Rush Hour (1998).

The Scoop:
It may be saddled with a predictable plot, silly fish-out-of-water jokes and a tone overly reminiscent of the “Lethal Weapon” movies (particularly the fourth one), but “Rush Hour” still manages to slide by on the combined charm of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Chan’s incredible stunt work and Tucker’s hilarious motor mouth have both been put to better use in other movies, but they still work well together and have fun showing off what they do best.

Basically, the plot (courtesy of director Brett Ratner and screenwriters Ross LaManna and Jim Kouf) is this — a fast-talking LAPD cop teams up with a Hong Kong detective to find the kidnapped daughter of the Chinese consulate. The rest is filler and fluff and gags, but at least they are kept light and entertaining.

There are far, far worse ways to spend an hour and a half. Like watching any of the useless sequels, for instance.

Best Bit:
The in-car singalong by Julia Hsu, who plays the little girl who gets kidnapped. I don’t know why I love it so much, but I do.

Side Note:
Jeff Nathanson, the screenwriter extraordinaire behind the turdbucket “Speed 2: Cruise Control” (1997) is also an uncredited writer here.

Companion Viewing:
“Lethal Weapon 4” (1998) and “Rush Hour 2” (2001).

Links:
IMDb.

Take a Look:
Sing it, girl!