Rating of
2.5/4
Tucker and Chan still have it
The M.O.W. - wrote on 04/04/09
"Hong Kong Police Inspector Lee" (Jackie Chan) and "LAPD Detective James Carter" (Chris Tucker) are in a much needed vacation in "Lee's" homeland. However, their plans change when a bomb explodes at the United States Embassy which kills two customs agents who were investigating a counterfeiting ring.
Hong Kong police assaign "Lee" to the case. It is believed that the man behind the bombing was a man who not only turned to a life of crime after a career in law enforcement, but the man who was not only the partner of "Lee's" father on the force, but the person directly involved in the cause of his death as well.
Now, the two unlikely buddies have to join forces once again to bring those responsible to justice.
Let me say right off the top, the reason to see this movie is Tucker and Chan as an on-screen duo. Their comedic timing together is nearly flawless. If you ask me, it is nearly impossible to say who is funnier when the script warrants. Both have great comedic timing when they are by themselves. But, when they are together -- priceless.
One thing I noticed is that some jokes, like one-liners specific to either "Lee" or "Carter" has snuck into this move. The good thing about this is that they don't go over the top with the jokes that carry over from the previous movie. They also don't really set up these jokes in an exact copy of the original scene.
Another reason to see this movie is the fight scenes, and the stunts by Chan and his stunt crew. If you've seen other Chan movies, you will already know that the movies he's in are known for their stunts and fight scenes. Chan goes for spectacular, and memorable stunts, always leaving some of the biggest for the movie climax. And Chan, as well as his stunt crew, don't fail to amaze. There are some great stunts, which, in fact, have minimal safety percautions. And the fight scenes, which are amazing to just sit back and watch, are fast paced, and wonderfully choreographed. It is hard to believe that people can move that quickly. Some of the best comedic moments between Tucker and Chan come during the fight scenes, which even Tucker gets involved with.
I was not too impressed with the supporting cast. Then again, I missed a lot of the movie due to commercials from TBS On Demand, which I watched this on. From what I did see, Roselyn Sanchez, who is one of the hottest women I've seen in a movie recently, played her character nicely. I just wasn't too impressed with the performances, including hers. She could just stand there as far as I am concerned though.
The story itself is pretty good, but I would suggest that you watch an unedited version. I noticed that I paid more attention to some websites I joined while watching the movies, more than the movie itself.
Unlike Chan and his stunt crew, this movie doesn't take advantage of their locations. I would have liked to have seen some scenery shots to set up the scene. I don't remember any in this movie.
Also, now here is a must for this film, watch through the closing credits for the outtakes. If you think Tucker and Chan are hilarious when they get things right, then you have to see when they screw things up. Easily some of the best laughs are from the outtakes.
I also recommend that you watch the previous film, as "Cutter" and "Lee" are well established already when they make their first appearance in this film. It will explain their relationship better to those who have yet to see the first film in the series.
I have to give this film 2.5 stars out of 4.