says Tucker Holding Up Rush Hour 3 | format=| work=The Associated Press| url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/topnews.php?id=10314 | accessdate=2006-06-25}}</ref>, which was primarily set in ]. Tucker earned $25 million for his role in the third film and Chan received the distribution rights to the movie in Asia.<ref></ref> A sequel, '']'', which was primarily set in Hong Kong, was released in 2001. A third film, '']'', which was primarily set in Paris, was released on August 10, 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/news/topnews.php?id=10314 |title=Chan Says Tucker Holding Up Rush Hour 3 |date=July 10, 2005 |website=The Associated Press |access-date=June 25, 2006 |archive-date=April 26, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060426080043/http://comingsoon.net/news/topnews.php?id=10314 |url-status=live }}</ref> Tucker earned $25&nbsp;million for his role in the third film and Chan received the film's distribution rights in Asia.<ref name="foxnews">{{Cite web |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,298648,00.html |title=FOXNews.com – Jackie Chan Admits He Is Not a Fan of 'Rush Hour' Films – Celebrity Gossip {{!}} Entertainment News |last=] |date=September 30, 2007 |publisher=Fox News |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109120313/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,298648,00.html |archive-date=November 9, 2007}}</ref>


In 2007, before the release of ''Rush Hour 3'', Ratner was optimistic about making a fourth film and potentially having it set in Moscow.<ref>{{Cite web |author=<!-- staff byline--> |date=August 2, 2007 |title="Rush Hour 4" is Set in Moscow |url=http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=5191 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080321221221/http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=5191 |archive-date=March 21, 2008 |access-date=April 5, 2008 |website=WorstPreviews.com}}</ref> In 2017, Chan agreed to a potential script for ''Rush Hour 4'' after years of turning down scripts.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Shirley Li |date=October 6, 2017 |title=Jackie Chan teases that 'Rush Hour 4' is close to being a reality |url=https://ew.com/movies/2017/10/06/jackie-chan-rush-hour-4-possibility/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820040318/https://ew.com/movies/2017/10/06/jackie-chan-rush-hour-4-possibility/ |archive-date=August 20, 2019 |access-date=August 20, 2019 |website=EW}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Chris Tilly |date=August 13, 2014 |title=Jackie Chan Downplays Talk of Rush Hour 4 and Drunken Master 3 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/08/13/jackie-chan-downplays-talk-of-rush-hour-4-and-drunken-master-3 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820134356/https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/08/13/jackie-chan-downplays-talk-of-rush-hour-4-and-drunken-master-3 |archive-date=August 20, 2019 |access-date=August 20, 2019 |website=IGN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 5, 2017 |title=Jackie Chan Says Rush Hour 4 Is Happening, but There's a Catch |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/885135/jackie-chan-says-rush-hour-4-is-happening-but-there-s-a-catch-and-it-involves-chris-tucker |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820041221/https://www.eonline.com/news/885135/jackie-chan-says-rush-hour-4-is-happening-but-there-s-a-catch-and-it-involves-chris-tucker |archive-date=August 20, 2019 |access-date=August 20, 2019 |website=E! Online}}</ref>
A fourth film in the series is in negotiations, and reportedly may be set in Moscow.<ref></ref>


== Soundtrack == == Music ==
{{Main|Rush Hour (soundtrack)}} {{Main|Rush Hour (soundtrack)}}


]'s "]" was used as the ending theme for the film.
The soundtrack features the hit single "]" by ], ] and ], as well as tracks by ], ], ], ], ] and ].


The film's soundtrack features the hit single "]" by ], ] and ], as well as tracks by ], ], ], ] and ].
== Awards and nominations ==
* 1999 ]
** Winner: Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film (])


The official soundtrack album was certified platinum on January 21, 1999.

