Blu-ray Movie Reviews

LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) likes to work alone and vows to never have a partner but he must join forces with Detective Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) of the Hong Kong police department when the daughter of a visiting Hong Kong official is kidnapped in the United States.

Chan became a household name in America when this film debuted in 1998, although he was already a star in China. His amazing stunts wowed audiences and showed impressive comedic timing when paired with Tucker. The action-comedy spawned two additional sequels but this is the best of the three.

Video Highlights

• VC-1/1080p encode on a BD-50 disc
• Below-average detail
• Occasional edge enhancement
• Adequate color
• Crushed blacks

Audio Highlights

• DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack
• Crisp dynamics
• Average bass response
• Occasional discrete effects
• Intelligible dialog

It looks like Warner used an old master made for DVD with middling results. Blacks are crushed most of the time and the resolution isn't that great.

Bonus Materials

• Commentary by director Brett Ratner
• Additional scenes
• A Piece of Action: Behind the Scenes of Rush Hour featurette gallery
• Whatever Happened to Mason Reese?
• 2 Music Videos
• Isolated score with commentary by composer Lalo Schifrin
• Theatrical Trailer

While the video encode looks better than the DVD, the difference aren't that great and I'm not sure the upgrade is warranted unless you want the superior DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack. The film is very entertaining and I love the interplay between Tucker and Chan.

Release Date: December 7, 2010
Studio: Warner

Movie: 8/10
Picture: 6/10
Sound: 8/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS1 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Integra DTC-80.2 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Belkin PVA-PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics