Rush Hour 2 (2001)

Ninety minutes, three cities and a plot about counterfeit money that nobody on screen seems to care about either. Rush Hour 2 hops from Hong Kong to Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and the triad boss story is just a clothesline to hang fights and riffs on. Chris Tucker cranks the volume up, and a lot of his bits about Lee and Hong Kong have aged badly. Then Jackie Chan scrambles up bamboo scaffolding, swings between floors and fights his way out of a tight spot with whatever’s lying around, and you forgive a lot. Zhang Ziyi barely says a word as Hu Li, and she’s terrifying anyway, all kicks and side-eye. The two leads still have that bickering big-brother, little-brother chemistry, even when the script gives them nothing new to bicker about. It made $347.3 million worldwide on a reported $90M. A 5.5 because the stunts and chemistry carry it and the jokes are reheated. $3,661 says your next vacation gets hijacked by somebody else’s plans and you complain the entire time, Carter style.

What works: Jackie Chan’s stunt work is still dazzling, and Zhang Ziyi makes a fierce, mostly silent villain.

What doesn’t: The counterfeit plot is pure filler, and a lot of Chris Tucker’s jokes about Lee and Hong Kong have aged badly.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants a quick buddy-cop movie with great stunts and doesn’t mind the jokes running on repeat.