The sequel to the 1998 hit "Rush Hour", is just as funny as the original and truth be told, I like this one better even thought the script might be weaker. Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker reprise their roles and make a fun movie to watch.

This time around Detective Carter, Chris Tucker (Dead Presidents) is on vacation in Hong Kong visiting his detective friend Inspector Lee, Jackie Chan (Shanghai Knights) when they have to investigate an explosion at the American Embassy in Hong Kong. The investigation leads them to Las Vegas and a conspiracy between a hotel mogul and a member of the Chinese Triad.

The movie story is very standard with no surprises. Unfortunately we have seen Jackie Chan do his stunts so many times that we are becoming used to them and no longer find them exciting. Chris Rock is loud most of the movie and at times it gets annoying. So in many aspects this movie is not very good.

However, the writing is wonderful. Chris Rock is hilarious is given many wonderful one liners. Zhang Ziyi (Hero) is also in the movie as the muscle for the bad guy. She is quite attractive and her stunts are up to her normal which is quite good. Ziyi is one of my favorite female actresses and I will continue to see more of her movies, be it in Chinese or American.

I would like to compliment Brett Ratner on his direction. He knows what makes this movie work, Chan and Tucker, and he lets them do their thing, all though it must have been very frustrating to work with Tucker because from the outtakes it looks like he did not know his lines very well.

Jeff Nathanson wrote a very funny script and it is clear he has talent because he also wrote "Catch Me if You Can," and "The Terminal." The karaoke night club scene was very funny and the one liners, like I have already said, were great. One of my favorites was towards the beginning when Lee tells Carter to blend in at a the bar and Carter says, "What do you mean blend in? I am two feet taller than everyone in here," another one is when Lee tells Carter that he is Michael Jackson to his Toto, and Carter says, "Toto? You mean Tito. Toto is what we had for supper last night." This stuff is what makes the movie fun and worth watching for an hour and a half. Nathanson does need to work on his story writing because the plot and sub-plots were either boring or un-original.

I have this movie so it is obviously worth watching. You don't need to see the first movie to watch this one, but it won't hurt. This is just a fun buddy movie and should fulfill your needs for a fun action movie that we have been sorely lacking here in the mid-2000's. I am looking forward to Rush Hour 3 in 2006.

Brian - the Naked Gun