Amazon.com

After the Sunset may not be the greatest jewel-heist caper comedy ever made, but it sure is easy on the eyes. Shifting back into his crowd-pleasing Rush Hour mode, director Brett Ratner kicks off the action with a rousing chase scene that pretty much describes the entire film: utter nonsense, but adequately enjoyable. Things get very sunny thereafter, when FBI agent Woody Harrelson lands in the Bahamas to track down ace diamond thief Pierce Brosnan and his lovely accomplice Salma Hayek, whom he suspects of planning their next big heist on a cruise ship. A Bahamian gangster (Don Cheadle) wants in on the action, and the whole thing's about as fluffy as an Elmo doll and just as harmless, especially when you consider Hayek's revealing wardrobe (which, thankfully, distracts from Brosnan's less-than-Bond-like physique). There's an abundance of witty banter between everyone, and the tropical locations make After the Sunset a balmy, vicarious vacation. Critics weren't exactly kind to this breezy dose of popcorn entertainment, but it's an agreeable time-killer and an instant cure for seasonal affective disorder, even if the comedic chemistry leaves something to be desired. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Better Than I Expected
This isn't really a caper film, which is one reason I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.Sure, it has some of the elements of the Hollywood caper movie--the debonaire, super-clever and super-successful thief, the cop out to thwart him, exotic locations--but the movie isn't really about will-he-pull-it-off-or-won't-he.It's more of a cat-and-mouse buddy movie.That the heists are utterly implausible, to the point of being ridiculous (as they are in most caper movies, like Oceans's Eleven and Ocean's 12) doesn't matter as much, because it's not what the movie focuses on.

Instead, we get a lot of cute banter and bonding between Harrelson and Brosnan, who are fun to watch.There are some good, low-brow laughs in this movie--they are enough for me.I laughed out loud, for instance, when during the fishing scene Harrelson is putting tanning lotion on Brosnan's back, and Brosnan says, "My pole!" and Harrelson pulls back with disgust and says, "No way, I'm only doing your back!" (Of course, Brosnan meant, Look at the pole; I caught something.)There are other, similar crude jokes and sight gags.

Both men are good in their roles, and fun to watch.The female roles in the movie seem incidental, a formulaic requirement of Hollywood movies, and are never really developed beyond that basic requirement.And what is Don Cheadle, a great actor, doing in such a miniscule role?Anyone could have done his rolel he's sadly wasted.Chris Penn has an amusing cameo...but my goodness, has he gotten fat.I remember seeing him in movies in the 80's, before he starting hitting the Big Macs.You don't often see an actor let himself go like that.

Commercial for Bahama Tourism Starring...
After the Sunset is a fluffy piffle that is almost always beautiful to look at, but emptier than the nutritional content of cotton candy.

Pierce Brosnan and Salma Hayek make a good-looking couple, and the movie actually TRIES to address a theoretical dilemma that is infrequently brought up in movies.If a rich and successful criminal retires, what do they do?If, presumably, part of why they were a criminal in the first place is for the thrill of it, how can they be content simply retiring?If being a thief is both your job AND your hobby, what do you do after the last "big one"?The only film I can think of that showed the boring lethargy that sets in on a successful criminal is the end of "Scarface" when Al Pacino is lying around in the marble tub of his palatial bathroom, smoking a cigar and cursing at his wife and buddy.

But I digress.After the Sunset would be familiar territory if the only movies you had seen were the "Ocean's 11" remake(s).It's a "steal the jewel" caper.It tries to be a comedy, but Brosnan and Woody Harrelson don't have the comic chemistry we've seen both of them have in other work. Harrelson appears as the FBI agent who has been repeatedly burned by Brosnan, and wants to get his revenge.It follows the film cliche where the lawman is "hot on the trail" of the criminal - a la "Heat", etc., but instead of an edgy relationship between the Thief and the Lawman we get a bumbling comic relationship between Brosnan and Harrelson.

The "star" of the film is the way it looks, and much of that is owed to the Bahamanian resort standing in for paradise.The movie made me want to go there - but it didn't make me want to ever see this film again.

Our family has been in manure for three generations!
Did I miss something?Was there a contest going through all the Grade Schools of America to find the best story for acclaimed director Bret Ratner to bring to the silver screen?If so, why wasn't there a calendar made for those who didn't make the final cut?Oh, wait, apparently children did not write this film, but instead a guy that wrote for the TELEVISION SERIES the Weakest Link.That surely makes him ready by all means to tackle the caper genre and inherit a big payday ... right?You are the weakest link ... good-bye.This movie was a disaster from the beginning.With cardboard acting, an aging (and girth growing) sex symbol, and a corny ending that incorporated nothing that we were shown through the entire film, it is a big wonder how After the Sunset ever saw the illustrious "green-light".Perhaps it was the size of Salma's boo ... name, or perhaps the fact that Pierce Brosnan's The Thomas Crown Affair was such a cult film, or maybe because Don Cheadle was in it, because it had really no pull with just Woody headlining.So, how did this film get made?This film targeted pre-teen boys and retirement communities, and with their great pull, the financing behind this film became very easy.

This was a caper film right?We are supposed to go on this roller coaster ride of who's conning whom, coupled with lies, deceit, and a surprise ending that will make you want to rewatch from the beginning to experience anything that you missed.That is the focus, goal, and overall tone that a film like this should have followed.Instead, Ratner decided to just make a movie without any sort of excitement or drive.As I watched this film, I never once felt excited about the plot.Why?Because there was nobody getting me excited.The acting in this film was well below par for anything that Hollywood has released.Pierce tries, but just can't seem to capture the essence of the film.There is no little demon inside you rooting for anything.Salma's role was basically for eye-candy.She provided nothing spectacular either.I can literally say the same for Woody and Cheadle as well.Here we have strong actors doing absolutely nothing during the course of about two hours.These characters never drive the plot, they bring nothing but clichés to the table, and by the end we really don't have any true grasp as to whom they are.Honestly, cardboard cutouts could have replaced the actual actors and After the Sunset would have been a better film.There was no depth to the characters, no emotion, no structure, just the simple direction of "step here, say your line, step here, look surprised".It was embarrassing for all that were involved.

I think a major flaw to this film was that Ratner did not fully understand, or was prepared, for the caper genre.From the opening moments until the end of the film, you can tell that Ratner is just trying to use his friends in the industry and show the world that he has some power as well.I say this because I saw no true direction or moment of impressiveness where he defines himself as a director.He reuses the same ideas throughout the entire film, he doesn't give anything strong to his players, and nothing stood out in this movie.Sure, it was a beautiful location, but am I to believe that Salma spend a majority of the film building a deck for them to sit on?Am I to believe that Pierce is still a sex symbol even with a HUGE gut sticking out?Am I to believe that Cheadle is a bad guy/imported American who is at the top of the community?Finally, am I to believe that Pierce could still move as quickly as Ratner defined?I swear that in the final unclimactic moments of this film, I could hear Pierce doing some heavy breathing to get from point A to point B.Maybe he isn't ready for the next Bond role.

So, without a good story, or decent characters, maybe there was some humor in it that could pull us away from the sour sensation cultivating in your mouth.Well, guess who is placed in to do the humor element? Woody Harrelson.Now, I don't mind Woody, but in this role, he just wasn't believable and his humor was so cliché that I had trouble believing that he brought anything to this character.He literally plagiarized his entire role.Teachers, and film viewers of the world, should be very upset with him.Instead of bringing a new twist to his character, he resorted to weird sex humor, skimpy bully humor, and that ever-popular drunken humor while fishing that is sure to make that senile woman in the front burst out with laughter. To me it was pathetic and a worthless attempt to make a joke out of already dead film.

Overall, this was a massive disappointment.Here you had a decent director, some strong players, but the worst story ever written by a man who wrote for a game show.Which piece does not fit?There was this huge sense of apathy throughout this entire film and clichés riddled it that I just couldn't get past.Brosnan had trouble with this film, and I couldn't tell if it was because he just didn't care, or because he was working with such low-talent that his heart just wasn't in it.The ending hurt as well.There was no excitement or intensity, just plain ... "here it is ... like it or not".I personally couldn't digest this film with its poor acting and below-par story.This may be a good film for some that are not familiar with the caper genre, but for me it was just hogwash.

Grade: * out of *****

I Liked It
I liked this movie alot. I watched it twice. I really enjoyed the little twist it had at the end.

AFTER THE BOREDOM! (21/2 ) STARS
Where the hell was the action in this movie! It started off
decent, then went down hill from there. The only thing that
kept me watching this lame script, was Salma Hayek! I gave the
movie 1 1/2 stars, and Salmas body 1 extra diserved star! ... Read more

Reviews (162)

Nick Is Funny and Heartwarming. Good Holiday FIlm
The film is a good HOliday treat for the whole family. It is a new twist on the classic film of all time (and my personal favorite of all time) - Frank Capra's "It's A Wonderful Life" starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.

