RUSH HOUR

US, 1998, 97 minutes, Colour.
Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Tom Wilkinson, Philip Baker Hall, Chris Penn, Elizabeth Pena.
Directed by Brett Ratner.

Rush Hour hit the spot at the box office. Set at the eve of the British hand-over of Hong Kong, it spends a considerable amount of time in Hong Kong before transferring to the United States, having the best of both worlds.

It is a strong Jackie Chan vehicle and he is obviously enjoying himself very much. The film is in the vein of Crocodile Dundee with the person from another culture and another hemisphere trying to discover how the United States ticks. His American counterpart is played by Chris Tucker (often irritating in his screen manner as in The Fifth Element). The villain is Tom Wilkinson.

The film provides opportunity for Jackie Chan to continue to dazzle audiences with his stunts. In fact it was so popular that a sequel came out some years later. Direction is by Brett Ratner, a director of a diverse range of films including The Family Man and the third of the Hannibal Lector films, Red Dragon.

1. Jackie Chan and his popularity over the decades? In Hong Kong cinema? In the US and overseas cinema? His character, screen presence, comedy, action, stunts?

2. Jackie Chan in Los Angeles? The contrast between the Hong Kong settings and LA? Buildings, streets, art galleries, police precincts, restaurants? Jackie Chan and his stunts? Special effects? The musical score?

3. The title and its tone, the urban setting?

4. Jackie Chan in the US, his presence, Chinese language, questions about food, music, seen as an alien? Establishing himself as a presence? His work as a policeman, his friendship with Han? His dedication to retrieving Han's daughter?

5. Chris Tucker as Carter, screen presence, stand-up comedy, voice and mannerisms? His unorthodox methods, attitude of the police chiefs, the FBI? Assigned to the case? The encounter with Lee, their clash? The irony of the mock-racist remarks? The beginning of friendship?

6. The handing over of Hong Kong to China, the consul, the ex-British officer? The party, the thefts and the art galleries? The kidnapping of the young girl? The plan, the money demands, the phone calls, the rendezvous, things going wrong?

7. Lee as pleasant, as Carter's sidekick, avoiding him, going to the restaurants, finding out information? Who was in command? Loyalties, initiatives? Learning from Carter? Their discussion about their fathers? Saving each other?

8. Carter and his style, suspicions of Lee? Exasperation? His living up to his father? The FBI and the LAPD? The attitude of the authorities? The case, the connections and bluff? Phone calls, set-ups? The use of martial arts? Saving Lee?

9. Tom Wilkinson as the villain, henchman, his alias, the artworks? In Hong Kong, in the United States, the restaurants? The confrontation, the chase and his spectacular fall to his death?

10. The conventional action set-ups, stunts, comedy? An opportunity for action, comedy, police work, issues of right and wrong - and Jackie Chan?