Rush Hour 1998-2007

Rush Hour is a franchise of action comedy films; the first one released in 1998. The franchise stars Hong Kong martial arts star, Jackie Chan, and notable American comedian, Chris Tucker as policemen tasked with various operations. Ross LaManna created the series while Brett Ratner directed them. The original ’98 film became such a hit that two sequels followed, creating an empire that grossed successfully. 

Rush Hour (1998): Chan plays Detective Inspector Lee of the Hong Kong Police Force while Tucker’s character is the Los Angeles Police Department’s Detective James Carter. A Chinese diplomat’s daughter is kidnapped and Lee is consequently called in to help the FBI with the case. Lee and Carter end up working together. 

The action comedy topped the charts in North American box offices, while taking in a total gross of over $244 million across the world. In addition, several awards recognized its team and cast: 1999 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, 1999 Golden Screen (Germany), 1999 MTV Movie Awards: Best On-Screen Duo, etc. 

The two sequels: Rush Hour 2 and Rush Hour 3 were released in 2001 and 2007 respectively. Chan and Tucker continued to play the same characters, Detective Lee and Detective Carter as they face new crime investigations in Hong Kong and Los Angeles. 

While some praise the trilogy for capturing transnational flow and racial differences through comedy, other critics argue that stereotypes are manipulated in its representation of Asians on the big screen. On February 22, 2018, Complex News reports that Tucker has confirmed a fourth sequel to add to the Rush Hour Franchise. 

Sources:

“Rush Hour (1998 Film).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Nov. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_Hour_(1998_film).

Oscars. YouTube, YouTube, 4 June 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=folvVXothDo.

News, Complex. YouTube, YouTube, 22 Feb. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnIa2vVnjTk.