Why Jackie Chan ‘didn’t like’ Hong Kong-set Rush Hour 2 and why, with its crude stereotypes, sexism and Chris Tucker’s bad Cantonese, he was justified

Rush Hour 2 made millions at the box office upon its release in 2001, with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker’s on-screen chemistry widely praised. But Chan hated it

The actor felt his character’s bad English was an issue, but looking back, the film’s crude stereotyping, and objectification of women, are far more troubling

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Jackie Chan (left) and Chris Tucker in a still from “Rush Hour 2”. The “Rush Hour” sequel was a huge success upon its release in 2001, but Chan hated it. Photo: New Line Cinema

Matt Glasby

Published: 7:15pm, 1 Dec 2023Updated: 9:19am, 2 Dec 2023

When Rush Hour was released in 1998, it was just possible to discern the slightest whiff of cynicism.

A buddy cop film directed by Brett Ratner that paired Jackie Chan’s Hong Kong policeman with Chris Tucker’s loud-mouthed LAPD detective, it was designed to capitalise on the American box office success of 1995’s Rumble in the Bronx.

Although the genre had felt stale for years, Rush Hour made US$244 million worldwide, with the pair’s chemistry winning over the critics – or, at least, some of them.

“I didn’t like the movie. I still don’t like the movie,” Chan told the Los Angeles Times. “I don’t like the way I speak English, and I don’t know what Chris Tucker is saying.”

Rush Hour 2 (2001) Official Trailer2 - Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker Movie HD

Confusing or not, the movie’s success meant that Rush Hour 2 (2001), also directed by Ratner, was a no-brainer.