This one is directed by Brett Ratner (Rush Hour 1 & 2) and tells the tale of a man plaged brilliantly by Nicholas Cage (Ghostriders, Windtalkers, Leaving Las Vegas) - who things he has everything and misses nothing. That invokes intervention by an "angel" played by Don Cheadle (Rush Hour 2, Traffic, Mission To Mars) to show him what he doesn't have and therefore showing him what he is missing.

The new twist is that in his new "life" he learns of love and it amazingly down-to-earth performance by Tea Leoni (Deep Impact, Jurrasic Park III)

The film is warm and friendly and wonderful to watch. The kids and the aprents will find this story very entertaining.

The DVD Extras are really Fun. There is a great gag real of bloopers and the making of the film is very interesting. The commentaries with the director and anopther one with Danny Elfman (Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Big Fish) are charming and insightful.

This is a good one to have in your Holiday Collection. (12-10-03)

The Two Difficult Choices - Family or Career?
Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) was a highly sucessful wallstreet businessman. Thirteen years ago, he had left his college girlfriend, Kate Reynolds (Téa Leoni), to study law in the UK. Despite how hard she tried to convince him to stay, he had decided to leave. They never kept in contact after that.

Jack went to bed on Christmas eve and woke up on Christmas morning in a noisy house with a wife and two kids. Apparently, this was the alternate life that he would lead if he had not left for studies 13 years ago and stayed to marry Kate. He slowly discovered the importance and joy of having a family in the rest of the movie.

When Jack returned to his real life, he went to look for Kate, hoping to start afresh with her. Kate had long gotten over Jack and was in the midst of packing up to leave for Paris to work. Jack tried hard to get her to stay.

This is a heart-warming movie, especially during the parts when Jack was searching out his role as a family man. The current ending can be improved if it shows a scene where Jack and Kate live happily together as a family.

A Really Engrossing Film
This movie borrows from It's a Wonderful Life and the book Replay, where a man can go back and see how his life would be if he made a different choice.

In this movie, Nicholas Cage says goodbye to his girlfriend (Kate) at the airport. He is going to London for a job. We next see him years later as a successful head of a large corporation, unmarried and basically involved in one-night stands. We are later to find out that when Cage went to London, he forgot about Kate and she went her own way, never to be heard from again.

Cage is on the way home from the office during a snow-storm and thwarts a robbery. The audience expects the robber to shoot cage but instead Cage seems to convince the robber that he would be a better man if he didn't shoot Cage. It turns out that the robber is not really a robber but a type of Angel (similar to Clarence in It's a Wonderful Life) who will give Cage a glimpse of what life would be like if he hadn't stayed in London but instead came back and married Kate.

Cage goes to sleep in his luxury apartment and wakes up the next morning in a bed with an older Kate. Cage slowly learns that he is really a married man with a family and instead of a big time corporate president, he is a tire salesman in his father-in-law's store.

There are several hilarious scenes and some very touching ones. His "new" life looks like a nightmare at first turns out to be the life he will eventually prefer (Some of this is reminiscent of Goldie Hawn in Overboard). Only until he realizes this, he will not be returned to his prior life by the Angel.

The director does a great job in giving us an ending that is different than what you seem to expect. I won't say what but I think it was well done.

One thing that is not explored is that when Cage's glimpsed life finishes, he will lose his two children from that glimpsed life. The director never touches on Cage's feelings about that, unlike the novel Replay where the main character is torn apart because a child he had in an alternate life no longer exists when he is in a different reality.

The movie is well cast and Don Cheadle is excellent as the "angel."

This Movie really reach me deep inside !
A modern-day Frank Capra story. Jack Campbell, a successful and talented businessman, is happily living his single life. He has everything, or so he thinks. One day he wakes up in a new life where he didn't leave his college girlfriend for a London trip. He's married to Kate, lives in Jersey and has two kids. He, of course, desperately wants his life back for which he has worked 13 years for. He's president of P. K. Lassiter Investment House and not a tire salesman at Big Ed's. He drives a Ferrari and not a mini-van that never starts. And most importantly he doesn't wake up in the morning with kids jumping on the bed. After a bad start, day by day he's more confident in his new life and starts to see what he's been missing. Turns out money's good to have but that's not everything.
- Jack Campbell: a 36 years old, 6'1'', Nicolas Cage.
- Kate Reynolds: a 34 years old, 5'8'', Téa Leoni.
- Annie Campbell: a 6 years old, Makenzie Vega, who is half-Colombian and half-Italian.
- Josh Campbell: Twin Brother Jake and Ryan Milkovich.

Great Film
Although I'm not a highly sentimental person, I actually got teary eyed at the end of the film. I think this film actually puts a couple of perspectives to light, one - your career, and two - your family life. I think the parallels to everyone's life is unbelievable because people go through their daily chores not realizing the importance of the choices made and the options forgone. This movie works great from my personal point of view and I think if you watch this movie, you would agree. ... Read more

Description

The must-own sequel of the year! Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan team up again in this record-breaking box-office smash hit. ... Read more

Reviews (219)

rush hour 2
Rush Hour 2 is an unbelievably hilarious, action packed, better-than-the first sequel to Rush Hour. I strongly recommend that you rent and watch the first one before you go see Rush Hour 2 because much of the humor and jokes are based on the original one, however, this is not necessary because you will catch on quickly and only miss a couple of the related jokes. Rush Hour 2 begins exactly where the first movie leaves off. If you watch both movies in order it will just seem like one long movie. This is a nice feature because it makes the movie easier to follow and understand.
Rush Hour 2 is about two detectives, Detective Lee (Jackie Chan) and Detective Carter (Chris Tucker). While on their vacation to Hong Kong Lee and Carter are called back to duty to investigate and bust an international counterfeiting ring. This is no easy task, however, as they soon find out. Carter and Lee find themselves locations around the world such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas and even Tokyo.
Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker give a perfect and encore performance doing what they do best. Jackie Chan plays the serious logical and skilled martial artist Detective Lee. Chris Tucker portrays the never serious, ego boosted LAPD officer, Detective Carter. I don't believe that this movie would have had the same punch without these talented actors working together in this fabulous duo.
The action in this movie is spectacular. As always, Jackie Chan performs unbelievable stunts during his fighting rendezvous. At one point in the movie he jumps and dives through a very tight slot, much like one at a cashiers cage. On the other hand
Chris Tucker, let's just say... is not very good at Kung Fu, but nevertheless great comical relief.
The humor in this movie is absolutely bladder busting. Ethnic and personality differences between Carter and Lee create humorous situations. For instance: Carter speaks his own version of Chinese. Obviously, he just says a bunch of random gibberish and makes himself look like a total idiot in front of a rather large group of Chinese people. Carter is quick to the tongue and is always bashing on the Chinese culture. Lee is just simply funny while acting so serious and straight-faced: A perfect contradiction.
I recommend that you go see this movie or rent it when it comes out in January 2002 It will be worth your time and money, and because it stars Jackie Chan, you will get to watch the comical, and quite painful out-takes at the end of the film during the credits. You'll laugh your way through Rush Hour 2 with its wonderful blend of action and comedy.

Feel the Rush...
A sequel that exceeds its predecessor. That in itself is an anomaly these days, but Rush Hour 2 packs enough wallop for both movies. How about some of the best lines in an action comedy in recent years? From one liners to the chemistry that has evolved between Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, this movie will make you pause the scenes until you finish laughing. Hit play again and you'll be slapped with more humor. Carter runs through downtown Hong Kong, where no one knows what he is saying, yelling, "Get outta the way! L.A.P.D!" There's a moment in Hong Kong where Carter meets up with a chicken vendor and the laughs keep coming. Rush Hour 2 opts for a more sexy approach with the Chinese massage parlor scene, and the 2 main female characters who are sure to boggle the eyes of the male population. As for action, there's plenty of it to support the clever dialogue. The movie is so realistic and unrealistic at the same time, you'll be bringing the first movie back out and panting for Rush Hour 3. I can't leave out the fact that a story goes with this and it's told quite well, and for what this movie is, it doesn't burden the high-jinks, but supports it. Simply put, Inspector Lee has an old vendetta with the man who killed his father and Carter is pulled along from Hong Kong to L.A. A few plates need to be found from a counterfeit ring using them to make a "Superbill," which is identical to a real bill. Not quite an original story, right? Well, it's all in the way you tell it and Rush Hour 2 pulls off a good time and that's what we wanted to see.

Robert Eldridge (...)

Funnier Then The First...
Slick, chaotic, and decently entertaining sequel picks up where the first movie left off. LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) is on vacation in Hong Kong with his friend, Detective Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan). Carter just wants to relax, have fun, get some "mu shu", but Lee can't stop doing his job even for a minute. This time, he's hot on the trail of gangster Ricky Tan (John Lone), who may have been behind an Embassy bombing.

