Ever since I was a kid I've loved Jackie Chan. While I don't exactly remember how it started, my family would occasionally rent his Hong Kong made movies with dubs or subtitles. Operation Condor was probably the first, and as a play off Indiana Jones it's no surprise I liked it. I also remember Mr. Nice Guy and Who Am I? A consistent theme here were PG-13 ratings. Years later I got to see some of his better R rated films like Rumble in the Bronx and The Legend of the Drunken Master. Of all these, LotDM or 'Drunken Master II' is the best with fantastic action and plenty of funny moments.
Chan's energy and commitment are evident in his early films. He usually had complete control over their creation, starred in them, planned and executed the stunts and even provided a ton of physical comedy. It's the blend of all this, the martial arts, the incredible feats, the choreography, and the perfectly timed humor that's special. There are other recurring pieces of Jackie Chan films too. The highly intricate fight scenes frequently use a random and seemingly innocuous object by Chan to either win or survive a difficult situation. During the credits a bunch of bloopers roll which show stunts gone wrong or other things behind the scenes, which are often downright hysterical. A favorite is when Chan gets hurt or knocked down and everyone, including his opponents, rush to his aid. In the Rumble in the Bronx credits they show Chan break his foot on a stunt, then complete everything else in a cast covered by a fake shoe. The man is nuts and dedicated to his craft.
Just check out this scene. The ladder stuff starts at 3:15 but the whole thing is good.
Chan had been attempting to make the jump to the United States for years, with some success, but it wasn't until Rush Hour that he accomplished this and truly entered the American movie landscape. It's not just Inspector Lee that gets off the plane from Hong Kong in Los Angeles, it's Jackie Chan himself.
Now there's no real reason or real life connection for the timing of this post. I felt like watching and writing about it. To me this was the pinnacle for a movie star I've long enjoyed and one of my favorite films ever since it premiered in '98. Let's go through why.
Rush Hour was a smash because it fused together a number of elements that are all Jackie Chan with concepts that are all Hollywood, like the buddy cop film. The locations are even literally Hong Kong and Hollywood. The very beginning, taking place in Hong Kong, feels straight out of his older films. It's charming that Chan doesn't quite have English mastered and a number of jokes center on that fact. Importantly he does his lines without dubbing. Add in Chris Tucker's rather loud attitude and some international intrigue for a real hit.
As always, there are quite a few stunts and other impressive bits. Jackie runs up walls and jumps through windows. He fights with pool cues, plush arm chairs and more. He falls from great heights. At one point he strips a gun with only one hand.
With all that said, it's humor instead of the action that carries the film and makes it thoroughly memorable. Chan remains his usual delightful self and the addition of a wild Chris Tucker provides a bunch of laughs. If that wasn't enough, other characters steal scenes like Soo Yung singing Mariah Carey.
Overall the plot is fine. What the script got right was a focus on the two main characters and their developing relationship. The clear chemistry is real and spectacular, paying huge dividends immediately and later. What starts as outright distrust and resentment...
quickly buds into a genuine friendship, which I have to think was real both on and off-screen. The heart and soul of the film comes from scenes where they just hang out. Singing 'War' does nothing for the narrative, and provides no action, but it defines the film and perfectly encapsulates the main characters and their relationship. This is what makes the movie great.
Makes me grin ear to ear every time.
If you somehow haven't seen this, I think you should make it a priority. Make sure to stay through the blooper credits, something they were incredibly wise to borrow and continue.
As a follow-up, Rush Hour 2 is even better. With a slightly more interesting plot, a better cast and presumably bigger budget, they were able to build on everything that started here and produce another outstanding action-comedy. Rush Hour 3, however, not so much. It totally sells out for laughs, which it does achieve, though the overall quality suffers considerably.
One final thing. If you'd be interested in seeing a completely serious version of a Jackie Chan film, check out The Foreigner. Also starring Pierce Brosnan, it's part political thriller, part revenge flick with some still impressive action by the aging legend. I watched on Netflix.
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