Rush Hour

It's not on par with it's Movie predecessors, but for a TV show, it was not that bad. It's very surprising that the show is now Canceled while shows with much less attraction are still going on. The dynamic between the two lead actors were good, jokes sometimes missed to hit but when it hit, it was hilarious. I've watched all the episodes, and I'm glad that I did. They should come back with better writing and humor and less cliché. Sometimes the outcome got too predictable and the comedy was dry. But overall it was pretty enjoyable for my taste. No one can replace Jackie Chan but I didn't think Jon Foo was doing a bad job. The action was good for a TV budget. Justin Hires was doing good too. Felt refreshing compared to Chris Tucker's high pitch voice, still, irreplaceable. I really hope they come back better, stronger and funnier.

Jonathan Lee (Jon Foo) is a no-nonsense kung fu fighting cop from Hong Kong. His sister Kim is eager to prove herself to him. She gets an assignment and assumed killed by a Chinese gang while guarding a transport to LA. Jonathan is partnered with fast-talking irreverent LAPD detective James Carter (Justin Hires) on the case. Kim reveals that she was actually part of the gang. Jonathan and James continue the team. Didi Diaz (Aimee Garcia) is a fellow detective. Gerald Page (Page Kennedy) is James' low-life criminal informant and cousin. Their boss Captain Lindsay Cole (Wendie Malick) discovers that Kim is actually working undercover to bring down the gang.

This show has 13 episodes and canceled after 7 although the writing was on the wall before the pilot aired. Copying from a movie has not been a terribly successful strategy. Justin Hires is a functional fast-talking black guy. He's essentially a lesser but workable copy. Jon Foo is a few step down. He is stiff and Jackie Chan is not stiff. That keeps the chemistry lackluster. Over time, they are able to build up to a functional TV police procedural with some minor chemistry. However, it runs out of time before it could find its feet.

The tough thing about having a reboot with none of the original actors is that it loses its appeal somewhat to viewers that are expecting the same punch in terms of acting and action. The other difficult thing to produce is the same feel of a movie in a TV series. But that's where the expectations really differ and should be taken into account. Different actors take over and those who are really looking for a character, or interpretation of a character, similar to Jackie Chan or Chris Tucker's style are going to feel like there's something missing when these elements are tweaked (probably more so for Lee's character than Carter's in terms of style). That does not make this bad, just different.

In terms of the TV series packing that similar punch to the movies, they're trying to build a story over an extended period of time. It will not produce the same instantaneous payoff as a movie, which still doesn't make it bad. I'm pretty sure the budget isn't as large as the movies ($33 million, estimated for the original Rush Hour) but that honestly doesn't seem to stop them from including some good fight scenes, chases and developing relationships between the characters.

I read in another review that someone found Jon Foo (Lee's actor) to be slow and sluggish. I'll let the pilot speak for itself, as I would say much to the contrary. He proves to be agile and an interesting martial artist. In terms of comedic timing and chemistry, I actually found there to be a lot to enjoy. Similar to the movies, Lee is mostly the stoic, by- the-book character, and Carter is the louder, bolder, break-the-rules- when-necessary foil. I think the rambunctious quick wittedness of Carter/Hires' character and Lee/Foo's deadpan delivery really complement each other. I mean p.c. or not p.c., this is still the similar east meets west, funny, action-packed (maybe not as much as the movies but still good) Rush Hour that I knew and loved. Whether, as another user mentioned in their review, they need to move into the 21st century and take into consideration the more conservative approach to comedy for television regarding race, bear in mind that other successful television shows actually use race and stereotypes as part of their formula (such as Blackish) and find a way to open a conversation and make it funny. In Rush Hour, despite all of these stereotypes you see (which honestly are a nod to the original movies, references peppered throughout) they still show the relationship between two polar opposites in terms of culture and personality (like the original Rush Hour movies) and that they overcome and are able to cultivate a bond based on mutual respect and friendship.

Lastly, these actors are working really hard to make a fun show for us. So to all of the cast and crew who made this series possible, keep going! There are fans out there who appreciate the work you're putting into making this series!

Justin Hires: Funny, great performer. Jon Foo: Literally cannot do any martial arts. IMDb claims he is an "accomplished martial artist." He is NOT. He struggles to even throw a kick and not once did I actually see him actually complete a kick. He's very sluggish. He can't jump, can't punch and barely is able to act (directors' fault in my opinion--he just needs direction). They used a stunt double and not a very convincing one at that. He does have a passing resemblance to a very young Jackie Chan (who made maybe a 10 second cameo in the pilot) Now I mentioned Justin Hires is a great performer. Problem is he was given the exact same dialogue from the movie. He had nothing original to work with, sadly. Yet he still managed to make us laugh.

So I suggest that they dump Jon Foo, stop copying the movies scene for scene and do a proper reboot of the TV show. Actually, the Directors (both of them) should be fired as I believe Joh Foo has potential. They are the one responsible for making the decisions that will kill this show. There is zero doubt that this show is already dead. But if they reinvent it and start from scratch they may be able to accomplish something.

If you can get past the fact that it's not Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, then you would love this show .

I know many people can't let this go and may be turned off, it's pretty much a continuation of the Popular Franchise of the same name . It does not disappoint you get action, and Drama it's very well written . Justin hires does a good job as Detective Carter ,he could have easily been the Little brother of the Original. John Foo is Excellent as Detective Lee with all his Seriousness and fish out of water character.

If you want a Cop TV show that has a well balance of action and comedy then this is for you.