What do you get when you combine a fast-talking comedian with a legend of Hong Kong martial arts cinema? Apparently, you get a recipe for a successful trilogy of action-comedy films!
Starting with the release of Rush Hour in 1998, the Rush Hour trilogy has featured three installments, including a sequel that was released in 2001 and a third film released in 2007.
Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan have formed an unlikely duo for the successful Rush Hour trilogy (Credit: INFphoto)
Despite the magic of their pairing onscreen, the dynamic duo almost didn’t even make it to the silver screen!
In this article, we’ll be giving you the inside scoop on the humble beginnings of the Rush Hour franchise, as well as providing a ranking of the best Rush Hour movies. Let’s get started!
How Jackie Chan Was Cast in Rush Hour
The first Rush Hour film was the first English-speaking role for Jackie Chan (who, up until that point, mainly starred in Hong Kong action films), where he used his actual voice and did not overdub the English dialogue.
Director Brett Ratner apparently had to convince Chan to do so, as Chan was worried that his limited English skills would hinder the dialogue in the film.
Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan with director Brett Ratner at the premiere of Rush Hour 3 in Hollywood, California on July 30, 2007 (Credit: Carlos Diaz / INFphoto)
Ratner first envisioned a Hollywood film starring Chan in the late 1990s after seeing the success of 1995’s Rumble in the Bronx, a Hong Kong action film starring Chan that takes place in New York City.
Rumble in the Bronx was Jackie Chan’s breakthrough film for American audiences and ended up grossing $32 million in its North American theatrical run.
This convinced Ratner to work on a Hollywood project that would see Chan in the lead role and not as a supporting character.
Jackie Chan as Ma Hon Keung in the 1995 American-Hong Kong martial arts film Rumble in the Bronx (Credit: New Line Cinema / Golden Harvest)
Despite the success of Rumble in the Bronx, studio executives at Disney Studios were apparently unconvinced that Chan would be viable as a North American film star.
Eventually, New Line Cinema gave the green light to Ratner to start the project, as they had worked with him previously on Money Talks (1997), which was a financially successful film.
Jackie Chan attending the closing ceremony of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on December 8, 2022 (Credit: Balkis Press / ABACA / INSTARimages / Cover Images)
How Chris Tucker Was Cast in Rush Hour
Rush Hour was initially penned as a spec script by screenwriter Ross LaManna, who envisioned the concept of having a Hong Kong inspector pair up with a loudmouthed LAPD detective.
While Chan was always set to star as Chief Inspector Lee, the role of Detective James Carter went through a couple of hands before landing on Chris Tucker.
Chris Tucker attending the Harold and Carole Pump Foundation Gala in Los Angeles, California, on August 21, 2021 (Credit: RobinLori / INSTARimages)
When the film was in the early stages of development, comedian Martin Lawrence was originally attached to the role of Carter.
After the project moved to New Line Cinema, actors Dave Chappelle, Wesley Snipes, and Eddie Murphy were all considered for the part (however, Murphy declined the role to act in the 1998 film Holy Man instead, which was, unfortunately, a failure).
Ratner had previously worked with Tucker on Money Talks, so he cast Tucker in the role of James Carter.
Chris Tucker as Franklin Maurice Hatchett in the 1997 action-comedy film Money Talks (Credit: New Line Cinema)
Did Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker Get Along During the Filming of Rush Hour?
While they received plenty of onscreen success as a cop duo in Rush Hour, the relationship between Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker got off to a rocky start during the production of the first film.
Language barriers caused some friction in the early days on set, as Chris Tucker would often adlib lines for comedic effect, much to Chan’s annoyance.
Chan was already uncomfortable with performing in English, and he reportedly did not understand a lot of Tucker’s fast-talking, adlibbed dialogue while performing scenes.
The early days of filming got off to a rocky start for Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker due to language barriers, but the pair eventually found their rhythm and became good friends (Credit: Vince Flores / Startraksphoto)
Despite this early friction, Chan credits Tucker with helping him to improve his English-speaking skills, as well as helping him find success in the American film market.
Rush Hour Films Ranked
Let’s find out which of the movies in the trilogy is the best Rush Hour film, according to Rotten Tomatoes:
3. Rush Hour 3 (2007) – 17% Critics Score, 63% Audience Score
The third film in the Rush Hour trilogy, this movie sees Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan return to the roles of Detective James Carter and Chief Inspector Lee.
