---
title: "Rush Hour 2"
year: 2001
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/rush-hour-2"
fi1m_id: "rush-hour-2"
imdb_id: "tt0266915"
tmdb_id: 5175
wikidata_id: "Q830208"
fi1m_score: 61
critics_score: 52
critics_reviews: 12
published: "2026-10-05T02:21:57.561498+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T02:22:04.756167+00:00"
region: "AU"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Rush Hour 2 (2001)

Directed by Brett Ratner · 1h 30m · ACB M · Action, Comedy, Crime

## Identity

Rush Hour 2

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/rush-hour-2
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** rush-hour-2
- **IMDb ID:** tt0266915
- **TMDB ID:** 5175
- **Wikidata ID:** Q830208
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266915/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/5175, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q830208

**Fi1m score: 61** · Critics 52 from 12 reviews

*In a sentence:* Jackie Chan can escape almost anything except a conversation with Chris Tucker

> Jackie Chan’s acrobatics and his rapport with Chris Tucker make *Rush Hour 2* a decent diversion for the already persuaded. The thin plotting and repetitive racial jokes leave everyone else with less to enjoy.

## Synopsis

In Hong Kong, Yan Naing Lee (Jackie Chan) has the American James Carter (Chris Tucker) for company. Carter keeps up a running commentary while Lee handles physical confrontations, and the two men have different habits to accommodate. Ricky Tan (John Lone) and Hu Li (Zhang Ziyi) also figure in the crime story. An early fight puts Lee’s physical skills to work, while Carter’s remarks about the people around him keep bringing the differences between the two men into their conversations.

## Review

Brett Ratner has the right pair for an action comedy, and *Rush Hour 2* still gets some mileage from putting Jackie Chan beside Chris Tucker. We would call it a decent diversion for existing admirers, with the physical comedy doing most of the work. The partnership survives a thin crime story and a supply of jokes that too often take racial difference as sufficient reason to laugh. At 90 minutes, it asks for a modest investment of time, though there are stretches when the chatter makes it feel longer.

We were disappointed by the opening fight: Jackie Chan’s movement is graceful, but the sequence gives it too little comic invention. His acrobatic slapstick remains the chief pleasure, especially when physical effort becomes part of the joke. He can make a difficult movement look controlled without removing the sense of a body doing something difficult. That is a useful quality in an action comedy, and Brett Ratner too often seems content simply to have it available.

Chris Tucker supplies energy without much variation, and Jeff Nathanson’s screenplay does not give him enough fresh material. The running commentary works when it meets resistance from his partner; left to carry a scene, it becomes wearing. Jokes about Asian stature are particularly feeble, asking recognition of a difference to do the work of a comic idea. We do not need James Carter to become polite, but we do need the next exchange to offer something the previous one did not.

Zhang Ziyi gives Hu Li a forcefulness that helps interrupt that routine. She holds our attention without competing with Chris Tucker’s volume, which is a relief. The chemistry between the leads is still persuasive, and it would be unfair to pretend that familiarity has removed every pleasure from their company. There is simply too little in the crime story to occupy us when the partnership stops being funny.

Matthew F. Leonetti’s cinematography is most rewarding when Jackie Chan’s movement is the attraction. The Las Vegas battle has a welcome scale, with Terence Marsh’s production design giving the action surroundings worth noticing. Those passages make a stronger case for the film than the exchanges between fights, even if the action itself is not consistently inventive. For this sort of comedy, the physical business needs to keep surprising us, and here it sometimes settles for keeping us occupied.

Mark Helfrich and Robert K. Lambert’s editing keeps the film brisk without solving that repetition. The same weaknesses recur even when the cutting hurries us along, and the film rarely lets a comic exchange develop beyond its first provocation. Lalo Schifrin’s music adds energy, though excitement is not what the film lacks. A little less insistence would give the performers more room to make the comedy work.

