Colpo grosso al drago rosso - Rush Hour 2

Action-comedy legend Jackie Chan teams up with the amusing Chris Tucker in this off-beat sequel to the 1998 hit, Rush Hour. Both actors create likable characters with slightly more depth to them than the average comedic archetypes. Tucker is a loudmouthed clown from the LAPD, and Chan is a quiet, methodical Chief Inspector from Hong Kong. Not just racial stereotypes, their characters are developed just enough to make you want more from them - particularly Chan's.

The plot begins to develop in earnest about 1/3rd of the way through the film and takes a few predictable twists and turns until reaching a climactic conclusion. John Lone plays Chan's father's former police partner and the leader of the Triads - a huge Hong Kong gang. He plays his character like a Chinese Chris Walken and, along with Ziyi Zhang, his beautiful but psychotic partner, provides a nice dramatic balance to the lunatic Tucker and straight-man Chan. The story evolves to expose a counterfeiting plot in which the Triad, the US Secret Service, and others are all somehow involved.

Chan and Tucker have great chemistry and, with a good supporting cast, they make this sequel work. Rush Hour 2 is a fun, lightweight action film suitable for teens on up.

James Carter comes to Hong Kong for a holiday with Inspector Lee. However at the same time a bomber is striking key American targets. Carter and Lee get drawn into an investigation into a counterfeiting ring run by Ricky Tan and his new partner Hu Li. Before long their up to their necks in trouble again.

The story doesn't matter because basically it's this - Carter talks funny to somebody while Lee is distracted, it then all kicks off and Lee does lots of fancy moves, it then moves to a different location and the pattern repeats again. Essentially that's it - but it doesn't matter, it worked the first time and it works again here. The story is better than the first film's, although the twists don't work as well as they think they do.

The main improvement since the first movie is that there's more fighting action. In RH Jackie Chan's fighting was toned down to make room for Tucker's comedy. In RH2 Chan is allowed to have much more action and the addition of Zhang Ziyi ups the ante all the more. Tucker still gets to do his big-mouthed comedy and have plenty of banter between him and Chan, be sexual with girls and fight. It's not breaking new ground but it's quite fun.

Chan and Tucker are very good, mainly because they're having fun and comfortable with each other. Lone adds class and menace as Ricky Tan and Sanchez adds spice as the beautiful Isabella. The best addition is Zhang Ziyi - she doesn't have any character but she can certainly move! The cast also has very funny cameos from Don Cheadle and Jeremy Piven - adding laughs and class.

The only problem with the film is that it is so very formulaic and is just a simple crowd pleaser. Some of the banter is a few steps off racism (`I'll kick you back to Africa') and much of Tucker's ogling is borderline sexism. However it's all so very polished that you don't notice.

Overall it's a very entertaining blockbuster. The only problem is this - the funniest bits are the outtakes, shouldn't it have been in the film?!

A lot of comedy in this movie, which makes this movie so entertaining, from the beginning to the end. Lots of action in such different places, like Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. It is very interesting to follow the storyline through those different cities. The LA's skyscrapers are always spectacular in any movie. Jackie Chan is well as usual and Chris Tucker seems to be inspired, except when he is talking in Chinese language!

Chris Tucker is a great American actor and we like him as an example of a good patriotic American.

Inspector Lee and Carter are an awesome duo, they seem to be the only thing in this movie, but the kick in Carter's face from Hu Li makes clear it is not so. Zhang Ziyi is a perfect complement to this couple. John Lone is very credible in his role. And American actress Rosalyn Sanchez is a stunning surprise.

Rush Hour 2 is one of those rare sequels that turn out to be either just as just as much if not equally more hilarious than the first. This summer, I had several opportunities to see this film and of course took those chances because I just couldn't stop laughing at this film, no matter how I knew what would happen in the next scene. It has great humor and great chemistry that we haven't seen between two actors since Mel Gibson and Danny Glover.

Carter and Lee are back and starting off where the first Rush Hour left off and that's in China. Carter is expecting a dream vacation full of "mushoo's" a.k.a girls! Lee is standing in the way of that though taking on his old cases, including finding out about a counterfeit scam, and finding out who killed his father. He fools Carter several times, but together eventually team back to discover that you just "follow the rich white man" back to America and end up working undercover with the sexy Isabella Molina. But things get deeper as Lee finds out that the counterfeit scam and his father's killer might to be connected.

Rush Hour 2 is one of the funniest movies I have seen, not to mention one of the best movies of the year! I was extremely happy to see this movie and I cannot wait until the DVD! Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan are just amazing and I cannot wait until the third Rush Hour release, I just know it'll be a great one!

9/10

I've seen this film a few times now and it always makes me laugh. It's a great blend of action and comedy, and Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker seem to work really well together because they act total opposites and play really well off each other.

The plot's fairly basic with the standard sort of Hong Kong police story about drugs and revenge, but the two fish out of water characters (Chan in LA and Tucker in HK) just make it really enjoyable. The fight scenes are pretty cool (I really liked the one with the locker doors in the casino) and Tucker's jokes with that high pitched voice are just really funny.

It's just a really fun action-comedy movie that is really enjoyable. Can't ask for more than that.