Rush Hour (1998)

Ninety-eight minutes, a kidnapping plot you’ve seen on cable more times than you can count, and a villain you can clock in his first scene. Rush Hour’s story is filler. The chemistry isn’t. Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker look like they were cast for two different movies, one a kung fu picture and one a stand-up special, and the clash is the whole joke. Tucker’s voice lives somewhere between a teakettle and a car alarm. Chan answers with his feet, and his brawl in a Chinatown restaurant is a sneaky little masterpiece of furniture abuse. Brett Ratner shoots the fights pretty flat, though, and anyone who’s seen Chan’s Hong Kong movies will notice how much tamer these are. Stick around for the bloopers during the credits, which are half the fun. It made $244.7 million worldwide on a reported $33M, and audiences handed it an A CinemaScore. A 6.9 because the plot is cardboard and the pair is gold. $8,859 says you try a Jackie Chan kick off the couch this week and land on the remote.

What works: Chan and Tucker’s mismatch is a perfect comedy engine, and Chan’s prop-heavy fights still get a laugh and a wince at the same time.

What doesn’t: The kidnapping plot is generic, the villain is obvious from his first scene, and the fights are shot flatter and tamer than Chan’s best work.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants a buddy cop movie for a lazy Saturday, and Jackie Chan fans showing a friend what the fuss is about.