More-of-the-same in terms of content AND style, but still pretty engaging, with lots of action and thrills. Chan and Tucker still share the same chemistry, and overall there are some good laughs. (Worth it just to see Tucker perform Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough"...) For me, one of the perks of this sequel is watching "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" beauty Zhang Ziyi as a very fetching and lethal assassin.

Terrific High energy sequel is GREEN!
Not satisfied to just build on the personalities and chemistry created in Rush Hour -RH1, this action movie delivers an inventive script and great action. I would have given 5 stars but I down grade for language.

Chris Tucker delivers another high energy, comedic performance. Since Chris first caught my attention in the Bruce Willis vehicle, Fifth Element. He has proven himself to be a real comedy - action star. This movie might have worked with a different actor playing chans part, but jackie chan is the genious that created these incredible films and may now be our top action star.

Highly recommended, but only partially family friendly.

Better than the first, alot better!
Take peoples word for it when they tell you this is better than the first Rush Hour movie, even Chris Tucker is much funnier in this one. The movie is funny, not amazingly funny but you can expect for laughs than the first one. Though there's alot of stupid things in this movie it wasn't made to be serious, now really two guys fighting off 10 guys at once on several different occasions. The ending was not bad, it was a pretty cliche ending but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. After watching it, I am looking forward to a possibly Rush Hour 3 and I hope they make one, if you're into action/comedies this is a must watch. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The plotline may sound familiar: Two mismatched cops are assigned as reluctant partners to solve a crime. Culturally they are complete opposites, and they quickly realize they can't stand each other. One (Jackie Chan) believes in doing things by the book. He is a man with integrity and nerves of steel. The other (Chris Tucker) is an amiable rebel who can't stand authority figures. He's a man who has to do everything on his own, much to the displeasure of his superior officer, who in turn thinks this cop is a loose cannon but tolerates him because he gets the job done. Directed by Brett Ratner, Rush Hour doesn't break any new ground in terms of story, stunts, or direction. It rehashes just about every "buddy" movie ever made--in fact, it makes films such as Tango and Cash seem utterly original and clever by comparison. So, why did this uninspired movie make over $120 million at the box office? Was the whole world suffering from temporary insanity? Hardly. The explanation for the success of Rush Hour is quite simple: chemistry. The casting of veteran action maestro Jackie Chan with the charming and often hilarious Chris Tucker was a serendipitous stroke of genius. Fans of Jackie Chan may be slightly disappointed by the lack of action set pieces that emphasize his kung-fu craft. On the other hand, those who know the history of this seasoned Hong Kong actor will be able to appreciate that Rush Hour was the mainstream breakthrough that Chan had deserved for years. Coupled with the charismatic scene-stealer Tucker, Chan gets to flex his comic muscles to great effect. From their first scenes together to the trademark Chan outtakes during the end credits, their ability to play off of one another is a joy to behold, and this mischievous interaction is what saves the film from slipping into the depths of pitiful mediocrity. --Jeremy Storey ... Read more

Reviews (265)

An excellent DVD.
The Movie:

Chris Tucker is the funniest man in the world, in my opinion. It's too bad that the movies he acts in are always running to try and hopelessly catch up with him. One of the funniest things in cinema and some of the most enjoyable comic moments in the past few years have come from watching Tucker's performances. You can almost see his mind working in overtime trying to think up what to say next; and you never know what he'll say next. He takes the best of what Eddie Murphy used to be and just speeds it up a few hundred....thousand notches. It's just his looks of mock anger that always make me laugh. Never has anger been so funny.

He's joined by action star Jackie Chan in this film, which, although it's very funny at times, never really moves above the level of average, forgetable entertainment. Chan has done better "stunt-orientated" films like "Supercop" and "Rumble In The Bronx". In those films, he really shined with his mix of good humor and quick action. Here he's made to be more in the shape of the plot's need for humor and dialogue over stunts...not to say that there aren't any stunts; there are. It's just that they are a little few and far between.

The story revolves around a Chinese Console member who's daughter is kidnapped. Chan is brought in by the console member. The only problem is that the FBI wants to solve this case itself, and Chan's detective is not welcome. Some of the funniest scenes in the movie are watching Tucker's detective come to the realization that all he's called on to do is babysit Chan's detective. So, we start into the age old buddy cop flick.

Thankfully, this one isn't too bad. A nice script, some very good moments also from Chris Tucker when he's allowed to just improv his performance. Thank god Tucker and Chan liven up the proceedings; Chan has his usual array of incredible stunts, running up and down the sides of everything, kicking, doing it all; Tucker's mouth and Chan's quick feet make a nice balance of opposites. It's unfortunate that the direction is average, the plot is something you've seen all before, but it's through the performances of Tucker and Chan who make "Rush Hour" worth watching. It's nothing new, but when it works, "Rush Hour" is a whole lot of fun.

The DVD: Picture Quality: New Line has done a phenomenal job with the transfer of "Rush Hour". The colors of Los Angeles are incredibly vivid and just pop on this disc. Look at the reds in the Chinatown scenes or the colors of the neon at night. The color saturation is wonderful and there is no bleeding in the colors; the light from a neon sign looks perfectly sharp and clear. Speaking of sharpness, the images themselves are perfectly clear and sharp throughout the disc. There are a few instances where there is a small shimmering problem, but compared to a lot of the other discs I've seen lately, the shimmering in this disc isn't worth mentioning. Again, images are razor sharp throughout, there aren't any other problems at all with this disc. There are a lot more pros to talk about, though. Skin tones are 100% perfect. There is definitely no pixelization in the disc whatsoever, even in the low-light scenes or in the backgrounds. Black level in the picture is fantastic and contrast is wonderful. Shadow level is excellent and overall, this is a nice continuation of the New Line tradition of replicating the theatrical experience at home. There's occasionally a problem with otherwise great discs such as shimmering or what not and it takes you out of the experience. There's nothing on this disc that's problematic enough to take the viewer out of the experience of the movie and that's a sign of the very best DVDs. The 2.35:1 image is excellent. Excellent job, New Line.

Audio Quality: Impressive sound quality on this disc, emphasizing the sounds that added to the tone of fun on this disc and that's Lalo Schifrin's fun, urban and light score melding old R&B hits and current rap along with other wonderful bits and pieces of fun music to make an enjoyable score. The score fills the room and sounds full and clear. Dialogue also has that "same room" impression, recorded with clarity. There's a lot of impressive sound on this disc like the gunfire(director Ratner talks on the commentary about how he wanted to make the gunfire loud and emphasize it to make it "exciting"), which sounds great. The explosions also fill the room with great impact and force.

Extras:Now here's where this disc really shines: Commentary: There's an outstanding commentary with director Brett Ratner(who sounds at times sort of like Quentin Tarantino), who talks in depth wonderfully about the details of the production and working with Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. It goes into the detail of working with the screenplay and building the stunt scenes. This is a commentary that really is exactly what I want to hear in a commentary: it tells the story of exactly what it took to get the story to screen, not just what's happening on the screen. This is a fascinating commentary and I recommend it as one of the best commentaries out there. There is also an isolated score(and it's a fantastic score) with commentary by the great composer Lalo Schifrin.

Documentary: Again, it's what I want to see in a documentary. The box calls it a "featurette", but "A Piece Of The Action: Behind The Scenes Of Rush Hour" is something I would consider a full documentary. There's a lot of fun going on in the interviews with the cast and crew, and it doesn't seem like a usual studio promotional documentary. A lot of the camera work is hand-held and it just seems like it was all done in fun and the fun that the cast and crew has carries over to the viewer. The documentary runs about 40 minutes and the last chapter is more in the way of the hilarious outtakes that ended the film.

Deleted Scenes: A short reel of deleted scenes that at the most, are about 1 minute. Nothing earth-shaking, but interesting to see. The reel is a few minutes in length.

Short film: Director Brett Ratner's very strange short film from when he was a student at NYU, "What Ever Happened To Mason Reese?". The film starts off with an intro from the director and commentary from the director is also available. The film itself....well, it's just strange, but it's nice to have on the disc.

Trailer: Of course, the trailer.(letterboxed at 2.35:1)

Cast/Crew: Very nice biographies of the cast/crew.

Music Videos: 2 music videos.

DVD-ROM: The screenplay, an interactive game and web links(available only to Windows DVD-ROM computer users)

MENUS: Sharp animated menus that start with a very funny piece of dialogue from Chris Tucker.

Grades: The Movie:A- Picture Quality:A- Sound Quality:A- Extras:A Menus:A Overall:A
This review was originally posted at the website "A Guide To Current Film/DVD".

