Each day, Netflix updates its top ten streaming list based on its most viewed movies, and every so often there is a throwback from yesteryear squeezed into the mix. This week, Rush Hour, a popular film franchise from the late 1990s/early 2000s, has not one, not two but all three of its movies on the top ten list, indicating that a lot of people are in an old school mood when it comes to their movie choices as of late.
3 Throwback Action-Thrillers Are on Netflix's Top 10 Movies List Right Now—and I'm Binge-Watching All 3
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Published Jan 15, 2025
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Starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, the Rush Hour series first made its debut in 1998, and centers around a pair of LAPD detectives, Carter (Tucker) and Lee (Chan), who are assigned to find the kidnapped daughter of a Chinese diplomat. Upon its release, the film grossed $244 million at the box office and received positive reviews from critics, leading to two sequels: Rush Hour 2 (2001) and Rush Hour 3 (2007).
The second installment leads the detectives to an unexpected mission in Hong Kong, where the pair’s vacation is disrupted after a bomb at the American Embassy kills two undercover US Customs agents. Adventure ensues in the city, leading them on action-packed battles that take place at massage parlors, Chinese restaurants and airports.
At the time of its release, Rush Hour 2 grossed $67.4 million at the box office during the course of its first three days, according to an August 2001 report from the Los Angeles Times. Those opening weekend numbers made the film the fourth-best opener of all time at that respective point, giving Tucker and Chan the then-best August debut ever.
I could be biased since Rush Hour 2 was the very first movie I ever saw in theaters, but I personally think this is the best film in the series. Tucker is at his peak comedy-wise, and the chemistry between him and Chan is even better than the first go 'round. There is also plenty of action to keep you thoroughly entertained throughout.
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The third and final film in this series, Rush Hour 3, brings everything home as Lee and Carter reunite following the assassination of Ambassador Han. Their desire to pursue the killer in Paris leads to them being followed by Chinese gangsters and hitmen, who attempt to throw them off their path. In the years since their original releases, the Rush Hour films have become cult-classics, which is probably why all three movies are currently in the top ten on Netflix. In fact, over the past week alone, Rush Hour 2 has risen from the sixth spot to number three.
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