With the refreshing addition of comedy to action, Jackie Chan managed to revolutionize the action genre with his distinct style and humor. He is the epitome of legendary as his name echoes through generations. Whether it’s his jaw-dropping stunts, effortless charm, brilliant martial art skills, or impeccable comedic timing, Jackie Chan became a household name worldwide.
One of Jackie Chan’s most successful films is the 1998 action-comedy, Rush Hour. The film was a huge critical success and was absolutely loved by the audience. This gave way to two sequels for the franchise. However, the star of the film himself had no idea why Rush Hour gained the popularity it did since there were so many buddy-cop movies already on the market.
Jackie Chan Has No Idea Why Rush Hour Was Successful
On a modest budget of about $30 million, Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker’s Rush Hour was a huge success, both at the box office and among the fans. The undeniable chemistry between Chan and Tucker played a huge role in the film’s likability. Despite all the love that was pouring in for Rush Hour, Chad had no idea why the film was doing so well. Perhaps, he thought, it was just good timing.
Talking to Los Angeles Times, the Vanguard actor once stated,
“Even myself, I have no idea why the film was so successful. There are so many buddy movies already. You know ‘Lethal Weapon,’ ‘48 HRS.’–so many already. I think with ‘Rush Hour’ it was just good timing. Why? Because after ‘Rumble in the Bronx’ was a success, then everyone went to rent the videos of ‘Drunken Master,’ ‘First Strike’ and the others. They kept looking at all the old films.”
Chan then proceeded to state that his growing popularity could have been one of the reasons behind Rush Hour’s success, as everyone, including Quentin Tarantino, was talking about him.
“Meanwhile, everybody in Hollywood was talking about me. Quentin Tarantino. Everybody was talking. This created an excited audience. OK–BOOM!–now the first big American film.”
After Rush Hour’s success, the film turned into a franchise with Rush Hour 2 and Rush Hour 3. The first sequel made $347 million at the box office and the third made $258 million. Just a few months back, Chan listed Rush Hour 4 as one of his upcoming projects. As you can see, the craze is still on. We cannot wait to see a Chan-Tucker reunion!
Why Was Rush Hour So Successful?
There are many reasons why a film like Rush Hour would reach such heights of success. However, as far as Jackie Chan is concerned, the film gained success because he was in control of all the fighting scenes. He compared Lethal Weapon 4 to Rush Hour, stating that the former was very similar to the usual American films and he wanted to do things differently with Rush Hour.
“The difference is that in Rush Hour they really gave me a lot of freedom. I can control all the fighting scenes. In Lethal Weapon 4 all the fighting scenes are similar to American movies–BOOM BOOM BOOM–big explosions. So when the movie started–Rush Hour–I went to the director and said, ‘Look, you have to promise me. Fewer explosions. Less violence. Fewer gunfights. Even if you have the gunfights don’t show the blood. We want no special effects. Jackie Chan will be the special effects, doing exactly what I am doing in Asia.’
So when the pool hall fighting scene took place they just let me do it. Even the director let me do all the things. So the audience really can see something different than the typical American action movie.”
Chan continued that while many actors know how to fight onscreen, he prides himself on the fact that he knows how to choreograph the fight scenes. It looks like the actor knows what will work and what won’t. For now, we are looking forward to the fourth installment of the franchise, waiting to see how Chan choreographs the action scenes in this one.
You can stream Rush Hour on Netflix.
Source: Los Angeles Times