== Awards ==
* 1999 ]s
** Winner: Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film (])
* 1999 BMI Film and TV Awards * 1999 BMI Film and TV Awards
** Winner: BMI Film Music Award (]) ** Winner: BMI Film Music Award (])

* 1999 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards * 1999 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
** Winner: Favorite Duo- Action/Adventure (] and ]) ** Winner: Favorite Duo- Action/Adventure (] and ])
** Nomination: Favorite Supporting Actress- Action/Adventure (]) ** Nomination: Favorite Supporting Actress- Action/Adventure (])
* 1999 Bogey Awards (Germany)

* 1999 ] (Germany)
** Winner: Bogey Awards in Silver ** Winner: Bogey Awards in Silver
* 1999 ] (Germany)

* 1999 Golden Screen (Germany)
** Winner: Golden Screen ** Winner: Golden Screen
* 1999 ]s

* 1999 ]
** Nomination: Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television (]) ** Nomination: Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television (])
* 1999 ]s

* 1999 ]
** Nomination: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture (]) ** Nomination: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture (])
* 1999 ] (United States)

* 1999 ] (USA)
** Nomination: Favorite Movie Actor (Blimp Award) (]) ** Nomination: Favorite Movie Actor (Blimp Award) (])

* 1999 ] * 1999 ]
** Winner: Best On-Screen Duo (] and ])<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/1999/ |title=1999 MTV Movie Awards |work=MTV |access-date=October 24, 2010 |archive-date=June 30, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630202124/http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/1999/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
** Winner: Best On-Screen Duo (] and ])
** Nomination: Best Comedic Performance (]) ** Nomination: Best Comedic Performance (])
** Nomination: Best Fight (] and ]) (For the fight against the Chinese gang) ** Nomination: Best Fight (] and ]) (For the fight against the Chinese gang)
** Nomination: Best Movie Song (]) (For ]) ** Nomination: Best Movie Song (]) (For ])

== Home media ==

=== ] ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Release date
! Country
! Classification
! Publisher
! Format
! Language
! Subtitles
! Notes
! Reference
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| January 26, 1999
|| United States
|| PG-13
|| New Line Home Video
|| NTSC
|| English
|| None
||
||<ref>{{Cite book |title=Rush Hour (1998) |publisher=] |isbn=0-7806-2371-1}}</ref>
|-
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| October 18, 1999
|| United Kingdom
|| 12
|| Entertainment in Video
|| PAL
|| English
|| None
||
||<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rush-Hour-VHS-Jackie-Chan/dp/B00004CYUX |title=Rush Hour |date=October 15, 1999 |publisher=] |access-date=January 8, 2012 |archive-date=August 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813210210/http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rush-Hour-VHS-Jackie-Chan/dp/B00004CYUX |url-status=live }}</ref>
|}

=== ] ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Release date
! Country
! Classification
! Publisher
! Format
! Region
! Language
! Sound
! Subtitles
! Notes
! Reference
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| March 2, 1999
|| United States
|| PG-13
|| New Line Home Video
|| NTSC
|| 1
|| English
|| Unknown
|| English
|| Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (16:9)
||<ref>{{Cite book |title=Rush Hour (New Line Platinum Series) (1998) |publisher=] |isbn=0-7806-2514-5}}</ref>
|-
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| October 1, 1999
|| United Kingdom
|| 12
|| Entertainment in Video
|| PAL
|| 2
|| English
|| Unknown
|| English
|| Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1 (16:9)
||<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rush-Hour-DVD-Jackie-Chan/dp/B00004RCK9 |title=Rush Hour |date=October 1999 |publisher=] |access-date=January 8, 2012 |archive-date=March 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321015741/http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rush-Hour-DVD-Jackie-Chan/dp/B00004RCK9 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| February 14, 2000
|| Australia
|| M
|| Roadshow Entertainment
|| PAL
| 4
|| English
|| Dolby Digital 5.1<br/>Dolby Digital 2.0
|| English
|| Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (16:9)<br/>Dolby Digital Trailer: Canyon
||
|}

