Greetings again from the darkness. Director Brett Ratner ("Rush Hour" and "The Family Man") is back with this formulaic remake that utilizes memorable lines from the original by different characters. Obviously this was made for the money. Despite this fact, there are a few points of interest. Most notably is the Ziyz Zhang in her first role since "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". She has amazing screen presence ... if only she could speak English! Hopefully more directors will find a way to utilize her talents in spite of the language barrier. Also, the rarely seen John Lone is back as a villain. He may be best remembered from his stunning performance in 1985's "Year of the Dragon". I must question the casting of both Don Cheadle and Alan King. My guess is that Ratner owed King a favor and Cheadle owed Ratner one. Relative newcomer Roselyn Sanchez has some intrigue, but her role was so poorly defined in this movie, one cannot jump to any conclusions regarding her talent. Otherwise, much of the same from this one with the obvious exception that the decision was made to put Chris Tucker front and center and Jackie Chan as the straight guy. A little too much of Tucker's "in your face" humor for my tastes.
Review of Rush Hour 2
