John Lone
Occupation
Actor
Rush Hour 2 Review
By Blake French
Good
I enjoyed the original Rush Hour, the 1998 action comedy that grossed more than $250 million worldwide. Through its central characters, played by Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, the film provided audiences with a fresh, exciting combination of action and outrageous comedy. Although not a great film, and certainly not worthy of a sequel, director Brett Ratner admirably stitched together two immensely different characters, finding a charismatic delight in the diversity of Tucker and Chan.
Unfortunately Ratner does not find the same joy in Rush Hour 2, an occasionally amusing comedic adventure that leaves us with a profoundly annoying Chris Tucker fighting for attention while Jackie Chan fights one-dimensional Chinese villains with his bare fists. The film contains some neat action sequences, a great third act, and the most hilarious outtakes I can remember - but the clash of genres feels intrusive and awkward. I wanted more excitement, more character dimension, and a whole hell of a lot less of Chris Tucker's irritating mouth.
Continue reading: Rush Hour 2 Review
Year Of The Dragon Review
Very Good
Once upon a time, Mickey Rourke was a major Hollywood player, and Year of the Dragon finds him in one of his most respectable leading roles, the last film he made before 9 1/2 Weeks got everyone a little scared about Rourke's future. Here's Rourke, as well, in a prototypical role: As a hard boiled cop that will do anything it takes to bring down the new leader of New York's Chinese mafia. Rourke is like a rabid dog, and his torn-apart, hangdog performance surpasses the rest of the film, which plays like a rehash of Scarface.