=== UMD ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Release date
! Country
! Classification
! Publisher
! Format
! Region
! Language
! Sound
! Subtitles
! Notes
! References
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| September 1, 2005
|| United Kingdom
|| 12
|| Entertainment in Video
|| PAL
|| 2
|| English
|| Unknown
|| English
||
||<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rush-Hour-UMD-Mini-PSP/dp/B000AYSLEI |title=Rush Hour |date=September 2005 |publisher=] |access-date=January 31, 2012 |archive-date=January 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107065427/http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rush-Hour-UMD-Mini-PSP/dp/B000AYSLEI |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| January 3, 2006
|| United States
|| PG-13
|| New Line Home Entertainment
|| NTSC
|| 1
|| English
|| Unknown
|| English
||
||<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Rush-Hour-Philip-Baker-Hall/dp/B000BNXDBY |title=Rush Hour (1998) |website=Amazon |access-date=January 31, 2012 |archive-date=January 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108131007/http://www.amazon.com/Rush-Hour-Philip-Baker-Hall/dp/B000BNXDBY |url-status=live }}</ref>
|}

=== ] ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Release date
! Country
! Classification
! Publisher
! Format
! Region
! Language
! Sound
! Subtitles
! Notes
! Reference
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| October 11, 2010
|| United Kingdom
|| 15
|| Warner Home Video
|| PAL
|| Free
|| English
|| Unknown
|| English
|| Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 (16:9)
||<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rush-Hour-Blu-ray-Region-Free/dp/B003IHVKRO |title=Rush Hour |date=October 11, 2010 |publisher=] |access-date=January 8, 2012 |archive-date=March 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321022238/http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rush-Hour-Blu-ray-Region-Free/dp/B003IHVKRO |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| December 7, 2010
|| United States
|| PG-13
|| New Line Home Entertainment
|| NTSC
|| Free
|| English
|| Unknown
|| English
|| Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 (16:9)
||<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Rush-Hour-Blu-ray-Jackie-Chan/dp/B003ZD9E4W |title=Rush Hour (1998) |website=Amazon |date=December 7, 2010 |access-date=January 8, 2012 |archive-date=January 6, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106220849/http://www.amazon.com/Rush-Hour-Blu-ray-Jackie-Chan/dp/B003ZD9E4W |url-status=live }}</ref>
|}


== See also == == See also ==
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* ] * ]
* '']''
* '']''
* ] * ]


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== External links == == External links ==
* {{imdb title|id=0120812|title=Rush Hour}} {{Wikiquote|Rush Hour}}
* {{mojo title|id=rushhour|title=Rush Hour}} * {{IMDb title|0120812}}
* {{Amg movie|173501|Rush Hour}} * {{mojo title|rushhour}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|id=rush_hour|title=Rush Hour}} * {{Rotten Tomatoes|rush_hour}}
* {{metacritic film|id=rushhour|title=Rush Hour}} * {{Metacritic film}}
*


{{Rush Hour}} {{Rush Hour}}
{{Brett Ratner}} {{Brett Ratner}}
{{Portal bar|Film|United States|Comedy|1990s}}


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Latest revision as of 05:14, 22 December 2024

1998 American action comedy film by Brett Ratner

Rush Hour
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBrett Ratner
Screenplay by
Story byRoss LaManna
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAdam Greenberg
Edited byMark Helfrich
Music byLalo Schifrin
Production
company
Roger Birnbaum Productions
Distributed byNew Line Cinema
Release date
  • September 18, 1998 (1998-09-18)
Running time98 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • Cantonese
Budget$33–35 million
Box office$244 million

Rush Hour is a 1998 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and written by Jim Kouf and Ross LaManna from a story by LaManna. It stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker as mismatched police officers who are assigned to rescue a Chinese diplomat's abducted daughter. Tom Wilkinson, Chris Penn and Elizabeth Peña play supporting roles.

Released on September 18, 1998, the film received positive reviews from critics and has grossed over $244 million worldwide. Its box office commercial success led to two sequels: Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Rush Hour 3 (2007).

Plot

On the last day of British rule of Hong Kong on June 30, 1997, Detective Inspector Lee of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force leads a raid at the wharf, hoping to arrest the unidentified, anonymous crime lord Juntao. He finds only Sang, Juntao's right-hand man, who escapes in a boat. Lee recovers numerous Chinese cultural treasures stolen by Juntao, which he presents as a farewell victory gift to his departing superiors, Chinese consul Solon Han and British police commander Thomas Griffin.