Lots of laughs in oddball 'buddy' movie
Jackie Chan, the great Chinese action star, plays a Hong Kong detective at the time of China's taking control of the city. A friend of his is dispatched to Los Angeles in a consulate position, and Chan is summoned soon thereafter when his buddy's daughter is kidnapped by gangsters. The FBI, not wanting any interference in the case, arranges to pair him with one of the wildest cops in LA history. As played by Chris Tucker, he is also the loudest. This ploy to get Chan away from the investigation doesn't work, of course. As always, the FBI agents are made to look like they are sharing a brain. You've already guess that the two policemen get along at first like cats and dogs, but by the end of the picture, they are best buddies. Along the way, they solve the case.

As a comedy team, Chan and Tucker work well together. The quiet, low-keyed Chan plays straight man to the brash, outrageous Tucker. There are the usual ongoing jokes about cultural differences, but at least in this case, pairing a Chinese character with an Afro-American does create a lot of opportunity for humor. Opposing tastes in food is a good topic, as is the language barrier. There is also a running joke about our obsession with hand guns. Jackie Chan is hard not to like, while Chris Tucker has much in common with W. C. Fields, Jerry Lewis and Jim Carrey. People either love him or hate him.

As is the rule in action comedy, the plot makes no sense. What carries the movie is the teaming of two actors whose personalities work well together. The special effects don't hurt either. There's an explosion every three minutes.

Lalo Schifin delivers a fine musical score. The set design is appropriately garish. A special thanks goes to Rush Hour's editors, who made sure it was short and to the point.

While Rush Hour is often entertaining, it does not measure up to a couple of similarly themed comedies - 48 Hours and Beverly Hills Cop - that were big hits when I was younger. Or is my memory playing tricks on me?

Jackie Chan needs to retire
This is not bad considering that most of Jackie Chan's movies are pretty much the same. That aside, story wasn't bad and there was some decent action scenes. Chris Tucker, however, does nothing but gets on your nerves with his irritating voice, bad acting and an IQ of a chimpanzee. In the outtakes, they show a scene that requires Chris Tucker to say two words in Chinese and he would blow it every single time. Talk about a dimwit

Rush Hour has great combos!
The idea of combining Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in one movie was a great idea! Jackie Chan does the main action while Chris Tuckers does the main comedy. Together they did a good job! The plot was good and the movie was so funny. I give it 5 stars for awesome action and nonstop laughs!

Great Entertainment - Funny & Exciting.
Rush Hour revitalized the buddy action flicks of the 80's and has become a modern classic. It is a movie in the tradition of 48 Hrs and Lethal Weapon, and like those two movies, it has perfect casting. Chris Tucker is hysterical in his best performance since Friday, Jackie Chan is in top form, complete with incredible stunts, cool martial arts and hilarious broken English.

The story is well-written and full of funny situations for both Tucker and Chan. Look for the scenes where Chan is in a predominantly black pool hall and Tucker buys some Chinese food from a cart. The chemistry between the two leads is probably what makes this movie so great. Great individually, but even better together. All this makes Rush Hour a guaranteed good time. ... Read more

Reviews (306)

Electrifying and Suspenseful
My favorite film character of all time, the notorious Hannibal Lecter, is gracing film for the last time. Red Dragon is acted with delight and directed with the best. Brett Ratner shocked critics and audiences when he made Red Dragon work.

Anthony Hopkins returns as the cannibalistic doctor who was caught by Will Graham(Edward Norton). Will Graham retires from the FBI, but returns when asked to help find THE TOOTH FAIRY(Ralph Fiennes). The cast is asembaled well. The suspense is good and the overall atmosphere is fantastic.

The DVD is the best. I had to search everywhere for the Director's Edition and when I found it I was pleased. The Directors Edition includes another disc of extras that aim to please. The picture is fantastic and the sound is crystal clear. The extras include: criminal profile of Hannibal, life history of Hannibal, Hannibal's FBI case file, commentary, deleted scenes, (disc 2) directors journey, directors student film, screen tests, makeup application, and much much more.

So if you like thrillers and a good cast, this is a definate buy. If not, be sure to rent it.

Red Dragon Is A Red Hot Thriller
Red Dragon is a fresh remake of "Manhunter". It's the prequel to Silence Of The Lambs, the first film in the Hannibal Lecter Trilogy, whose story concludes with "Hannibal". Based on the novel by Thomas Harris, the suspenseful crime thriller marks the first time Hannibal Lecter appears as a powerful and villainous character. On DVD, it is an experience worth watching, especially for its innovative use of special features.

Anthony Hopkins is Hannibal Lecter, whose very presence, menacing albeit elegant, has become an American cinema icon. Hopkins hosts the DVD, which is quite a treat for his fans, and takes us on a tour of "the dungeon", chalk-full of his criminal profiles and behind-the-scenes looks on the making of the film. Danny Elfman provided the music and we are also treated to some of his more chilling orchestral pieces.

The erratic loner that is Ralph Feines character is similar to Norman Bates in Hitchcock's Psycho, unstable, threatening and unbelievably cruel. He lived in a large home by the swamps of the rural South, and there are hints that he was abused. Eventually, he loses grip on reality and transforms himself into "The Red Dragon", otherwise known as Satan the Devil as seen in the Book of Revelation. In psychotic delusion after seeing a William Blake painting, he is convinced he must do the Devil's work by bringing death and disaster in Apocalyptic proportions.

The F.B. I. agent played by Ed Norton tracks down the killer, and his mission becomes more urgent when the Red Dragon killer is bent on murdering his wife and child. The film is the most gruesome of the Hannibal Lecter films in my personal opinion. It has more R-rated visuals, blood, etc than any of the other films. Not even the dinner scene in Hannibal in which Lecter makes his victim eat his own brain is as shocking in material as some of the horrific atrocities the Red Dragon commits during his killing sprees. Evidently, this film is for a very mature audience, and to be taken as a film that exposes the terrible, inhuman and psychotic psychological make-up of crazed killers. The F.B.I. and police authorities can benefit immensely from watching this film. Other than the gore, the drama is full of suspense, and of course, Anthonly Hopkins as the incarcerated Dr. Lecter is a must see as always. He is witty, dark and humorous and makes his introduction in a film that begins the series.

So, You like the Good Doctor?
Then, Red Dragon is Ok, worth seeing. But, DO NOT MISS "MANHUNTER"!
Aside from some 80's stylings, most notably the closing music over the credits, while still fitting, dates Manhunter, however, appropriately.
Red Dragon is only compelling in that you "Get More", of the book.
The ending is truer.
The acting, and directing is clumsy.
It's difficult to watch Ed Norton fumble through Will Graham's wondeful legacy of Peterson's portrayol in "Manhunter".
Worse still, is watching Anthony Hopkins spew the same lines as Brian Cox, as the "Original" Hannibal Lechtor. Hideous.
Oh, Tony adds his own "Lechtorism's, but, this film is a money grab.
It's odd too, because Dino owns "Manhunter"!!
So, this movie is ONLY a Remake!
When you watch "Manhunter", you will see where Clarissa got her lines.....
"Silence", is the direct descendant of "Manhunter".
And, with Hannibal (the movie, not the book), being left unfinished, there will more than likely be another money grab, hopefully, however, from a book as brilliantly written as the first three.
Make no mistake, Red Dragon exists, simply to "fill a gap" in time, where something can be sold to those of us, who want more "Lechtor".
Manhunter is by far, the superior Movie.
The film's color, and score, all add to the tension, that was only since recaptured in "Silence".
In years to come, Manhunter will stand as the far more mature movie, as it draws on more time honored cinematic core values.

Red Dragon is difficult to watch also, with Lechtor's and Chilton's charachters, hopelessly "Made up" to look as if they're 20 some years younger than (the actors) actually are! It looks silly.
Yes, in the original movie, they were afraid "Red Dragon" would denote a karate film. "Manhunter" is derived from the fact that Will Graham, is Hunting the new serial killer, Frances Dolarhyde.
Bottom Line: I wouldn't advise you miss this movie, if you like the series. But, certainly don't choose this over the real original: "Manhunter". See them both, if you must.....
Dream much, Will?

Pete

"Manhunter", updated for the 2000s
Red Dragon, third in the line of "Hannibal Lector" series featuring Anthony Hopkins, is preceded by the 1986 Michael Mann film, Manhunter. Standing alone, Red Dragon is a good solid film from beginning to end; however, I feel those interested in buying this film or otherwise completing the legacy, should get an idea for how the two film versions of Thomas Harris' first Lector novel differ.

