Rush Hourwas a major hit when it was released in the fall of 1998. The teaming ofChris TuckerandJackie Chaninthe thrilling action comedybrought newfound popularity to both men, with Chan finding a new level of crossover appeal with western audiences. The movie also, unfortunately, furthered the career of director, and disgusting human hedgehog,Brett Ratner.
Regardless of the film’s role in bringing fame and fortune to a privileged Hollywood hemorrhoid, it still provides a great deal of entertainment to fans of its buddy comedy antics. This is proven by its recent place amongNetflix’s most popular films, which shows that there is still an audience for this kind of movie. Luckily for those audiences, there have been plenty of otherfilms that provide the same two-fisted combo of comedy and action. These are ten movies for anyone who lovesRush Hour.
10. ‘48 Hrs.’ (1982)
Directed by Walter Hill
While buddy comedies existed well before the 80s, the decade was a high watermark for the subgenre. Many of the films put into production during that time were done so in an effort to recapture the success of48 Hrs.,Walter Hill’saction-comedy that teamedNick Nolte’sgruff cop withEddie Murphy’sfast-talking bank robber as partners who have two days to take down some criminals.
This was Murphy’s film debut, and he leaves no crumbs as he eats up every scene he’s in. The role was originally intended for one of Murphy’s comedic idols,Richard Pryor, who dropped out while the film was stuck in development.Murphy gives a star-making performanceand is perfectly matched against Nolte’s gravel-voiced straight man. Without the success of48 Hrs.it’s entirely possible there would be noBeverly Hills Cop, and certainly noRush Hour.
9. ‘Big Trouble in Little China’ (1986)
Directed by John Carpenter
For another movie that teams a martial artist up with a loud-mouthed American in way over his head, audiences should look no further thanJohn Carpenter’sBig Trouble in Little China.Kurt Russellplays swaggering long-haul trucker Jack Burton, whose friendship withDennis Dun’sChinatown restaurant owner Wang Chi gets him involved with a wild plot involving Chinese street gangs, an ancient sorcerer and supernaturally high stakes.
The movie is far more genre-bendingthanRush Hour, but the chemistry between Russell and Dun carries the same vibes as Tucker and Chan.Big Troublecleverly subverts the white savior tropeby having Jack Burton be a constantly outmatched loudmouth who barely scrapes by thanks to a lot of help from others and some true dumb luck. It’s a cult classic with tons of style, martial arts action and plentiful laughs.
8. ‘Lethal Weapon’ (1987)
Directed by Richard Donner
Following in the footsteps of Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte wereMel GibsonandDanny GloverinRichard Donner’sbuddy-cop classicLethal Weapon. Gibson plays loose cannon cop Martin Riggs, who is teamed up with Glover’s ready for retirement Roger Murtaugh to investigate the mysterious death of a young woman, which leads them to a major drug smuggling operation.
With a crackerjack script byShane Black, the movie mixes action and humor while also maintaining a deep emotional core through Riggs, who struggles with his mental health in the wake of his wife’s death. The film was a huge success and spawned three sequels (with a fifth film possibly on the way) and a TV series, and laid a blueprint that almost all buddy-cop movies have tried to emulate since.
Lethal Weapon
7. ‘Midnight Run’ (1988)
Directed by Martin Brest
WhileLethal Weaponmay get most of the attention, the best buddy comedy to come out of the 80s was actuallyMidnight Run.DirectorMartin Brestfollowed up his massive hitBeverly Hills Copwith a film that’s arguably even funnier and more action-packed.Robert De Niroplays a no-nonsense bounty hunter tasked with bringing in a meek mob accountant, played byCharles Grodin, from New York to Los Angeles.
The cross-country trip gets complicated by federal agents, wiseguys and a rival bounty hunter, all who want the accountant for themselves. Shooting all across the U.S. in real locations, Brest’s action-comedyroad movie is a blast from start to finish. De Niro and Grodin have impeccable comedic chemistry together, and the genuine development of their characters togethersetsMidnight Runapart from other buddy comedies.
Midnight Run
6. ‘Police Story 3: Supercop’
Directed by Stanley Tong
For fans who want more of Jackie Chan being teamed up with another star, there are more than a few options. Hollywood tried a variety of team-ups with the martial arts star in an attempt to replicate the success ofRush Hourand its first sequel, with the most successful being the western-action filmShanghai Noon. If there’s a perfect counterpart to Chan, though, it’s fellowmartial arts action starMichelle Yeoh, who tag-teamed with him in the third installment ofthePolice Storyfranchise,Supercop.