Two months later after Han takes up his new diplomatic post in Los Angeles, Han's daughter Soo Yung is kidnapped by Sang while on her way to school. Han calls Lee to assist in the case, but the FBI, fearing that Lee's involvement could cause an international incident, pawns him off on the LAPD. Detective James Carter, a talented but obnoxious LAPD officer who is disliked by the rest of his precinct for his self-aggrandizing attitude, is tricked into "babysitting" Lee as punishment for botching a sting operation. When Carter finds out, he decides to solve the case. Carter takes Lee on a sightseeing tour, keeping him away from the embassy while contacting informants about the kidnapping. Lee gets into trouble when Carter tells him to follow his lead, resulting in Lee calling a black bartender the N-word, not knowing it is offensive. Several black patrons attack Lee as a result, forcing him to defeat them. Carter tries to prevent Lee from leaving him but Lee makes his own way to the Chinese Consulate, where Han and the FBI await news about his daughter. While arguing with Special Agent in Charge Warren Russ, Carter unwittingly negotiates with Sang, arranging a $50 million ransom drop.

The FBI traces the call to a warehouse, where a team of agents are killed by plastic explosive. Spotting Sang nearby, Lee and Carter give chase but he escapes, dropping the detonator. Carter's colleague, LAPD bomb expert Tania Johnson, traces it to Clive Cobb, the man arrested by Carter in the earlier botched sting operation. Lee presses Clive into revealing his business relationship with Juntao, whom he met at the Foo Chow restaurant in Chinatown. Clive is initially unwilling to speak to the duo but Lee shows him a picture of Soo Yung, causing him to relent. Lee then begins to earn Carter's trust. Carter goes to the restaurant alone and sees a surveillance video of Juntao carrying Soo Yung into a van. Lee arrives and saves Carter from Juntao's syndicate, but they are taken off the case as the FBI blames them for the botched ransom drop, with Lee sent back to Hong Kong. However, Carter refuses to give up and appeals to Johnson for assistance to sneak on board Lee's plane, where he persuades the Hong Kong detective to help stop Juntao together.

Griffin later involves himself in the case, revealing more about the HKPF's past with Juntao's syndicate, and implores Han to pay the ransom to avoid further bloodshed. At the opening of a Chinese art exhibition at the Los Angeles Convention Center, overseen by Han and Griffin, the now $70 million ransom is delivered, and Carter, Lee, and Johnson enter disguised as guests. Carter orders the guests to evacuate for safety, angering the FBI, but Lee catches Griffin accepting a remote for the detonator from Sang. Lee and Johnson realize Griffin is Juntao when Carter recognizes him from the Chinatown surveillance tape. Griffin threatens to detonate a bomb vest attached to Soo Yung and demands that the ransom be paid in full, as compensation for the priceless Chinese artifacts which Lee recovered in his raid. Juntao's men start a shootout with the FBI while Carter sneaks out, locates Soo Yung in the van, and drives it into the building within range of Griffin, preventing him from setting off the vest.

Johnson gets the vest off Soo Yung, while Griffin heads to the roof with the bag of money. Lee takes the vest and pursues Griffin, while Carter shoots Sang dead in a gunfight and saves Russ. Lee has a brief altercation with Griffin that culminates in both dangling from the rafters. Griffin, holding on to the vest, falls to his death when its straps are torn, but when Lee falls, Carter catches him with a large flag. Han and Soo Yung are reunited and Han sends Carter and Lee on vacation to Hong Kong as a reward. Before Carter leaves, agents Russ and Whitney offer him a position in the FBI, which he mockingly refuses, proudly stating he is LAPD. Carter boards the plane with Lee, who annoyingly starts singing Edwin Starr's "War" off-key. A desperate Carter yells for a stewardess, demanding that she give him another seat.

