Parents' Guide to

Rush Hour

Movie PG-13 1999 97 minutes
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Common Sense Media Review

By Nell Minow , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Buddy cop fun amidst explosions, bad guys, and language.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 11+

Based on 12 parent reviews

age 10+

Tame Content, Nothing Too Much For Older Kids And Teens

Tame Violence, little to no blood, occasional use of mild to moderate language, suitable for kids 10+
age 15+

Love this movie! Great action and stunts

Love this movie! Really good and funny, but quite a lot of cursing so be careful with younger kids.

What's the Story?

In RUSH HOUR, Jackie Chan plays Hong Kong police detective Lee, who comes to Los Angeles to find the kidnapped 11-year-old daughter of his close friend, a Chinese diplomat. The FBI doesn't want Lee getting involved in the case, so they team him up with James Carter (Chris Tucker), a "cop who doesn't work well with others but is so good they have to put up with him." Carter's job is really to keep Lee out of the investigation, but Carter also decides this is his chance to shine and digs into the case himself while trying to distract Lee.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (12 ):
Kids say (37 ):

Hong Kong superstar Jackie Chan is always a delight to watch. His charm, wit, and impeccable timing make his kung fu moves closer to Charlie Chaplin or Jacques Tati than to Stephen Segal. He has had a hard time finding an American script to showcase his talent, but comes a little bit closer with this action comedy. Comedian Tucker brings energy and some freshness to the tired role of the difficult new partner. Chan and Tucker seem to genuinely enjoy one another, and both share gifts for physical comedy that provide some very funny moments amidst the usual round of explosions and bad guys. And the little girl (Julia Hsu) is adorable, with a Mariah Carey imitation that is utterly delicious.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in the movie. Do you think seeing so much action has an effect on how you act later? How does the comedy change the way you experience the violence?

  • Talk about how race is portrayed in the movie. Do you think this movie challenges or reinforces stereotypes?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

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