Jackie Chan, the martial arts legend and action-comedy star, didn’t hold back when talking about his Rush Hour trilogy in a recent BuzzFeed video interview tied to his new film Karate Kid: Legends. Asked to rank the three Rush Hour movies, Chan put the third film dead last, blaming its massive budget and leisurely filming schedule for missing the mark. With Rush Hour 4 rumors swirling again, his candid take on the franchise’s highs and lows has fans buzzing about what made the series work—and what didn HX didn’t. Here’s the scoop on Chan’s thoughts and why Rush Hour 3 fell short for him.
In the interview (via Variety), Chan laid out his ranking with a straightforward charm that’s pure Jackie. The first Rush Hour from 1998, his favorite, was made on a tight $35 million budget and a fast-paced shoot that kept the energy high. “Little money, little time. We shot it like, ‘Go, go, go!’” he said, recalling the scrappy, urgent vibe that fueled its success. The movie grossed $244 million worldwide and became a breakout hit, thanks to the electric chemistry between Chan’s Hong Kong detective Lee and Chris Tucker’s fast-talking LAPD cop Carter. The second film, Rush Hour 2 in 2001, had more cash ($90 million) and time, which Chan felt worked well, raking in $347 million globally. But Rush Hour 3 in 2007? “Too much money, too much time,” Chan griped. “Too much money is no good.” With a hefty $140 million budget, the film still pulled in $258 million but took a critical beating, sitting at a dismal 17% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Chan’s frustration with Rush Hour 3 comes down to its bloated production. The big budget and extended schedule, he says, sapped the raw, kinetic feel of the earlier films. Critics agreed, calling it a tired rehash with less inspired action and comedy. Unlike the first film’s lean, stunt-driven charm or the second’s sharper buddy-cop banter, the third felt weighed down by excess—too many resources, not enough hustle. Chan, known for doing his own death-defying stunts, thrives in high-pressure settings where creativity shines under constraints, and he clearly felt the lack of that spark in Paris-set Rush Hour 3.
The trilogy’s arc mirrors Chan’s take. The original Rush Hour was a fresh surprise, blending Chan’s jaw-dropping martial arts with Tucker’s motor-mouthed humor, cementing Chan as a Hollywood star after hits like Rumble in the Bronx. Rush Hour 2 upped the ante with bigger set pieces and even more box office success. But by Rush Hour 3, the formula felt stale to critics, and even Chan himself admitted in past interviews he wasn’t thrilled with the lack of action and struggled with the English-heavy dialogue, often unsure of what Tucker was riffing about.
Fans are now looking ahead to Rush Hour 4, which Chan and Tucker have teased for years. In the BuzzFeed chat, Chan jokingly said they better “hurry up” before he and Tucker, both in their 70s and 50s respectively, are “100 years old.” He confirmed talks are happening, with a director meeting in 2022, though New Line Cinema hasn’t officially greenlit it yet. Tucker’s also hyped, promising it won’t just be a rehash, saying, “It’s not going to be what you’ve normally seen.” Their recent reunion at the Toronto International Film Festival had fans gushing over their “pure happiness” vibe, fueling hope for another go.
Chan’s comments hit on a bigger truth about filmmaking. Sometimes, less is more. The first Rush Hour’s tight budget and schedule forced a gritty, inventive energy that resonated with audiences. Rush Hour 3’s excess, in Chan’s view, dulled that edge. As Horizon: An American Saga—another big-budget project facing its own struggles—shows, throwing money at a film doesn’t always equal magic. With Rush Hour 4 on the horizon, Chan’s critique suggests a leaner, hungrier approach might bring back the trilogy’s glory days. Fans are crossing their fingers for a return to the fast, funny, and action-packed roots that made Lee and Carter legends.
Source: Variety