Rush Hour is a 1998 martial arts/buddy cop film directed by Brett Ratner and starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. The film was successful, becoming the 7th top grossing film of 1998, with a gross of over $140 million dollars at the US box office. The film contains one of the most famous comedy phrases, when asking Lee if he knows English, Carter says "Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?". Fact: date=August 2008

Plot

On the last day of British rule in Hong Kong, Detective Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) of the Hong Kong police leads a raid at the docks, hoping to arrest the mysterious crime lord Juntao. He finds only Sang (Ken Leung), Juntao's right hand man, who manages to escape. However, Lee successfully recovers numerous Chinese cultural treasures stolen by Juntao, which he presents as a farewell victory to his departing superiors: Chinese consul Han (Tzi Ma) and British Commander Thomas Griffin (Tom Wilkinson).

Shortly after arriving in the United States to take up his new diplomatic post in Los Angeles, Han's daughter, Soo Yung, is kidnapped. Unwilling to trust the FBI, Han calls in Lee to assist in the case.

The FBI, knowing Lee's incompetence, or success, will generate international embarrassment for them, pawn him off on LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker), a fast-talking and arrogant police officer with aspirations of joining the FBI. Carter has recently caused severe collateral damage arresting bomb-maker Clyde Cod (Chris Penn) and his superiors give him a choice: keep Lee away from the investigation or face suspension without pay. Carter agrees, secretly intending to solve the case himself.

Carter meets Lee at LAX and then proceeds to take him on a sightseeing tour of Los Angeles, simultaneously keeping Lee away from the embassy and contacting several of his underworld informants about the kidnapping. Lee finally escapes Carter and makes his way to the Chinese Consulate, where an anxious Han and a group of FBI agents are awaiting news about his daughter. Later, while being severely reprimanded by the FBI, Carter manages to accidentally involve himself in a phone conversation with the kidnappers, where he arranges a ransom drop.

After their arrival at the agreed drop point, Lee tries to warn the FBI that something is amiss, but is ignored until a bomb is detonated, killing several agents. Spotting Sang nearby, Lee and Carter give chase, but Sang escapes after dropping a rare type of detonator. After showing it to Carter's colleague, LAPD bomb expert Tania Johnson (Elizabeth Peña), then to Clyde Cod, the bomb-maker he arrested, they learn that Juntao was behind the kidnapping. Following a lead to a restaurant in Chinatown, Carter is captured after going in alone. He sees a surveillance video of Griffin evacuating Soo-Yung from the premises, but does not know who he is. Lee arrives and rescues Carter, and they are met outside by the FBI, who blame them for ruining the ransom exchange. Sang phones the consul, angrily telling him that the ransom has been increased, and begins threatening Soo-Yung's life. Disgraced and guilt-ridden, Lee and Carter are ordered off the investigation and Lee is sent back to Hong Kong. Finally realising Soo-Yung's safety is more important than his career, Carter refuses to drop the case and confronts Lee on his plane to enlist his help. Carter tells Lee about the death of Carter's father, also a police officer, killed at a routine traffic stop because his partner didn't help him. Lee is surprised, as before then Carter has seemed to care about no one but himself. They decide to save Soo Yung together.