A ChucksConnection Film Review

 

Julia Hsu wears red high top Converse “Chuck Taylor” All Stars in the film.

 

Rush Hour

by Marcus Angulo

Soo Yung wears red high top chucks in this film.

 

A phrase that has been going around a lot lately on Film Twitter is “They don't make ‘em like this anymore”. This usually pops up whenever someone posts a clip or appreciation thread about an older film but it can be in regards to anything: special effects, plots, action, humor, or even the movie stars themselves. Many of these cases are people having rose-colored glasses for stuff they grew up with but some apt films genuinely fit this sentiment. Rush Hour is an action comedy released in 1998 that is an all-time “they don’t make ‘em like this anymore” movie. Starring Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Tom Wilkinson, Tzi Ma, Ken Leung, Elizabeth Peña, Mark Rolston, Rex Linn, Chris Penn, Philip Baker Hall, and Julia Hsu, the box office commercial success led to two sequels: Rush Hour 2 in 2001 and Rush Hour 3 in 2007.

 

The stakes take a dire turn for Soo Yung.

On the final day of British rule of Hong Kong on June 30, 1997, Detective Inspector Lee (Chan) of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force leads a raid at the wharf, hoping to arrest the anonymous crime lord known only as Juntao. Instead, he finds only his right-hand man Sang (Leung), who evades capture. The raid isn’t a total failure, as Lee recovers numerous Chinese cultural treasures stolen by Juntao. He presents these as a farewell gift to his departing superiors, Chinese consul Solon Han (Ma), and British police commander Thomas Griffin (Wilkinson). Han’s daughter, Soo Yung (Hsu), is heartbroken that Lee is not going with them but he reassures her that they’ll see each other again.

 

 

Soo Yung fights and tries to free herself with her backpack.

 

Two months later after Han takes up his new diplomatic post in Los Angeles, Soo Yung is kidnapped by Sang while on her way to school. Han summons Lee to assist in the case, but the FBI denies his assistance because they worry that his involvement will cause an international incident. Instead, they assigned him to work with the Los Angeles Police Department. There he meets Detective James Carter (Tucker), an effective but obnoxious LAPD officer who is tricked into "babysitting" Lee as punishment for botching a sting operation. When Carter finds out about this, he decides to solve the case in pure spite. These two will form an incredible “odd-couple” pairing as they learn to navigate their different backgrounds, cultures, and languages to face the unknown criminal mastermind that awaits them.

 

Carter and Soo Yung try to take control.

 

This movie is a classic due completely to the chemistry of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Tucker is one of the best comedic actors of his generation and his ability to blend outlandish comedy with the high-stakes action is not something that many actors could do. Jackie Chan is obviously a legend but this film (and the subsequent sequels) showed a different side to him that was warm and funny. He has gone on record saying he struggled with the English dialogue but despite this, he has such impeccable comedic timing that you wouldn’t know it. He is a natural and completely stands toe-to-toe with Tucker. They seem like a natural pair together despite their wildly different backgrounds and it is why this movie has stood the test of time and why fans still ask to get another one. The action is always fun, there are plenty of laughs, and the budding friendship between Lee and Carter adds an emotional core to a perfect summer blockbuster. They truly don’t make ‘em like this anymore.

Best Chucks Scene

 

Soo Yung is a rebel and a fighter and she fights back in her chucks!

 

The best chucks scene in this movie is the scene that kicks off the whole movie. Han is about to take Soo Yung to school when he receives a call from China. He tells Soo Yung that he’ll pick her up but her security team will have to take her. She is wearing bright red chucks with her school uniform as she gets in the car, hopeful she’ll get to see her dad later. On the way to school, they get stuck in traffic as she belts out “Fantasy” by Mariah Carey which is just adorable. The car gets rerouted and her security is taken out as Sang swoops in on a motorcycle to kidnap Soo Yung. We see her and her red chucks dangling from the back of the bike as he gets away. The singing in the car is one of the cutest scenes in a movie and it is followed up by a decent chase scene.

 

Soo Yung makes a break for it!

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