Red Dragon feels more like a psychological horror film than does Manhunter. Those who remember 80's police action films like Clint Eastwood's "Tightrope" or Silvester Stallone's "Cobra" will find Manhunter in common thriller territory. The tension in Red Dragon is strong throughout the film; however we see little development of the Francis Dolarhyde (Tom Noonan) serial killer (known as the Tooth Fairy). While we see the central elements that define his psychosis, we only barely glimpse at his struggle with his own humanity except for through emotion expressed in Ralph Feinnes' eyes. Tom Noonan's Francis is distant and perhaps zombie-like, and so the character is development more through subsequent scenes. Red Dragon is also more bloody -- appropriate for the times; whereas Manhunter has virtually no gore (that I can recall). Absent from Red Dragon is the 80's power pop-rock music that scores Manhunter. This is perhaps for the best as the music used in Red Dragon actually adds atmosphere to the scenes.

The central figure in Red Dragon, FBI agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) is more clearly defined as having a sixth sense that aids him in his investigations. This is less clear in Manhunter as it's arguable that Graham is just highly intuitive. However, William Petersen's portrayal of Graham is darker, more complex. This helps to enrich the drama even more since both the protagonist and antagonist seem to be living inside themselves, shut out from the rest of the world. Brian Cox portrays Hannibal Lector with confidence, but pales in comparison to Anthony Hopkins' more sinister performance. As good a film as Manhunter is, it is difficult to recommend movie fans from overlooking Red Dragon since the success of the film has been built largely on Hopkins' role as the good, er evil doctor.

The 4-star rating I gave to this DVD is not based on the caliber of the film itself but on it's presentation in the DVD and on the extras. The DVD is pretty much standard fare for today, which is a good thing; however, I didn't find myself overly thrilled about the extras.

Ok, but no Manhunter....
Red Dragon was a decent movie by itself, though it relied on the prestige of SOTL too much. It starts off adding an extra scene to include Anthony Hopkins, and continues this habit throughout the movie. These scenes are not in the book and do nothing to further the movie. Red Dragon has an all-star cast, though no one seems to put effort into their role. Most importantly, Edward Norton (playing Will Graham) fails to portray the innner conflict in Graham. He seems unaffected by the case, which couldn't be farther from the truth. Manhunter was a much better movie, with much better directing and acting. In Manhunter, William Peterson plays Graham and does the part much better. Peterson plays a dark, brooding investigator who is truly sacrificing a part of himself to take on the case. This self-sacrifice is the heart of the book, and was largely lost in Red Dragon. I recommend that anyone interested in Red Dragon watch Manhunter instead. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This formulaic 1997 comedy becomes needlessly complicated at points but feeds off the high energy of Chris Tucker (The Fifth Element, Rush Hour). Tucker plays a two-bit con man, Franklin Hatchett, framed for the prison breakout of a ruthless criminal. Hunted by both the police and the bad guys, Hatchett finds his only hope in a smarmy, self-serving television reporter played by the perfectly cast Charlie Sheen (Platoon), who agrees to protect the nervous, hapless patsy only to further his own career. The plot is at times just plain dumb, and the requisite car chases and explosions happen a bit too frequently. But Tucker's manic energy and off-the-wall humor, as he is thrown into situations of mistaken identity and mortal danger, make the movie a frenetic and entertaining romp. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Very Funny!
This movie was great.Chris Tucker was very loud and funny as usual.Charlie Sheen is a mean fart.They make a good duo and it is very cool at the end.

Chris Tucker is CRAZY...MAN!!!
'Money Talks' is funny. No doubt. Chris Tucker is just crazy. Charlie Sheen is OK in his role as the news reporter, but come now. Chris Tucker is FUNNY. He shows off style reminiscient of early Eddie Murphy as he pases himself off as an Italian to Paul Sorvino. You'll see why the country went crazy over him in Rush Hour 1 and 2! Watch this film, and be ready to laugh!

WAY 2 GO.
CHRIS TUCKER IS A MESS. HE SO FUNNY. U GOTTA LOVE THIS MOVIE. HE ACT SO FUNNY. ALL HIS MOVIES ARE VERY FUNNY. THE WAY HE ACT IS FUNNY. I KNOW HE ONE CRAZY PERSON. BOY IF CHRIS WASNT IN THE MOVIE THEN I PROBABLY WOULDNT OF LIKED THE MOVIE.

I Don't Know When I'ma Slap Somebody
Chris Tucker is just so funny...The way his face be looking when he talking coupled with his high pitched voice and energy. How can you NOT laugh? I mean the movie starts out funny...with Franklin Hatchett bootleggin tickets. As he surfs through them he sees the Phantom of the Opera tickets and he proclaims

'Black People don't wanna see that ..., I told you to get me some Luther Vandross tickets or something, people complain about these ... up tickets...man you making me look bad"

Then when he sells the ticket...the guy says "I need TWO on the floor" chris Tucker was like "I need TWO- hunned dollas...same time man I don't know you same time!"

Money Talks has Chris Tucker running from the law and running from a French guy who he has stolen some diamonds from. I ain't gonna tell you the movie and the plot and everything else though...see it for yourself. I'm just letting you know you'll be in for a ride. This movie is a must have.

What A Movie!!!
I've seen this movie.It's got all the actors we know Chris Tucker, and everybody's favorite Charlie Sheen! This one of the greatest movies I've ever seen.It feel's like it's supposed to be rated PG-13.Well, probably because I watched it on TV and it cut off some of the swears.But I'm telling you, your going to absolutely LOVE this movie! I rate it 5 stars! ... Read more

Description

Madonna's second anthology of music video clips documents the MTVdiva's ongoing evolution in 14 music videos beginning with 1993's "Bad Girl" and culminating in her 1999 clip for "Beautiful Stranger" from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me," featuring a cameo from Powers (Mike Myers) himself.

Individual songs include:

1. Bad Girl
2. Fever
3. Rain
4. Secret
5. Take a Bow
6. Bedtime Story
7. Human Nature
8. Love Don't Live Here Anymore
9. Frozen
10.Ray of Light
11.Drowned World/Substitute for Love
12.The Power of Goodbye
13.Nothing Really Matters
14.Beautiful Stranger ... Read more

Reviews (137)

An incomplete "Collection"
This second video collection from Madonna only confirms that Ms. Ciccone is indeed the Queen of Pop and of the Music Video. The videos featured here are absolutely spectacular. From the motion picture quality of Bad Girl, to the gorgeous cinematography of Rain, to the out of this world bizarreness of Bedtime Story, to the hyper energy of Ray of Light, this is indeed a special collection. Unfortunately, it is also an incomplete collection. Among the glaring omissions are EROTICA, DEEPER AND DEEPER (both left off presumably due to their sexual content and innuendo), THIS USED TO BE MY PLAYGROUND, I'LL REMEMBER, YOU MUST LOVE ME, DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA (all left off presumably because they featured scenes from movies they did not have the rights to), and YOU'LL SEE (who knows why this wasn't included). I had the same complaint about the Immaculate Collection with its missing videos. What makes it even more aggravating is the fact that a video like LOVE DON'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE, which was a complete bomb as a single and is one of the most boring videos ever produced, did make the cut. Yes, it is a beautifully SHOT video, and the director is very "in" right now, but it still doesn't deserve a place over some of her bigger hits. For these reasons this collection earns 4 stars. Maybe someday we'll get to see a COMPLETE Madonna video collection.

Madonna - Queen of Videos
Yes, I miss the sorely deleted videos in this collection: "Erotica" (which I think is one of her best, especially the last few syllables in the song when she exerts "Eroti---CA" while coyly tweetering the whip), "You'll See", "Deeper and Deeper" (that opening with her in the Mercedes is classic and very LA) and even "I'll Remember" (yeah, it was a movie tie-in, but what do you think "Beautiful Stranger" is?). But one needs to remember the likewise forgotten cuts from "Immaculate Collection": "Gambler" "Into the Groove" "Justify My Love" Oh well. Regardless, this collection is a testament to Madonna's prowess and uncanny aptitude in making some of our generation's most unforgettable music videos. Her best video here are (in order): Rain, Bad Girl, Frozen, and Drowned World/Substitute for Love. Forget what Warner blasphemed here but celebrate the artist behind these videos!

A quick question and I'll be happy if anyone can answer this
What song/video is it where Madonna is dressed like a Geisha?

Good DVD
Just bought the video recently and this collection is pretty much OK. My favorite video is "Bedtime Story" because of the fact that it is loaded with awesome special effects. Bedtime story is no doubt one of her best videos. The graphics of "Ray of Light" can use a little enhancing. It's a shame that "Deeper and Deeper", and "I'll remember".

The Immaculate Video Collection Continued!
This is a wonderful DVD! I am so glad my favorite Madonna video of all-time, "Bad Girl", was on the DVD! But there were some videos missing on here, like "Deeper And Deeper", "I'll Remember", "You'll See", and "This Used To Be My Playground". But this is still a wonderful collection!

