| Overall: | C- |
|---|---|
| Violence: | D |
| Sexual Content: | C- |
| Language: | C |
| Drugs/Alcohol: | B |
| Run Time: | 91 |
| Theater Release: | |
| Video Release: | 11 Dec 2001 |
| MPAA Rating: | |
| See Canadian Ratings | |
| How We Determine Our Grades | |
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Hoping for a one-two punch at the box office, Jackie Chan returns in the Rush Hour franchise as Hong Kong Police Detective Lee along with comedic sidekick Chris Tucker reprising his role as Detective Carter from the LAPD.
Joining Lee in Hong Kong for a little "R&R," Carter's frequent requests to be shown a good time and find some "mu shu" (meaning women) are put on a slow boat when Lee is commandeered to investigate the bombing of the US Consulate in Hong Kong. Wisely, Lee decides to keep the situation to himself while taking his motor-mouth friend to the city's hot spots.
Attempting to quietly look for clues while Carter has fun, Lee soon discovers his know-it-all companion isn't the type to sit back and relax. Forced to confess his real motives, Lee is provided with plenty of opportunities to use his fighting skills after Mr. LAPD moves in like a bull in China and ruffles the silk of HK's gang lords--along with stomping on their notebook computers. Uncovering a major scam for laundering high quality counterfeit bills, Lee and Carter follow the fake fortune from Asia to LA and finally Vegas where the cookie really crumbles.
Despite the fact he's nearing fifty, Chan continues to provide "wow" moments in the many stunts included in this movie. His trademark humility and easy-going presence is emphasized next to Tucker's obnoxious character, providing a positive role model for dealing with a difficult person--although it would take a performer with acting abilities far beyond Chan's to make us believe he's really broken up after a bomb appears to have taken Carter's life.
In addition to the obvious underlying violence found in any Chan movie, organized crime, sexual massage parlors (with women wearing little clothing), and Tucker's frequent profanity, may be reason enough for parents to want to avoid Rush Hour 2. While not gory or explicit, the demonstrated martial arts moves, gun play, and knifing could offer a multitude of ideas for impressionable minds to mimic, and does little to portray resolving conflict without violence.
Rush Hour 2 is rated PG-13: for action violence, language and some sexual material.
Cast: Jackie Chan Chris Tucker
Studio: 2001 New Line Productions
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About the Reviewer: Rod Gustafson
Rod Gustafson has worked in various media industries since 1977. He founded Parent Previews in 1993, and today continues to write and broadcast the reviews in newspapers, on radio and (of course) on the Internet. He currently serves as the President of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness, a provincial non-profit society. He also authors a regular column for The Parent's Television Council in Los Angeles. He and his wife Donna have four children.
