Rush Hour

1998

Rush Hour

Critics Consensus

A kick-ass addition to the cop-buddy film genre.

60%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 73

78%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 902,276

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Movie Info

Brett Ratner directed this action-comedy that found box-office success by teaming Chris Tucker with Jackie Chan -- performing his own stunts as per his earlier films. As the story begins, Hong-Kong supercop Lee's (Chan), detective savvy leads to the confiscation of $500 million in weapons, drugs, and Chinese art. When Hong Kong Chinese Consul Han (Tzi Ma), is sent on a diplomatic mission to Los Angeles, his 11-year-old daughter, Soo Young (Julia Hsu), is abducted by an international criminal mastermind. The FBI assures Han they will find the kidnappers and return her safely, yet Han only trusts his longtime friend and ally (also his daughter's beloved martial arts teacher) Inspector Lee, who immediately flies in to help. Unwilling to have an outsider interfere in their investigation, the FBI assigns rogue LAPD detective (and buffoon) James Carter (Chris Tucker) to the case. Hoping to impress the FBI, Carter enthusiastically reports for work but is dismayed to discover his real mission is only to keep Lee away from the case (read b-a-b-y-s-i-t-t-e-r). The arrogant Carter reacts by embarking on a one-man crusade to solve the case, but he must first distract Lee. It doesn't take Carter long before he realizes he has greatly underestimated his Hong Kong counterpart, who sees what's going on and slips away. Impatient FBI agents try to cast off these unwanted misfit cops, but with an assist from LAPD bomb expert Tania Johnson (Elizabeth Pena), Carter and Lee eventually confront the bad guys in a full-tilt action sequence. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
  • Rating:
    PG-13 (for sequences of action/violence and shootings, and for language)
  • Genre:
    Action & Adventure, Comedy
  • Directed By:
    Brett Ratner
  • Written By:
    Brett Ratner, Ross LaManna, Jim Kouf
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    New Line Cinema

Cast

Jackie Chan
as Detective Inspector Lee
Chris Tucker
as James Carter
Elizabeth Peña
as Tania Johnson
Tom Wilkinson
as Thomas Griffin
Julia Hsu
as Soo Yung
Tzi Ma
as Consul Han
Philip Baker Hall
as Capt. Diel
James Fox
as Consul Han
Mark Rolston
as Agent Russ
Rex Linn
as Agent Whitney
Ken Leung
as Sang
Chris Penn
as Clive
Robert Littman
as First Caucasian
Michael Chow
as Dinner Guest
Kai Lennox
as Cop at Diner
Larry Sullivan Jr.
as Cop at Diner
Yan Lin
as Consul Secretary
Roger Fan
as Soo Yung's Bodyguard
George Cheung
as Soo Yung's Driver
Lucy Lin
as Exposition Official
Jason Davis
as Kid at Theatre
John Hawkes
as Stucky
Jean Lebell
as Taxi Driver
Wayne A. King
as Cigaweed Man
Manny Perry
as Bartender
Kevin Jackson
as Pool Player
Ronald D. Brown
as Pool Hall Doorman
Clifton Powell
as Luke
Matt Barry
as Market Clerk
Stanley DeSantis
as FBI Gate Guard No. 1
Dan Martin
as FBI Gate Guard No. 2
Kevin Lowe
as Another Agent
Billy Devlin
as FBI Agent at Building
Tommy Bush
as Bomb Practice Sergeant
Barry Shabaka Henley
as Bobby
Albert Wong
as Chin
Al Wan
as Foo Chow Hostess
Lydia Look
as Foo Chow Waitress
Sumiko (Osumi) Chan
as Japanese Tourist
Chan Man Ching
as Japanese Tourist/Juntao's Man
Ken Lo
as Juntao's Man
Stuart W. Yee
as Juntao's Man
Chung Chi Nicky Li
as Juntao's Man
Andy Kai Chung Cheng
as Juntao's Man
Christine Mg Wing Mei
as Flight Attendant No. 1
Frances Fong
as Socialite
Robert Kotecki
as Convention Center Agent
Mike Ashley
as Male Flight Attendant
Ada Tai
as Flight Attendant No. 2
Arlene Tai
as Flight Attendant No. 3
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News & Interviews for Rush Hour

20 Years Later, Rush Hour Is Still a Buddy-Cop Gem
12 Great Buddy Cop Pairings in Movies
RT Flashback: The First Ten Movies Ever Reviewed
View All

Critic Reviews for Rush Hour

All Critics (73) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (29)

View All Critic Reviews (73)

Audience Reviews for Rush Hour

  • May 17, 2020
    While this formulaic bit of buddy cop comedy kinda works, it kinda works on the back of Chris Tucker's black-man-playing-blackface-for-the-modern-day - "ghetto" riffing, which is practically nonstop throughout the piece. It's embarrassing as hell that Hollywood still plays this card, and that black guys still need to play it...to get work. I thought that some ching-chang Chinese slur was a certainty, given Tucker's obvious pandering to white ideas of what black people act and sound like, but no doubt Jackie Chan thankfully nixed that (but for some little throwaways here and there). There's some story about catching kidnappers, but it's only a cover for Tucker's movie-long blackface routine. Still, it was successful, so I must be part of the extreme minority to find this yuk-yuk flippancy offensive. In this day and age? Only about 20 years ago.
    Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
  • Jun 04, 2018
    Maybe the most overrated buddy cop movie of all time.
    Gimly M Super Reviewer
  • Jul 23, 2015
    A buddy comedy film that has been done so many times before but the miss match cops work well together on set, We have Jackie Chan with the great action scenes and Chris Tucker for the comedy they make the old script work well that's funny and entertaining and worth watching.
    Jamie C Super Reviewer
  • Feb 16, 2014
    The buddy-cop film Rush Hour is an exciting action/comedy from Brett Ratner. Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan star as a pair of unorthodox detectives who are put on a task force to help the Chinese consulate in L.A. recover his kidnapped daughter. Chan delivers his usual dynamic martial arts style that's full of flare and energy, and Tucker brings a lot of lively comedy. Still, things get a little too cartoonish at times and the plot's fairly predictable. While it's hardly original, Rush Hour is good, lighthearted fun.
    Dann M Super Reviewer
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