2001, 1 hr 35 min., Rated PG-13 for action violence, language and some sexual material.�Dir: Brett Ratner. Cast: Chris Tucker, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi (Hu Li), Don Cheadle (Kenny), Roselyn Sanchez (Isabella), Alan King (Steven Reign).

Saw it this afternoon, and please make do with this quickie review as I have about a half-hour to write it, post it and still get to bed at a reasonable hour before flying out to Hartford at 8 a.m. tomorrow.

First and foremost, I have to say that I had a really good time at Rush Hour 2. In a summer full of lame action flicks, this one sticks out like a black man in the Far East. The humor, the action, the Asian honeys (I can't emphasize this last part enough); it's all worth it. I could even put up with Chris Tucker's mouth for the most part, because the supporting characters were above par and Jackie Chan levels him perfectly.

The first Rush Hour was a real surprise, a take on the buddy cop flick that wasn�t just the same old formula that everyone saw in Lethal Weapon. The fast-talking urban cop, �7-11� Tucker (because his mouth never closes), paired up with the barely-English-speaking martial artist Chan is a great combo, and thus the goal of the sequel is to make mega-dollars at the box office. And, spending the first half of the movie in Hong Kong means that there is no shortage of jokes regarding the different cultures.

The supporting characters are a major plus for Rush Hour 2. Including Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon breakout star Zhang Ziyi, not to mention rising star Don Cheadle as the owner of a Chinese Soul Food restaurant in very urban L.A., those are just the best examples of other reasons besides the stars to see the flick.

So rush to the theater and enjoy a couple hours of rollicking good time.

As usual with a Chan flick, stick around during the credits for some hilarious out takes.

The verdict:

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