Cast

  • Jackie Chan as Chief Inspector Lee, a top Hong Kong cop skilled in martial arts who comes to Los Angeles to help his friend find his kidnapped daughter.
  • Chris Tucker as Detective James Carter, a fast-talking street-smart LAPD Detective originally assigned by the FBI to babysit Lee and keep him out of their investigation.
  • Tom Wilkinson as Thomas Griffin/Juntao, a British diplomat and colleague of Han's who is secretly a top crime lord in Hong Kong.
  • Tzi Ma as Consul Solon Han, Soo Yung's father and a Hong Kong diplomat who has just moved to Los Angeles.
  • Ken Leung as Sang, Juntao's second in command.
  • Elizabeth Peña as Detective Tania Johnson, an aspiring bomb squad technician in the LAPD who helps Carter rescue Soo-Yung.
  • Mark Rolston as FBI Special Agent Warren Russ
  • Rex Linn as FBI Agent Dan Whitney, Russ's partner
  • Chris Penn as Clive Cod, a small time arms dealer who was arrested by Carter in a botched sting operation.
  • Philip Baker Hall as Captain Bill Diel, Carter's supervisor. He gives Carter the FBI assignment as punishment for a botched undercover sting operation.
  • Julia Hsu as Soo-Yung Han, Consul Han's daughter who is kidnapped by a criminal organization. She is also a martial arts student of Lee's.

Other cast members include John Hawkes as Carter's informant "Stucky", Clifton Powell as Carter's cousin Luke, Barry Shabaka Henley as prison guard Bobby, Roger Fan and George Cheung as Soo-Yung's bodyguards, Gene LeBell as a taxi driver, and Frances Fong (in her final film role) as a socialite. Jackie Chan Stunt Team members Ken Lo, Nicky Li Chung-chi, Chan Man-ching and Andy Cheng appear as Juntao's henchmen.

Production

Rush Hour began as a spec script written in 1995 by screenwriter Ross LaManna. The screenplay was sold by LaManna's William Morris agent Alan Gasmer to Hollywood Pictures, a division of the Walt Disney Company, with Arthur Sarkissian attached as producer. After attaching director Brett Ratner and developing the project for more than a year with producers including Sarkissian, Jonathan Glickman and Roger Birnbaum, Disney Studios chief Joe Roth put the project into turnaround, citing concerns about the $34 million budget, and Jackie Chan's appeal to American audiences. Several studios were interested in acquiring the project. New Line Cinema was confident in Ratner, having done Money Talks with him, so they made a hard commitment to a budget and start date for Rush Hour.

Martin Lawrence, Wesley Snipes, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy and Dave Chappelle were considered for the role of Detective James Carter; Murphy turned down the role to do Holy Man instead while Snipes turned down the role in favor of Blade, which was also for New Line Cinema. Chan wanted Lawrence for the role, but he turned it down due to a low offer.

After the success of Rumble in the Bronx, Ratner wanted to put Chan in a buddy-cop movie, not as a co-star or sidekick but on equal footing with an American star. Ratner flew to South Africa where Chan was filming and pitched the film. A few days later Chan agreed to star and not long after flew to Los Angeles and met Chris Tucker, the latter actor who ended up taking the role as Detective James Carter.

Ratner credited Tucker with getting his first feature film Money Talks and thought Tucker and Chan would make a great team. Filming began on November 30, 1997. Shooting took place mainly in locations around the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area, including the Los Angeles Convention Center, Grauman's Chinese Theater, Greystone Mansion, Ennis House, and Long Beach Airport. The opening sequence was shot in Hong Kong.

Reception

Box office

Rush Hour opened at No. 1 in September 1998 at the North American box office, with a weekend gross of $33 million. It surpassed The First Wives Club to have the highest September opening weekend and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to have the biggest opening weekend for a New Line Cinema film. The film would hold latter record until the following June when Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me took it. Rush Hour would continue to hold the September record for three more years until it was surpassed by Sweet Home Alabama in 2002. Overall, it would top the box office for two weeks before getting displaced by Antz. Rush Hour grossed over $140 million in the US and $103 million in the rest of the world, for a total worldwide gross over $244 million.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, Rush Hour holds an approval rating of 62% based on 77 reviews and an average score of 6.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "While it won't win any awards for originality, the combustible chemistry between its stars means Rush Hour hits just as hard on either side of the action-comedy divide." On Metacritic, the film received a weighted average score of 61 out of 100 based on 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.

