By 'Neo696.' Positive/Major Spoilers

Before I go into a review of the second draft of the Rush Hour 2 screenplay, I must tell you all some info that may/may not be old news to you. This review may get long, so bear with me:

The sequel is expected to start shooting this fall with location shooting expected to take place in HongKong and other undetermined locations (according to trade paper Variety). Brett Ratner will return to direct. Screenwriter Jeff Nathanson (Speed 2 & Twister) is currently rewriting & polishing the thrid draft of the sequel script---after Chan read the first draft last December & passed on some notes---which will have Chan and Tucker chasing Chinese crooks Both stars should sign on by the end of this summer. First of all, when I went on the Comingsoon.net website, Rush Hour 2 is named as "Rush Hour: Bumper 2 Bumper". Personally, I think "Rush Hour 2" sounded better and the new subtitle sounds like a porno. Hysterically laughing at the crap title, I told myself it was probably BS. But when the second draft of the script got into my hands, titled "Rush Hour: Bumper To Bumper"---my smile faded.

Despite the crap title that is as corny as Speed: Cruise Control, this script was an enjoyable read. It was really surprising. Even though I haven't read the first draft of the script---but have read the script review---the second draft is superior. The first draft of the script totally emphasized Chan's character and more nonstop action, but relied on more Asian stereotyping for dry humor. The second draft goes a little easy on the excessive racist Asian jokes, and the Hong Kong setting should be friggin' awesome.

The second draft is totally fresh---not original in story---but what makes it fresh it taht it takes a completely different direction and angle: instead of an urban setting/universe, it puts Detective Lee (Chan) and Detective Carter (Tucker) slap-face in the middle of a Hong Kong "John Woo-ized" universe. Imagine Lee and Carter in the brooding environment "The Killer", but with a total comedy angle. No, it doesn't play out as a spoof. No, it's not as viscerally dark, brooding or as violent as "the killer". Rush Hour 2's Hong Kong really makes use of all of REAL Hong Kong---the neon-lighting, tall metropolises, technology and Asian population.

The plot has Lee and Carter---on their vacation---chasing Chinese bad guys. The most important fact about a second film is a villain. The villain, whom I don't really want to spoil but might as well beacsue his identity was most likely changed in the new draft, but read on...Remember how there was talk of Dennis Hopper's Alex Payne villain in Speed was going to make an appearance in Speed 2 (and was in one of the drafts?) Same thing here. How do you top the villain of the original? Easy. Make the villain of Rush Hour 2 --- SPOILER --- Sang's twin brother. ---END SPOILER --

Sang's brother in the sequel--named 'Chiang'---is a MAIN character who helps run the crime ring/empire in Hong Kong, as he Wants Revenge On Lee For Killing His Brother. Not exactly an original motive, but still....this guy is more ruthelss and mercilless than Sang, as he knows kung fu too and can kill a guy pretty badly (there's a great scene where he takes on another Asian gang by himself). Sang wants to CONTROL the Chinese crime empire in Hong Kong, not help run it. To climb up to higher ranks he tries to go on tasks to prove his worthiness to the Kingpin, but ultimately fails on a certan mission---to bomb an airport---that gets him in the midst of Lee and Carter, whom are just getting off their flight from the USA.

At first when Carter sees Chiang it's very funny. Carter, thinking Chiang is Sang, has mistaken identity as his 'eyes dilate twice their size, takes out his gun' and automatically says, 'Fight like a man! Fight like a man! Fight like man!". And Lee, Carter and Chaing both get into a big shoot out, which leads to a chase through Hong Kong's city night streets, as they're chasing him, another funny scene has the Asians all turn their heads and look at Carter strangely (a black man in Hong Kong?)...they lose him (as usual) and are left to solve the case. Chaing's little mistake doesn't matter, though. He kills the kingpin anyway. BTW, this draft makes no reference about bombs in rush hour, but the villains do steal a lot of dangerous stuff that they use to threaten. They end up kidnappng a political figure from the Hong Kong government that will somehow corrupt the Chinese consul in LA., as their plan is to kill the Chinese consul in LA and then the members in the crime gang will pose as 'replacements' in the consul in LA, where they can cross over and build a new crime empire and continue their reign of terror there. Which leads to an anti-climax, where Lee and Carter must find the politician through Rush Hour traffic and chase the villains.

The action, most importantly should be more eye popping, because this time Chan will be given more to do, though it won't be death-defying as in his other films. Out of the action scenes in the script, the best i choose is the wild and crazy car chase before the climax, that combines kung fu, shootouts, crashng fast cars and explosions, whcih totally lives up to the "Bumper to Bumper" subtitle. It's totally unbelievable but entertaining. It takes place during Rush hour traffic Cars fly, crash and burn. The highlight of the chase has to do with a 5 story building that is basically a winding parking lot that goes up to the top of the building. Carter does the driving while Chan jumps onto the bad guy's cars, swings through windows, kicks ass, and jumps back onto carter's car, and in what should be a cool scene, when the two remaining cars get to the very top, the villains detonate a bomb that explodes at the very top of the building, sending an avalanche of cars falling, and Carter and Lee's car must make it all the way back down in time. Of course, it's a close call for them and a very painful CRUSH for the bad guys. The climax is the same as the originals, but with a hip twist: it's a John Woo-styled shoot out which should have lots of cool slo-mo shots of guns, awesome kung fu and john woo-type poetry. Sang's death is done pretty cooly and is nasty (like how the villain in the last 007 flick was done in).

Throught most of the script the fish out of water pattern of the first film is reversed and played out, with Carter the fish out of water and Lee the know-it-all. Tucker also tries to learn some Chinese in a stereotypical scene which should be a laugh riot with non-Asians. As this time the fish out of water pattern is more entertaining than the original's. The funniest scene is when Carter's motor mouth meets a faster motormouth of a talking toliet (for those of you that didn't know, they have that stuff now in the East).

The humor is a lot funnier this time around, and less hard hitting on the Asians. As Lee and Carter get their own tricks of trade down: for what should make nonstop laughter, Lee jive talks his way through half of the script and Carter does a lot more slapstick martial arts this time. And don't worry Rush Hour fans---they still dance in the streets, this time during a Chinese parade at night.

Overall, Rush Hour 2's direction---Chan & Tucker in a hong kong John Woo film---sounds very promising indeed. It's the perfect twist that New Line needs to keep this young franchsie alive. New Line wants their own Lethal Weapon franchise, which means they're going to have to watch over Rush Hour 2 extra extra carefully to make sure the sequel's better than the original in quality & financially at the box office. Can't wait to read the next draft to see what changes were made,. hopefully Chiang wasn't taken out. Rush Hour 2 is a no brainer mega hit waiting to be made! Well I'll keep you all up to date on RUSH HOUR2.

---Neo696