Bad Girl- I love this video! It is so beautiful! 5/5
Fever- Nice video, but not one of her best 2/5
Rain- Another beautiful video! 5/5
Secret- It's okay. 4/5
Take A Bow- My 2nd favorite video of all-time! 5/5
Bedtime Story- Yuck. 1/5
Human Nature- Cool video! 5/5
Love Don't Live Here Anymore- This is another beautiful video of Madonna's! 5/5
Frozen- I always loved this song/video! 5/5
Ray Of Light- Very cool video... This is some of her best work. 5/5
Drowned World/Substitute For Love- I never really liked the sng at first, but one day I decided to watch the video and it was very good. I also like the song now!
The Power Of Goodbye- Beautiful video! 5/5
Nothing Really Matters- I am not really crazy about this video, but it's okay. 3/5
Beautiful Stranger- Very funny video, especially the beginning! 5/5 ... Read more

Reviews (162)

Nick Is Funny and Heartwarming. Good Holiday FIlm
The film is a good HOliday treat for the whole family. It is a new twist on the classic film of all time (and my personal favorite of all time) - Frank Capra's "It's A Wonderful Life" starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.

This one is directed by Brett Ratner (Rush Hour 1 & 2) and tells the tale of a man plaged brilliantly by Nicholas Cage (Ghostriders, Windtalkers, Leaving Las Vegas) - who things he has everything and misses nothing. That invokes intervention by an "angel" played by Don Cheadle (Rush Hour 2, Traffic, Mission To Mars) to show him what he doesn't have and therefore showing him what he is missing.

The new twist is that in his new "life" he learns of love and it amazingly down-to-earth performance by Tea Leoni (Deep Impact, Jurrasic Park III)

The film is warm and friendly and wonderful to watch. The kids and the aprents will find this story very entertaining.

The DVD Extras are really Fun. There is a great gag real of bloopers and the making of the film is very interesting. The commentaries with the director and anopther one with Danny Elfman (Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Big Fish) are charming and insightful.

This is a good one to have in your Holiday Collection. (12-10-03)

The Two Difficult Choices - Family or Career?
Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) was a highly sucessful wallstreet businessman. Thirteen years ago, he had left his college girlfriend, Kate Reynolds (Téa Leoni), to study law in the UK. Despite how hard she tried to convince him to stay, he had decided to leave. They never kept in contact after that.

Jack went to bed on Christmas eve and woke up on Christmas morning in a noisy house with a wife and two kids. Apparently, this was the alternate life that he would lead if he had not left for studies 13 years ago and stayed to marry Kate. He slowly discovered the importance and joy of having a family in the rest of the movie.

When Jack returned to his real life, he went to look for Kate, hoping to start afresh with her. Kate had long gotten over Jack and was in the midst of packing up to leave for Paris to work. Jack tried hard to get her to stay.

This is a heart-warming movie, especially during the parts when Jack was searching out his role as a family man. The current ending can be improved if it shows a scene where Jack and Kate live happily together as a family.

A Really Engrossing Film
This movie borrows from It's a Wonderful Life and the book Replay, where a man can go back and see how his life would be if he made a different choice.

In this movie, Nicholas Cage says goodbye to his girlfriend (Kate) at the airport. He is going to London for a job. We next see him years later as a successful head of a large corporation, unmarried and basically involved in one-night stands. We are later to find out that when Cage went to London, he forgot about Kate and she went her own way, never to be heard from again.

Cage is on the way home from the office during a snow-storm and thwarts a robbery. The audience expects the robber to shoot cage but instead Cage seems to convince the robber that he would be a better man if he didn't shoot Cage. It turns out that the robber is not really a robber but a type of Angel (similar to Clarence in It's a Wonderful Life) who will give Cage a glimpse of what life would be like if he hadn't stayed in London but instead came back and married Kate.

Cage goes to sleep in his luxury apartment and wakes up the next morning in a bed with an older Kate. Cage slowly learns that he is really a married man with a family and instead of a big time corporate president, he is a tire salesman in his father-in-law's store.

There are several hilarious scenes and some very touching ones. His "new" life looks like a nightmare at first turns out to be the life he will eventually prefer (Some of this is reminiscent of Goldie Hawn in Overboard). Only until he realizes this, he will not be returned to his prior life by the Angel.

The director does a great job in giving us an ending that is different than what you seem to expect. I won't say what but I think it was well done.

One thing that is not explored is that when Cage's glimpsed life finishes, he will lose his two children from that glimpsed life. The director never touches on Cage's feelings about that, unlike the novel Replay where the main character is torn apart because a child he had in an alternate life no longer exists when he is in a different reality.

The movie is well cast and Don Cheadle is excellent as the "angel."

This Movie really reach me deep inside !
A modern-day Frank Capra story. Jack Campbell, a successful and talented businessman, is happily living his single life. He has everything, or so he thinks. One day he wakes up in a new life where he didn't leave his college girlfriend for a London trip. He's married to Kate, lives in Jersey and has two kids. He, of course, desperately wants his life back for which he has worked 13 years for. He's president of P. K. Lassiter Investment House and not a tire salesman at Big Ed's. He drives a Ferrari and not a mini-van that never starts. And most importantly he doesn't wake up in the morning with kids jumping on the bed. After a bad start, day by day he's more confident in his new life and starts to see what he's been missing. Turns out money's good to have but that's not everything.
- Jack Campbell: a 36 years old, 6'1'', Nicolas Cage.
- Kate Reynolds: a 34 years old, 5'8'', Téa Leoni.
- Annie Campbell: a 6 years old, Makenzie Vega, who is half-Colombian and half-Italian.
- Josh Campbell: Twin Brother Jake and Ryan Milkovich.

Great Film
Although I'm not a highly sentimental person, I actually got teary eyed at the end of the film. I think this film actually puts a couple of perspectives to light, one - your career, and two - your family life. I think the parallels to everyone's life is unbelievable because people go through their daily chores not realizing the importance of the choices made and the options forgone. This movie works great from my personal point of view and I think if you watch this movie, you would agree. ... Read more

Reviews (265)

An excellent DVD.
The Movie:

Chris Tucker is the funniest man in the world, in my opinion. It's too bad that the movies he acts in are always running to try and hopelessly catch up with him. One of the funniest things in cinema and some of the most enjoyable comic moments in the past few years have come from watching Tucker's performances. You can almost see his mind working in overtime trying to think up what to say next; and you never know what he'll say next. He takes the best of what Eddie Murphy used to be and just speeds it up a few hundred....thousand notches. It's just his looks of mock anger that always make me laugh. Never has anger been so funny.

He's joined by action star Jackie Chan in this film, which, although it's very funny at times, never really moves above the level of average, forgetable entertainment. Chan has done better "stunt-orientated" films like "Supercop" and "Rumble In The Bronx". In those films, he really shined with his mix of good humor and quick action. Here he's made to be more in the shape of the plot's need for humor and dialogue over stunts...not to say that there aren't any stunts; there are. It's just that they are a little few and far between.

The story revolves around a Chinese Console member who's daughter is kidnapped. Chan is brought in by the console member. The only problem is that the FBI wants to solve this case itself, and Chan's detective is not welcome. Some of the funniest scenes in the movie are watching Tucker's detective come to the realization that all he's called on to do is babysit Chan's detective. So, we start into the age old buddy cop flick.

Thankfully, this one isn't too bad. A nice script, some very good moments also from Chris Tucker when he's allowed to just improv his performance. Thank god Tucker and Chan liven up the proceedings; Chan has his usual array of incredible stunts, running up and down the sides of everything, kicking, doing it all; Tucker's mouth and Chan's quick feet make a nice balance of opposites. It's unfortunate that the direction is average, the plot is something you've seen all before, but it's through the performances of Tucker and Chan who make "Rush Hour" worth watching. It's nothing new, but when it works, "Rush Hour" is a whole lot of fun.

The DVD: Picture Quality: New Line has done a phenomenal job with the transfer of "Rush Hour". The colors of Los Angeles are incredibly vivid and just pop on this disc. Look at the reds in the Chinatown scenes or the colors of the neon at night. The color saturation is wonderful and there is no bleeding in the colors; the light from a neon sign looks perfectly sharp and clear. Speaking of sharpness, the images themselves are perfectly clear and sharp throughout the disc. There are a few instances where there is a small shimmering problem, but compared to a lot of the other discs I've seen lately, the shimmering in this disc isn't worth mentioning. Again, images are razor sharp throughout, there aren't any other problems at all with this disc. There are a lot more pros to talk about, though. Skin tones are 100% perfect. There is definitely no pixelization in the disc whatsoever, even in the low-light scenes or in the backgrounds. Black level in the picture is fantastic and contrast is wonderful. Shadow level is excellent and overall, this is a nice continuation of the New Line tradition of replicating the theatrical experience at home. There's occasionally a problem with otherwise great discs such as shimmering or what not and it takes you out of the experience. There's nothing on this disc that's problematic enough to take the viewer out of the experience of the movie and that's a sign of the very best DVDs. The 2.35:1 image is excellent. Excellent job, New Line.

