Rush Hour 2 (2001) - Synopsis

rush hour 2 - synopsis heading

Get ready for a second Rush!

The fastest hands in the East reteams with the biggest mouth in the West in Rush Hour 2, the highly-anticipated sequel to the 1998 blockbuster action-comedy that grossed over $250 million worldwide.

Rush Hour 2 begins with Chief Inspector Lee of the Royal Hong Kong Police (JACKIE CHAN) and LAPD detective James Carter (CHRIS TUCKER) arriving in Hong Kong for a vacation. Armed with his Chinese-English dictionary, Carter is looking forward to a much-needed vacation and to sampling some of the city's many exotic delights. But Lee, the ever-dedicated policeman, continues with his duties, frustrating Carter.

No sooner do they arrive, then they are confronted with the biggest case of their careers - a bomb has exploded in the American Embassy, killing two U. S. Customs agents who had been investigating a money smuggling ring that is producing and shipping millions in "superbills," high-grade counterfeit U. S. $100 bills.

The Hong Kong police suspect the chief architect behind the blast is Ricky Tan (JOHN LONE), the elegant and cunning head of the Fu-Cang-Long Triad, the deadliest gang in China. Inspector Lee is assigned to crack the case, much to the chagrin of Carter, who is caught up in the events against his will and feels his vacation plans slipping away. For Lee the case is personal - Ricky Tan was once his father's partner on the Hong Kong police force and played a direct role in his father's death.

With the Hong Kong and U. S. authorities fighting over jurisdiction of the case, Lee and a reluctant Carter set off on their own to track down Tan. But this time it's Detective Carter who is the fish-out-of-water, and Lee now has the opportunity to teach him some lessons on his home turf (as Lee tells Carter in his not-so-perfect English, "in Hong Kong, I am Michael Jackson, you are Toto"). But in his own inimitable way, the fast-talking Carter has a few things to teach the locals as well!

As Lee and Carter lead a fast-paced pursuit of Ricky Tan and his gang, trying to locate the priceless plates used to print the counterfeit bills, they wreak havoc through a variety of Hong Kong locales, including a karaoke bar -- where Carter teaches the gangster clientele how to sing the definitive version of the classic "Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough" -- the Heaven on Earth massage parlor and a party on Tan's yacht cruising the waters of scenic Victoria harbor.

Along the way they must contend with Tan's beautiful and deadly henchwoman Hu Li (Ziyi Zhang, who captivated audiences with her role as Jen Yu in the Academy Award-winning epic, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)), billionaire hotel owner and key Ricky Tan associate Steven Reign (legendary actor/comedian ALAN KING) and the alluring, mysterious and seemingly corrupt U. S. secret service agent Isabella Molina (ROSELYN SANCHEZ).

The action returns Stateside for a brief detour through Los Angeles before climaxing in a spectacular, action-filled finale at the opening night of the Red Dragon Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

Rush Hour 2 is filled with high-flying action and outrageous comedy, along with more of the incredible chemistry between Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, that outdoes the original.

A New Line Cinema Production in association with Arthur Sarkissian and Roger Birnbaum Productions, Rush Hour 2 is directed by Brett Ratner (Rush Hour (1998), Family Man, the (2000)) and produced by Arthur Sarkissian, Roger Birnbaum, Jay Stern and Jonathan Glickman. The executive producers are Andrew Z. Davis, Michael De Luca and Toby Emmerich.

The screenplay for Rush Hour 2 is by Jeff Nathanson, based on characters created by Ross La Manna. The director of photography is Matthew F. Leonetti, A. S. C. (Along Came A Spider (2001), Dead Again (1991)). Two-time Academy Award winner Terence Marsh (Green Mile, the (1999),Shawshank Redemption, the (1994)) is the production designer, Academy Award nominee Rita Ryack (Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), Casino (1995)) is the costume designer and Mark Helfrich, A. C. E. (Family Man, the (2000) Rush Hour (1998) is the editor. The score is composed by the four-time Grammy winner and six-time Oscar nominee Lalo Schifrin (Rush Hour (1998), Enter the Dragon (1973)).