The outtakes are a further pleasure, although it is awkward when mistakes are funnier than portions of the script. They remind us how appealing these performers can be when a laugh does not feel compulsory. Anyone coming chiefly for Jackie Chan’s physical comedy should allow for a fair amount of shouting between fights.

*Fi1m score 61, published 5 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews lean towards mixed and negative, though even several detractors find something to enjoy in the performers. Praise clusters around Jackie Chan’s physical comedy, his chemistry with Chris Tucker, and Zhang Ziyi’s forceful screen presence. Chan’s acrobatic slapstick and individual action sequences provide the most consistent pleasures, while Zhang earns approval across otherwise sharply divided assessments. The central partnership still works for several critics who find the sequel disappointing.

The disagreement is over how much those strengths compensate for repetition, thin plotting and abrasive humour. Variety regards the familiar formula as a strength and finds the sequel superior; Empire thinks it loses the original’s fun and is less entertaining than its outtakes. Elsewhere, reservations focus on Tucker overwhelming Chan, race-based jokes that grate, and action that lacks invention. The spread is wide: the same familiarity reads as enjoyable continuity to some critics and a dispiriting rehash to others.

## Straight answers

**Is Rush Hour 2 worth watching?**

*Rush Hour 2* is a decent diversion for admirers of Jackie Chan’s physical comedy and his partnership with Chris Tucker; we score it 61 out of 100. The acrobatics and rapport offer enough pleasure for the already persuaded, but the thin crime story, repetitive racial jokes and persistent shouting make it harder to recommend beyond that audience.

**How long is Rush Hour 2, and what is it rated?**

*Rush Hour 2* runs 1h 30m and is rated M by the ACB in Australia. It is an action and comedy film.

**Where can I watch Rush Hour 2 in Australia?**

*Rush Hour 2* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from A$4.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Rush Hour 2, and is it suitable for children?**

*Rush Hour 2* has a UK 12 certificate and features physical confrontations and acrobatic slapstick, making it a better fit for older children and teenagers than younger viewers. The fighting is part of its action-comedy appeal, but we would also flag the repetitive racial jokes as a consideration for parents, rather than treating violence as the only suitability concern.

**How does Rush Hour 2 compare to Midnight Run?**

*Rush Hour 2* is the weaker comedy beside [*Midnight Run*](https://film.one/film/midnight-run), which we recommend for warmer, funnier quarrelling between its incompatible leads. Jackie Chan’s acrobatic slapstick is the main reason to choose *Rush Hour 2*; *Midnight Run* gives Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin’s conversations room to develop, making the exchanges themselves a greater pleasure.

**What should I watch after Rush Hour 2?**

After *Rush Hour 2*, try [*Midnight Run*](https://film.one/film/midnight-run) (1988, Fi1m 88): Two incompatible men make the arguments as entertaining as the pursuit. Then [*The General*](https://film.one/film/the-general) (1926, Fi1m 91): Physical comedy built around movement, danger and knowing exactly where to stand; and [*Hot Fuzz*](https://film.one/film/hot-fuzz) (2007, Fi1m 84): A police partnership with sharper jokes and considerably more attention to its crime.

