RUSH HOUR A MUST SEE ACTION FILM
Rush Hour is one of those action films that from beginning to end work on a level so good that they keep the viewer in constant concentration. We've all seen Jackie Chan's masterful action sequences at one stage in our lives, but in this film it is coupled with a clever script that plays with one of the most common forms of the action genre - the buddy cop thingy. Even the story itself sounds straight out of a martial arts film. However not only does Jackie Chan deliver solid acting and brilliant comic timing (even in scenes where he's not in the thick of things) but the movie is almost stolen by the loud mouth Chris Tucker, who has a brilliant touch as a Rookie LAPD officer. In fact, the combination between Chan and Tucker is probably one of the best pairings we've seen in a very long time. I've only ever seen Chan's work via a series of the best sequences in his movies, so I've never seen one of his films before (the video shop will be out of chan films for the next week), but from what I saw, the action is staged with the sort of brilliance that really does evoke Buster Keaton and even Charlie Chaplin. It is cinematic, using the width of the screen for its intricate set pieces, and it is choreographed in a dance like fashion with a rhythm in the scenes that goes perfectly with the editing. The narrative is pointless in this film - however it does help that we do care for the hostage. The narrative is probably not important given that the movie really lets its two stars shine - and it does. One other stand out is the brilliant score - the minute I heard it I thought a talented composer was behind it, only to see a few seconds later that Lalo Schrifin composed it (none other than the composer of the Mission Impossible theme). All these elements come together to make Rush Hour one of the most entertaining films you've seen in the last year.
85/100