This is an entertaining film.

Rush Hour was my initiation to the Hollywood 27 in Nashville, where Scott and Jenn had been trying to drag me to for months. That place is huge! And I've been to quite a few stadium seating facilities, but never in a theater that can hold a few hundred people. I can't imagine seeing a movie there as the only person in the theater as I am frequently for 11 a.m. movies. That would be unnerving. It'd feel like a horror film.

We have found the heir to the Lethal Weapon series. Apparently the formula still works, with Rush Hour setting a new weekend box office record for an opening in August, September or October. And Lethal Weapon 4 made over $125 million during the busy 1998 summer season.

This is my first Chan film, so now I know what the fuss is about. He's awesome! It doesn't matter how choreographed the on-screen moves are, the fact that he can do them quickly and at all is enough. I'd seen the fast-talking, high-pitched comedian Tucker, and thought he'd be annoying in a starring role, but for the most part he was hilarious and nicely paired with Chan. He wasn't as pesky as he was as Ruby Rod in The Fifth Element.

PLOT: During the final days of British colonization of Hong Kong, Detective Lee (Chan) ends a drug smuggling ring, but its leaders escape to L.A. There they kidnap the daughter of the Chinese consul, who insists the FBI enlist the help of Lee. But the feds want nothing to do with this foreign cop, so they get L.A. detective Carter to drive Lee around and generally stay out of the way. But where's the fun in that? We've got a girl to save. So, after a period of misunderstanding (both Lee and Carter prefer to work alone), they pair up and action and humor ensues as they look for the girl.

Chan's stunts and Tucker's mouth make this a movie to see. Even the little girl is a gem. As one of Lee's students, she isn't the easiest kid to nab. Although I kept wondering where all the L.A. traffic suddenly went. But then I remembered, who cares? Annalyzing Rush Hour is pointless. Just be entertained.