### Reviews we read (12)

- **Variety**, Robert Koehler (85/100, inferred): Koehler praises the sequel as a superior, energetic action comedy that preserves the original’s winning formula. He singles out Chan and Tucker’s chemistry and Zhang Ziyi’s screen presence, while noting that the first fight disappoints. [Read](https://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/rush-hour-2-2-1200469002/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (70/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds it enjoyable, though it requires some indulgence even from Jackie Chan fans. He praises Zhang Yiyi’s striking presence as an action heroine. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/aug/03/culture.reviews2)
- **RogerEbert.com** (64/100, inferred): The page content is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the available text. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/rush-hour-2-2001)
- **Screen Daily**, Emanuel Levy (64/100, inferred): The page identifies this as a review, but the paywall shell does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It also provides no readable detail about what the critic praised or criticized. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/rush-hour-2/406434.article)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The page appears to be a review of Rush Hour 2, but its text is inaccessible. The critic’s verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be determined from the available page. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/03/movies/film-review-making-fun-with-feet-and-tongue.html)
- **Evening Standard** (60/100, inferred): The critic finds the film intermittently entertaining but misses Jackie Chan’s earlier knockabout charm. The action set-pieces, especially the Las Vegas battle, are singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/rush-hour-2-7433168.html)
- **Total Film**, Total Film (3/5): The critic finds the sequel familiar but entertaining, with the leads still making a satisfying team. Jackie Chan’s acrobatic slapstick is the standout, while the race-based humour can grate. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/rush-hour-2-review/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez (1.5/4): Gonzalez dismisses the film as bland and not worth a lengthy critique. He singles out Zhang Ziyi as its saving grace, praising the moments when she knocks Chris Tucker’s character into silence. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/rush-hour-2/)
- **Empire**, William Thomas (30/100, inferred): Thomas finds the sequel an inferior follow-up that loses the original’s sense of fun. He praises Jackie Chan’s graceful action and notes Zhang Ziyi’s forceful turn, but concludes the film is less entertaining than its outtakes. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/rush-hour-2-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (30/100, inferred): Turan finds the sequel familiar, plot-thin, and too self-satisfied, despite the stars’ enduring chemistry. He praises Jackie Chan’s physical inventiveness and Chris Tucker’s comic energy, while noting that the funniest moments arrive in the outtakes. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-aug-03-ca-30015-story.html)
- **The AV Club**, Scott Tobias (30/100, inferred): Tobias judges the sequel a disappointing, mercenary rehash of the original. He praises the chemistry between Chan and Tucker, but complains that Tucker’s shrill comedy overwhelms Chan’s less inventive action. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/rush-hour-2-1798192714)
- **Time Out**, TCh (30/100, inferred): The available description suggests a critical view of the comedy. It singles out jokes about Asians’ stature and the American character’s presence in Hong Kong as complaints. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/rush-hour-2)

## Details

- **Director:** Brett Ratner
- **Director:** Brett Ratner
- **Screenplay:** Jeff Nathanson
- **Cinematography:** Matthew F. Leonetti
- **Editor:** Robert K. Lambert, Mark Helfrich
- **Music:** Lalo Schifrin
- **Production design:** Terence Marsh
- **Costume design:** Rita Ryack
- **Producer:** Roger Birnbaum, Jay Stern, Jonathan Glickman
- **Cast:** Jackie Chan as Yan Naing Lee; Chris Tucker as James Carter; John Lone as Ricky Tan; Roselyn Sánchez as Isabella Molina; Zhang Ziyi as Hu Li; Alan King as Steve Reign; Harris Yulin as Agent Sterling; Kenneth Tsang as Captain Chin
- **Runtime:** 1h 30m
- **Certificate (ACB):** M
- **Release (Australia):** 3 October 2001
- **Genres:** Action, Comedy, Crime
- **Budget:** $90 million
- **Box office:** $347 million

## Where to watch in Australia

- Amazon Prime Video: rent A$4.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy A$4.99, hd

*Checked 2026-10-05.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, IE, IN, IT, JP, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie 2002: Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie (won)

## If you liked this

- *Police Story* (1985): Jackie Chan gets more room for the physical invention that matters here.
- *Midnight Run* (1988), Fi1m 88: Two incompatible men make the arguments as entertaining as the pursuit. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/midnight-run.md)
- *The General* (1926), Fi1m 91: Physical comedy built around movement, danger and knowing exactly where to stand. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-general.md)
- *Hot Fuzz* (2007), Fi1m 84: A police partnership with sharper jokes and considerably more attention to its crime. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/hot-fuzz.md)
- *Veteran* (2015): Brisk Korean crime comedy with a forceful sense of who deserves the bruises.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/rush-hour-2