Audio Quality: Impressive sound quality on this disc, emphasizing the sounds that added to the tone of fun on this disc and that's Lalo Schifrin's fun, urban and light score melding old R&B hits and current rap along with other wonderful bits and pieces of fun music to make an enjoyable score. The score fills the room and sounds full and clear. Dialogue also has that "same room" impression, recorded with clarity. There's a lot of impressive sound on this disc like the gunfire(director Ratner talks on the commentary about how he wanted to make the gunfire loud and emphasize it to make it "exciting"), which sounds great. The explosions also fill the room with great impact and force.

Extras:Now here's where this disc really shines: Commentary: There's an outstanding commentary with director Brett Ratner(who sounds at times sort of like Quentin Tarantino), who talks in depth wonderfully about the details of the production and working with Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. It goes into the detail of working with the screenplay and building the stunt scenes. This is a commentary that really is exactly what I want to hear in a commentary: it tells the story of exactly what it took to get the story to screen, not just what's happening on the screen. This is a fascinating commentary and I recommend it as one of the best commentaries out there. There is also an isolated score(and it's a fantastic score) with commentary by the great composer Lalo Schifrin.

Documentary: Again, it's what I want to see in a documentary. The box calls it a "featurette", but "A Piece Of The Action: Behind The Scenes Of Rush Hour" is something I would consider a full documentary. There's a lot of fun going on in the interviews with the cast and crew, and it doesn't seem like a usual studio promotional documentary. A lot of the camera work is hand-held and it just seems like it was all done in fun and the fun that the cast and crew has carries over to the viewer. The documentary runs about 40 minutes and the last chapter is more in the way of the hilarious outtakes that ended the film.

Deleted Scenes: A short reel of deleted scenes that at the most, are about 1 minute. Nothing earth-shaking, but interesting to see. The reel is a few minutes in length.

Short film: Director Brett Ratner's very strange short film from when he was a student at NYU, "What Ever Happened To Mason Reese?". The film starts off with an intro from the director and commentary from the director is also available. The film itself....well, it's just strange, but it's nice to have on the disc.

Trailer: Of course, the trailer.(letterboxed at 2.35:1)

Cast/Crew: Very nice biographies of the cast/crew.

Music Videos: 2 music videos.

DVD-ROM: The screenplay, an interactive game and web links(available only to Windows DVD-ROM computer users)

MENUS: Sharp animated menus that start with a very funny piece of dialogue from Chris Tucker.

Grades: The Movie:A- Picture Quality:A- Sound Quality:A- Extras:A Menus:A Overall:A
This review was originally posted at the website "A Guide To Current Film/DVD".

Lots of laughs in oddball 'buddy' movie
Jackie Chan, the great Chinese action star, plays a Hong Kong detective at the time of China's taking control of the city. A friend of his is dispatched to Los Angeles in a consulate position, and Chan is summoned soon thereafter when his buddy's daughter is kidnapped by gangsters. The FBI, not wanting any interference in the case, arranges to pair him with one of the wildest cops in LA history. As played by Chris Tucker, he is also the loudest. This ploy to get Chan away from the investigation doesn't work, of course. As always, the FBI agents are made to look like they are sharing a brain. You've already guess that the two policemen get along at first like cats and dogs, but by the end of the picture, they are best buddies. Along the way, they solve the case.

As a comedy team, Chan and Tucker work well together. The quiet, low-keyed Chan plays straight man to the brash, outrageous Tucker. There are the usual ongoing jokes about cultural differences, but at least in this case, pairing a Chinese character with an Afro-American does create a lot of opportunity for humor. Opposing tastes in food is a good topic, as is the language barrier. There is also a running joke about our obsession with hand guns. Jackie Chan is hard not to like, while Chris Tucker has much in common with W. C. Fields, Jerry Lewis and Jim Carrey. People either love him or hate him.

As is the rule in action comedy, the plot makes no sense. What carries the movie is the teaming of two actors whose personalities work well together. The special effects don't hurt either. There's an explosion every three minutes.

Lalo Schifin delivers a fine musical score. The set design is appropriately garish. A special thanks goes to Rush Hour's editors, who made sure it was short and to the point.

While Rush Hour is often entertaining, it does not measure up to a couple of similarly themed comedies - 48 Hours and Beverly Hills Cop - that were big hits when I was younger. Or is my memory playing tricks on me?

Jackie Chan needs to retire
This is not bad considering that most of Jackie Chan's movies are pretty much the same. That aside, story wasn't bad and there was some decent action scenes. Chris Tucker, however, does nothing but gets on your nerves with his irritating voice, bad acting and an IQ of a chimpanzee. In the outtakes, they show a scene that requires Chris Tucker to say two words in Chinese and he would blow it every single time. Talk about a dimwit

Rush Hour has great combos!
The idea of combining Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in one movie was a great idea! Jackie Chan does the main action while Chris Tuckers does the main comedy. Together they did a good job! The plot was good and the movie was so funny. I give it 5 stars for awesome action and nonstop laughs!

Great Entertainment - Funny & Exciting.
Rush Hour revitalized the buddy action flicks of the 80's and has become a modern classic. It is a movie in the tradition of 48 Hrs and Lethal Weapon, and like those two movies, it has perfect casting. Chris Tucker is hysterical in his best performance since Friday, Jackie Chan is in top form, complete with incredible stunts, cool martial arts and hilarious broken English.

The story is well-written and full of funny situations for both Tucker and Chan. Look for the scenes where Chan is in a predominantly black pool hall and Tucker buys some Chinese food from a cart. The chemistry between the two leads is probably what makes this movie so great. Great individually, but even better together. All this makes Rush Hour a guaranteed good time. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) is the quintessential Wall Street shark,scoring killer deals by day and shallow escort sex by night. His round-the-clockroutine of empty luxuries is disturbed one lonely Christmas Eve when agun-packing punk (Don Cheadle)--perhaps an angel of mercy--responds to an altruisticgesture from Jack by giving him "a glimpse" of the life he could have had.Could have, that is, if he had married the girlfriend (Téa Leoni)he'd abandoned 13 years earlier, raised two adorable children, worked in hisfather-in-law's retail tire outlet, and lived happily ever after in suburban NewJersey. Thrust into this "glimpse" of the path not taken, Jack's a single-maltman in a lite-brew world, wondering if he'll ever return to his "better" life ofcallous wealth and solitude--or if he even wants to.

Carp all you want about this derivative premise, with its marginal stereotypesand biased embrace of domestic bliss and dirty diapers. The simple fact is,The Family Man works like a charm. Under the assured direction of BrettRatner (Rush Hour), this holiday crowd-pleaser offers comedy andchemistry in equal measure, making the hilarity of Jack's predicament a smoothcatalyst for that rarest of movie romances: the marital love story. Leoni isCage's perfect match as Jack's idealized but imperfect wife, and the movie'sappeal largely derives from its awareness that any life has its pleasuresand pains. While it only flirts with the dark desperation that makes It's aWonderful Life a classic predecessor, The Family Man is anirresistible what-if fantasy, and even its debatable ending rides on a wave ofgenuine warmth and sentiment. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (162)

Nick Is Funny and Heartwarming. Good Holiday FIlm
The film is a good HOliday treat for the whole family. It is a new twist on the classic film of all time (and my personal favorite of all time) - Frank Capra's "It's A Wonderful Life" starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.

This one is directed by Brett Ratner (Rush Hour 1 & 2) and tells the tale of a man plaged brilliantly by Nicholas Cage (Ghostriders, Windtalkers, Leaving Las Vegas) - who things he has everything and misses nothing. That invokes intervention by an "angel" played by Don Cheadle (Rush Hour 2, Traffic, Mission To Mars) to show him what he doesn't have and therefore showing him what he is missing.

The new twist is that in his new "life" he learns of love and it amazingly down-to-earth performance by Tea Leoni (Deep Impact, Jurrasic Park III)

The film is warm and friendly and wonderful to watch. The kids and the aprents will find this story very entertaining.

The DVD Extras are really Fun. There is a great gag real of bloopers and the making of the film is very interesting. The commentaries with the director and anopther one with Danny Elfman (Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Big Fish) are charming and insightful.

This is a good one to have in your Holiday Collection. (12-10-03)

The Two Difficult Choices - Family or Career?
Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) was a highly sucessful wallstreet businessman. Thirteen years ago, he had left his college girlfriend, Kate Reynolds (Téa Leoni), to study law in the UK. Despite how hard she tried to convince him to stay, he had decided to leave. They never kept in contact after that.