Chris Tucker as Detective James Carter and Jackie Chan as Chief Inspector Lee in the 2007 buddy action-comedy film Rush Hour 3 (Credit: New Line Cinema)
This time, the pair are reunited following the attempted assassination of Ambassador Solon Han, the Chinese Ambassador to the United States.
After discovering that the assassin of Han is none other than his Japanese foster brother Kenji (played by Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada),
Lee teams up with Carter yet again to track down the assassin and take down an international crime syndicate in France.
Unfortunately, the movie failed to capture the magic the previous two films had, and the critical reception to Rush Hour 3 was largely negative.
Most critics derided the film for being a tired rehash of the franchise and lacking the thrills that made the first two films memorable.
Chris Tucker as Detective James Carter and Jackie Chan as Chief Inspector Lee in the 2007 buddy action-comedy film Rush Hour 3 (Credit: New Line Cinema)
Despite this, the audience score for Rush Hour 3 on the popular film review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes seems to be fairly positive. The movie also managed to haul in $258 million against a budget of $140 million.
2. Rush Hour 2 (2001) – 51% Critics Score, 74% Audience Score
The second installment of the Rush Hour trilogy, Rush Hour 2, was released in 2001, following the success of the first film.
Chris Tucker as Detective James Carter and Jackie Chan as Chief Inspector Lee in the 2001 buddy action-comedy film Rush Hour 2 (Credit: New Line Cinema)
This time, Detective James Carter is on vacation in Hong Kong with his now close friend Chief Inspector Lee when his vacation is halted by a bombing of the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong.
After several missteps, the agents are taken off of the case, and Carter is forced to return to L.A., where they continue to track down the crime syndicate responsible for the attacks.
Chris Tucker as Detective James Carter and Jackie Chan as Chief Inspector Lee in the 2001 buddy action-comedy film Rush Hour 2 (Credit: New Line Cinema)
Rush Hour 2 received mixed reviews, although audiences seemed to still enjoy it. Famed film critic Roger Ebert opined that the film was made worse by Chris Tucker’s character, whom he called “the quintessential ugly American, and that’s not funny.”
The film, like its predecessor, was a financial success, hauling an impressive $347.3 million against a budget of $90 million.
1. Rush Hour (1998) – 61% Critics Score, 78% Audience Score
Often the case with comedy films, the first in the series is typically always the best. The Rush Hour series is no exception to this trend, as the first Rush Hour film is often regarded as the best.
This film sees Chief Inspector Lee and Detective James Carter being paired up for the first time after Consul Han’s daughter is kidnapped by criminals in Los Angeles.
Chris Tucker as Detective James Carter and Jackie Chan as Chief Inspector Lee in the 1998 buddy action-comedy film Rush Hour (Credit: New Line Cinema)
The movie was a massive success and provided the breakthrough Jackie Chan needed to become a popular actor in North America.
Both critics and audiences enjoyed the film, with critics enjoying the inventiveness of placing martial arts icon Jackie Chan in a buddy cop movie with comedian Chris Tucker.
Rush Hour has gone on to become a classic in the buddy cop genre, which is why the movie managed to spawn two sequels. Its success is evidenced by its overall revenue, as it brought in a total of $244.4 million against a rather small budget of $35 million.
Jackie Chan as Chief Inspector Lee and Chris Tucker as Detective James Carter in the 1998 buddy action-comedy film Rush Hour (Credit: New Line Cinema)
Is Rush Hour 4 Coming Out?
Seeing as it’s been over 16 years since the release of Rush Hour 3 in 2007, many fans of the original trilogy have wondered if there will ever be a fourth film in the franchise.
Both Tucker and Chan have voiced the desire to return to the series, although sexual allegations surrounding director Brett Ratner in 2018 seemed to hamper the possibility of a fourth film.
A fourth film in the Rush Hour franchise may be in the works, so fans of the series have a reason to celebrate (Credit: New Line Cinema)
However, fans of the series can rejoice, as Jackie Chan confirmed at the Red Sea Film Festival in 2022 that he was in talks to star in the fourth installment of the Rush Hour franchise.
We’re looking forward to seeing what the next film in the series will be about!