(rated PG-13, 120 mins)
In the 1998 original with Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, it was the perfect combination of action meets comedy. Though not necessary to produce a sequel, somehow the charisma and diverse backgrounds again work in pulling the two talents together (think Nolte and Murphy in “48 Hours” but Nolte able to kick butt). Chan and Tucker reprise their roles as Chief Inspector Lee of the Royal Hong Kong Police and the LAPD detective James Carter. The two begin on vacation in Hong Kong only to run into the biggest case of their lives taking them from massage parlors to casinos and even a luxury ocean liner. New co-star Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) adds some kick-ass beauty. The problem with this sequel is the character development. Chan fights vanilla Chinese villains while Tucker fights for attention. This attention stealing, steals from the scenes where we almost want him to just shut up already.