Chan returns to his role as a Hong Kong police inspector, tasked with taking down a drug lord, with Yeoh posing as his sister as they go undercover. The two stars trade off on insane stunts, with Chan dangling himself from a helicopter andYeoh jumping a motorcycle on to a moving train. The action absolutely puts Chan’s American films to shame and the chemistry between him and Yeoh is better than any of the Hollywood stars who couldn’t match his physical prowess on their best day.Yeoh and Chan are action equals, and game recognizes game.
5. ‘Friday’ (1995)
Directed by F. Gary Gray
On the other side of the duo,Chris Tucker’s high-pitched comedic reliefcan be grating for some, but when he’s utilized well, he brings a lot of hilarity. BeforeRush Hour, Tucker collaborated with Ratner on theCharlie SheenvehicleMoney Talks, backed upBruce Willisinthe essential 90s sci-fi filmThe Fifth Element, and had one perfect scene inJackie Brown. His funniest role, by far, was alongsideIce Cubein the cult comedyFriday.
Tucker plays Smokey, a small-time weed dealer who spends an eventful day on a South Central porch with Cube, who also co-wrote the screenplay to offer counterprogramming to the gritty hood movies that came out in the early 90s.Tucker steals the show with memorable lines and delivery, and the two subsequentFridaysequels are sorely missing his signature manic energy.
4. ‘The Rundown’ (2003)
Directed by Peter Berg
Underrated action-comedyThe Rundownfeatures a duo with very different energies than Chan and Tucker, but who are equally entertaining together.Dwayne Johnson, in hissecond leading role followingThe Scorpion King, plays an enforcer sent to South America to collectSeann William Scott, the ne’er-do-well son of a loan shark who’s also discovered a fabled lost artifact.
The movie plays like a 2000s mash-up ofMidnight RunandRaiders of the Lost Ark, and while it doesn’t come close to matching the quality of either of those two films, it’s stilla hell of a lot of fun.DirectorPeter Bergwas honing his muscular action skills early here, and the two stars are game to play along. It’s actually fun to see Johnson in an action role wherehe isn’t afraid to show himself getting beaten up, and it happens several times.The Rundownisa nice throwback to action movies that didn’t rely too heavily on CGIand were comfortable providing big dumb fun.
The Rundown
3. ‘Hot Fuzz’ (2008)
Directed by Edgar Wright
By 2008, the well of buddy-cop movies had truly run dry. The previous year saw the release ofRush Hour 3, which failed to meet the financial or audience expectations of the first two movies, and the subgenre wasn’t a major staple of Hollywood’s release schedule. EnterEdgar Wright,Simon Pegg, andNick Frost, who were coming offthe worldwide success ofShaun of the Dead, which had helped revitalize the zombie horror subgenre, and were now set to attempt the same for buddy-cop action movies withHot Fuzz. The result wasan action movie masterpiece.
Pegg plays hotshot London cop Nicholas Angel, whose overachieving numbers have made his superiors look inferior, so he’s transferred to a quiet, cozy village. There, he befriends bumbling local cop Danny Butterman, played by Frost, and togetherthe two uncover the truth behind the grisly “accidental” deathsthat have plagued the town. Just as they did with horror, the trio twist the action movie tropes for comedic effect, all while stilldelivering some deliriously entertaining action scenes of their own. It’s a new action classic that is the natural evolution of the buddy-cop formula.
2. ‘21 Jump Street’ (2012)
Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller
A few years afterHot Fuzz, America would get its own meta-commentary on the buddy-cop genre withthe R-rated comedyremake of the young adult cop drama series21 Jump Street.Jonah HillandChanning Tatumplay high school foes turned police academy friends who get enrolled as undercover high school students to infiltrate a synthetic drug ring.
The movie plays not only on buddy-cop tropes but also on the personas of the actors, as they find themselves in switched-up roles while undercover as students. Hill becomes popular, while Tatum hangs with the geeks. It’s fun to see both actors twist their established types, and directorsPhil LordandChris Millerbring their animation backgroundto some lively action sequences. The sequel gets even more meta in its approach, while an unmade third film would’vecrossed over with theMen in Blackfranchise.
21 Jump Street
1. ‘The Nice Guys’ (2016)
Directed by Shane Black
FromLethal Weaponwriter Shane Black,The Nice Guysis a neo-noir comedywith one of the most unlikely, but hilarious, film duos of all time.Russell Croweplays enforcer Jackson Healy, who crosses paths with floundering private investigator Holland March, played byRyan Goslingin his funniest role ever. Together the two men investigate a missing young woman and the death of a porn star in 70s Los Angeles.
The two actors have incredible comedic chemistry together, and Black’s script is clever and darkly twisted in its approach to the genre.The Nice Guyswasn’t a hit, which unfortunately killed the chances of Black’s planned sequel, but the film has gained a well-deserved cult following andis mandatory viewing for fans of the buddy genre.