Roger Ebert praised both Jackie Chan, for his entertaining action sequences without the use of stunt doubles, and Chris Tucker, for his comical acts in the film, and how they formed an effective comedic duo. Joe Leydon of Variety called it "a frankly formulaic but raucously entertaining action comedy". Leydon is critical of the editing, saying that it "works against Chan by breaking up the flow of his frenzied physicality." Charles Taylor of Salon.com is critical of Hollywood misusing Jackie Chan: "Chan is a one-of-a-kind performer: Bruce Lee crossed with Donald O'Connor in the "Make 'em Laugh" number from Singin' in the Rain. Hollywood needs to stop treating him as if he were one of those fondue sets given as wedding gifts in the '70s: a foreign novelty shoved in a closet due to absolute cluelessness about what to do with it."

Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post calls the film a "misbegotten marriage of sweet and sour" and says, "The problem is it can't make up its mind and, unlike Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, the sharply contrasting flavors of these ingredients only leave a bad taste in the customer's mouth." O'Sullivan says Tucker is miscast, the script "perfunctory and sloppy", and the direction "limp, lethargic". Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a grade "C−" and was critical of the buddy comedy, saying, "The two characters barely even have a relationship; they're a union of demographics—the "urban" market meets the slapstick-action market."

Chan has expressed dissatisfaction with the film: "I didn’t like the movie. I still don’t like the movie." Chan continued: "I don’t like the way I speak English, and I don’t know what Chris Tucker is saying". Although he respects the box-office success of Rush Hour, Chan said he preferred the films he made in his native Hong Kong because they delivered more fight scenes: "If you see my Hong Kong movies, you know what happens: Bam bam bam, always Jackie Chan-style, me, 10 minutes of fighting."

Cultural influence

Rush Hour was the catalyst for the creation of the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes. Senh Duong, the website's founder and a Jackie Chan fan, was inspired to create the website after collecting all the reviews of Chan's Hong Kong action films as they were being released in the United States. In anticipation of Rush Hour, Chan's first major Hollywood crossover, he coded the website in two weeks and the site went live shortly before the film's release.

Sequels

A sequel, Rush Hour 2, which was primarily set in Hong Kong, was released in 2001. A third film, Rush Hour 3, which was primarily set in Paris, was released on August 10, 2007. Tucker earned $25 million for his role in the third film and Chan received the film's distribution rights in Asia.

In 2007, before the release of Rush Hour 3, Ratner was optimistic about making a fourth film and potentially having it set in Moscow. In 2017, Chan agreed to a potential script for Rush Hour 4 after years of turning down scripts.

Music

Main article: Rush Hour (soundtrack)

Edwin Starr's "War" was used as the ending theme for the film.

The film's soundtrack features the hit single "Can I Get A..." by Jay-Z, Ja Rule and Amil, as well as tracks by Flesh-n-Bone, Wu-Tang Clan, Dru Hill, Charli Baltimore and Montell Jordan.

The official soundtrack album was certified platinum on January 21, 1999.

Awards

Home media

VHS

Release date Country Classification Publisher Format Language Subtitles Notes Reference
January 26, 1999 United States PG-13 New Line Home Video NTSC English None
October 18, 1999 United Kingdom 12 Entertainment in Video PAL English None

DVD

Release date Country Classification Publisher Format Region Language Sound Subtitles Notes Reference
March 2, 1999 United States PG-13 New Line Home Video NTSC 1 English Unknown English Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (16:9)
October 1, 1999 United Kingdom 12 Entertainment in Video PAL 2 English Unknown English Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1 (16:9)
February 14, 2000 Australia M Roadshow Entertainment PAL 4 English Dolby Digital 5.1
Dolby Digital 2.0
English Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (16:9)
Dolby Digital Trailer: Canyon

UMD

Release date Country Classification Publisher Format Region Language Sound Subtitles Notes References
September 1, 2005 United Kingdom 12 Entertainment in Video PAL 2 English Unknown English
January 3, 2006 United States PG-13 New Line Home Entertainment NTSC 1 English Unknown English

Blu-ray

Release date Country Classification Publisher Format Region Language Sound Subtitles Notes Reference
October 11, 2010 United Kingdom 15 Warner Home Video PAL Free English Unknown English Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 (16:9)
December 7, 2010 United States PG-13 New Line Home Entertainment NTSC Free English Unknown English Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 (16:9)

See also

References

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