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RUSH HOUR put me to sleep. Admittedly, it was 9:30 on a school night, so I guess some of the blame is mine... Here's what I ob- served, through increasingly droopy eyelids: an impossibly good chemistry between the leads; the first hour plays like Jackie Chan lite, allowing the diminutive action hero to strut his far less- appreciated acting ability; Chris Tucker's a tough sell as a de- tective, but his mile-a-minute mouth goes an awfully long way; the lovely Elizabeth Pena appears in a don't 'doo and wearing a perpet- ual frown as Tucker's much-abused partner; THE FULL MONTY's Tom Wilkinson also appears, fully clothed; Lalo Schifrin's jazzy score scores; and the customary outtakes of Chan's do-it-yourself stunts are played over the closing credits. As indicated by the jaw-drop- ping first and second week numbers, this is probably the most pal- atable of Chan's films to date. (That is, to Yanks.) I found it draggy and predictable, but, hey, I was half-asleep. The house was packed and they roared when they should. I guess that means it's a hit. (Rated "R"/108 min.) Grade: C Copyright 1998 by Michael J. Legeros Movie Hell is a trademark of Michael J. Legeros
Originally posted to triangle.movies as
MOVIE HELL: September 28, 1998