Jack went to bed on Christmas eve and woke up on Christmas morning in a noisy house with a wife and two kids. Apparently, this was the alternate life that he would lead if he had not left for studies 13 years ago and stayed to marry Kate. He slowly discovered the importance and joy of having a family in the rest of the movie.

When Jack returned to his real life, he went to look for Kate, hoping to start afresh with her. Kate had long gotten over Jack and was in the midst of packing up to leave for Paris to work. Jack tried hard to get her to stay.

This is a heart-warming movie, especially during the parts when Jack was searching out his role as a family man. The current ending can be improved if it shows a scene where Jack and Kate live happily together as a family.

A Really Engrossing Film
This movie borrows from It's a Wonderful Life and the book Replay, where a man can go back and see how his life would be if he made a different choice.

In this movie, Nicholas Cage says goodbye to his girlfriend (Kate) at the airport. He is going to London for a job. We next see him years later as a successful head of a large corporation, unmarried and basically involved in one-night stands. We are later to find out that when Cage went to London, he forgot about Kate and she went her own way, never to be heard from again.

Cage is on the way home from the office during a snow-storm and thwarts a robbery. The audience expects the robber to shoot cage but instead Cage seems to convince the robber that he would be a better man if he didn't shoot Cage. It turns out that the robber is not really a robber but a type of Angel (similar to Clarence in It's a Wonderful Life) who will give Cage a glimpse of what life would be like if he hadn't stayed in London but instead came back and married Kate.

Cage goes to sleep in his luxury apartment and wakes up the next morning in a bed with an older Kate. Cage slowly learns that he is really a married man with a family and instead of a big time corporate president, he is a tire salesman in his father-in-law's store.

There are several hilarious scenes and some very touching ones. His "new" life looks like a nightmare at first turns out to be the life he will eventually prefer (Some of this is reminiscent of Goldie Hawn in Overboard). Only until he realizes this, he will not be returned to his prior life by the Angel.

The director does a great job in giving us an ending that is different than what you seem to expect. I won't say what but I think it was well done.

One thing that is not explored is that when Cage's glimpsed life finishes, he will lose his two children from that glimpsed life. The director never touches on Cage's feelings about that, unlike the novel Replay where the main character is torn apart because a child he had in an alternate life no longer exists when he is in a different reality.

The movie is well cast and Don Cheadle is excellent as the "angel."

This Movie really reach me deep inside !
A modern-day Frank Capra story. Jack Campbell, a successful and talented businessman, is happily living his single life. He has everything, or so he thinks. One day he wakes up in a new life where he didn't leave his college girlfriend for a London trip. He's married to Kate, lives in Jersey and has two kids. He, of course, desperately wants his life back for which he has worked 13 years for. He's president of P. K. Lassiter Investment House and not a tire salesman at Big Ed's. He drives a Ferrari and not a mini-van that never starts. And most importantly he doesn't wake up in the morning with kids jumping on the bed. After a bad start, day by day he's more confident in his new life and starts to see what he's been missing. Turns out money's good to have but that's not everything.
- Jack Campbell: a 36 years old, 6'1'', Nicolas Cage.
- Kate Reynolds: a 34 years old, 5'8'', Téa Leoni.
- Annie Campbell: a 6 years old, Makenzie Vega, who is half-Colombian and half-Italian.
- Josh Campbell: Twin Brother Jake and Ryan Milkovich.

Great Film
Although I'm not a highly sentimental person, I actually got teary eyed at the end of the film. I think this film actually puts a couple of perspectives to light, one - your career, and two - your family life. I think the parallels to everyone's life is unbelievable because people go through their daily chores not realizing the importance of the choices made and the options forgone. This movie works great from my personal point of view and I think if you watch this movie, you would agree. ... Read more

Reviews (162)

Nick Is Funny and Heartwarming. Good Holiday FIlm
The film is a good HOliday treat for the whole family. It is a new twist on the classic film of all time (and my personal favorite of all time) - Frank Capra's "It's A Wonderful Life" starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.

This one is directed by Brett Ratner (Rush Hour 1 & 2) and tells the tale of a man plaged brilliantly by Nicholas Cage (Ghostriders, Windtalkers, Leaving Las Vegas) - who things he has everything and misses nothing. That invokes intervention by an "angel" played by Don Cheadle (Rush Hour 2, Traffic, Mission To Mars) to show him what he doesn't have and therefore showing him what he is missing.

The new twist is that in his new "life" he learns of love and it amazingly down-to-earth performance by Tea Leoni (Deep Impact, Jurrasic Park III)

The film is warm and friendly and wonderful to watch. The kids and the aprents will find this story very entertaining.

The DVD Extras are really Fun. There is a great gag real of bloopers and the making of the film is very interesting. The commentaries with the director and anopther one with Danny Elfman (Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Big Fish) are charming and insightful.

This is a good one to have in your Holiday Collection. (12-10-03)

The Two Difficult Choices - Family or Career?
Jack Campbell (Nicolas Cage) was a highly sucessful wallstreet businessman. Thirteen years ago, he had left his college girlfriend, Kate Reynolds (Téa Leoni), to study law in the UK. Despite how hard she tried to convince him to stay, he had decided to leave. They never kept in contact after that.

Jack went to bed on Christmas eve and woke up on Christmas morning in a noisy house with a wife and two kids. Apparently, this was the alternate life that he would lead if he had not left for studies 13 years ago and stayed to marry Kate. He slowly discovered the importance and joy of having a family in the rest of the movie.

When Jack returned to his real life, he went to look for Kate, hoping to start afresh with her. Kate had long gotten over Jack and was in the midst of packing up to leave for Paris to work. Jack tried hard to get her to stay.

This is a heart-warming movie, especially during the parts when Jack was searching out his role as a family man. The current ending can be improved if it shows a scene where Jack and Kate live happily together as a family.

A Really Engrossing Film
This movie borrows from It's a Wonderful Life and the book Replay, where a man can go back and see how his life would be if he made a different choice.

In this movie, Nicholas Cage says goodbye to his girlfriend (Kate) at the airport. He is going to London for a job. We next see him years later as a successful head of a large corporation, unmarried and basically involved in one-night stands. We are later to find out that when Cage went to London, he forgot about Kate and she went her own way, never to be heard from again.

Cage is on the way home from the office during a snow-storm and thwarts a robbery. The audience expects the robber to shoot cage but instead Cage seems to convince the robber that he would be a better man if he didn't shoot Cage. It turns out that the robber is not really a robber but a type of Angel (similar to Clarence in It's a Wonderful Life) who will give Cage a glimpse of what life would be like if he hadn't stayed in London but instead came back and married Kate.

Cage goes to sleep in his luxury apartment and wakes up the next morning in a bed with an older Kate. Cage slowly learns that he is really a married man with a family and instead of a big time corporate president, he is a tire salesman in his father-in-law's store.

There are several hilarious scenes and some very touching ones. His "new" life looks like a nightmare at first turns out to be the life he will eventually prefer (Some of this is reminiscent of Goldie Hawn in Overboard). Only until he realizes this, he will not be returned to his prior life by the Angel.

The director does a great job in giving us an ending that is different than what you seem to expect. I won't say what but I think it was well done.

One thing that is not explored is that when Cage's glimpsed life finishes, he will lose his two children from that glimpsed life. The director never touches on Cage's feelings about that, unlike the novel Replay where the main character is torn apart because a child he had in an alternate life no longer exists when he is in a different reality.

The movie is well cast and Don Cheadle is excellent as the "angel."

This Movie really reach me deep inside !
A modern-day Frank Capra story. Jack Campbell, a successful and talented businessman, is happily living his single life. He has everything, or so he thinks. One day he wakes up in a new life where he didn't leave his college girlfriend for a London trip. He's married to Kate, lives in Jersey and has two kids. He, of course, desperately wants his life back for which he has worked 13 years for. He's president of P. K. Lassiter Investment House and not a tire salesman at Big Ed's. He drives a Ferrari and not a mini-van that never starts. And most importantly he doesn't wake up in the morning with kids jumping on the bed. After a bad start, day by day he's more confident in his new life and starts to see what he's been missing. Turns out money's good to have but that's not everything.
- Jack Campbell: a 36 years old, 6'1'', Nicolas Cage.
- Kate Reynolds: a 34 years old, 5'8'', Téa Leoni.
- Annie Campbell: a 6 years old, Makenzie Vega, who is half-Colombian and half-Italian.
- Josh Campbell: Twin Brother Jake and Ryan Milkovich.

Great Film
Although I'm not a highly sentimental person, I actually got teary eyed at the end of the film. I think this film actually puts a couple of perspectives to light, one - your career, and two - your family life. I think the parallels to everyone's life is unbelievable because people go through their daily chores not realizing the importance of the choices made and the options forgone. This movie works great from my personal point of view and I think if you watch