The 1998 film Rush Hour is a classic. It's a must-watch whenever television channels decide to give you a good movie set-list. The dynamic and comical duo of Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan as the film's main protagonists is a match made in heaven. Like many popular films and its franchise, it was adapted into a television series.
CBS launched a show, under the same name, in 2016 which sadly flopped and didn't make it past one season. While the show sticks true to certain loveable aspects of the original film, there are many more differences that didn't bode well with audiences. Let's take a look at what aspects the show kept and what aspects they took into their own hands.
Similarity: Lee Is From Hong Kong
It would seem impossible not to keep the premise of the main characters the same and thankfully the show does. In the show, Detective Lee (Jon Foo) is a by the book cop from Hong Kong who is sent to L.A. for a case. The same goes for Detective Carter (Justin Hires) who is known for being reckless.
This aspect is a given for the show, but believe it or not the show changed the character's first names. It was more important to keep the "Lee" and "Carter" than it was for them to keep their original names. In the show, Lee's name is Jonathan, while Carter's is still James but with a middle name.
Difference: Lee Transfers To The LAPD
In order for the show to keep running and develop more storylines, the writers had to make a few tweaks to Lee. Unlike the film, Lee transfers full time to the LAPD. In the film, Lee is only a guest detective for the time being as they solve Soo Yung's kidnapping.
Part of what made Lee so interesting in the film is his continuous devotion to his Hong Kong precinct and his devotion to protecting Consul Han. The show took it in a different direction seeing as they couldn't create storylines if Lee had to go back to Hong Kong after the completion of the first case.
Similarity: Lee And Carter Partner Up Due To Stolen Artifacts
This similarity is 50/50 and you'll see why later on. In order for both the film and show to work, there has to be a reason why Lee had to make the trip to L.A. In the film, Lee travels to L.A. after finding out about Soo Yung's kidnapping and to help retrieve the stolen Chinese artifacts from Juntao. Here, he is partnered with Carter because he has no choice.
In the show, the details have been twisted. Lee is put on the case to retrieve stolen terracotta statues from a cargo plane headed to L.A. In order to navigate L.A., Lee is partnered with Carter to help him find necessary leads.
Difference: No Consul Han or Kidnapping
One of the main storylines of the film was the kidnapping of Consul Han's daughter, Soo Yung who is being put up for ransom. Due to Lee being a personal guard to Consul Han and having a close connection with his daughter, he immediately boards a plane to help rescue her. This is tied with Juntao's plot to steal the Chinese artifacts.
The show completely negates these two central characters. Lee travels to L.A. to simply solve the stolen terracotta statues. There is no real deeper connection to the case as there was in the original film. Soo Yung added a personal risk factor tied to an emotional response from Carter and Lee.
Similarity: Big Chinese Gang Involvement
Much like the film, the show does include a big Chinese criminal organization. Audiences are introduced to the Quantou in the first episode of the show. They are responsible for the heist of the terracotta statues. The Quantou become a focal villain throughout the entire season. While they are not present in every episode, there are small breadcrumbs of a grander involvement.
In Rush Hour, the film, Juntao runs one of the biggest Chinese criminal organizations. They are responsible for the kidnapping and stealing historical artifacts. Juntao runs his organization, while in the show the leader of the Quantao is called the Dragon.
Difference: Female Captain
One of the comical relationships in the Rush Hour film is between Carter and his captain, Captain William Diel. Captain Diel is fed up with Carter's reckless behavior and his refusal to have a partner. When the FBI calls to ask for an ill-equipped detective to babysit Lee, Captain Diel jumps at the opportunity to humiliate Carter.
In the show, Captain William Diel is actually Captain Lindsay Cole. This captain is also fed up with Carter's reckless antics. Unlike the film, Captain Cole has a deep attraction for Lee.
Similarity: FBI Involvement
Some of these similarities are far reached, but they do occur in both the show and film. In the film, the FBI is in charge of Soo Yung's kidnapping case and getting her back safely. They create a less than an amicable partnership with Carter and Lee.
In the show, the FBI does play a role alongside the CIA but they are not involved with Lee or Carter. Instead, they work closely with the Chinese Ministry and a secret agent who has infiltrated the Quantou organization.
Difference: Lee's and Carter's Father Backstory And No Gun
One of the reasons fans feel for Lee and Carter in the film is because of their fathers. Lee and Carter open up to one another about how their father's passed away on the job as cops. Carter's father was a legend in the LAPD but got shot in a simple arrest. Lee's father was also highly recognized in Hong Kong but was killed on the job. Lee never knew why until Rush Hour 2. Their father's influenced Lee and Carter's careers in law enforcement.
In the show, fans never are never really aware of Carter's parents. They do discover in the finale how Lee's parents died in a hit, disguised as a car accident. Another key aspect that is wildly different from the film is that Lee in the show doesn't carry a gun. He is traumatized after killing someone on the job.
Similarity: Carter Does Work Alone Prior To Lee
One of the aspects of Carter that annoys his captain is his inability to keep a partner. His former partner, Detective Johnson, couldn't handle Carter leaving her behind on cases. Carter, in the film, explains to his captain that he prefers to work alone and always finds a way to drop his partners.
In the show, the same idea implies but with a twist. Carter is still reckless on the job despite being a good detective. Unlike Carter in the film, Carter in the show dropped his partner to save her from humiliation by the precinct. After having her son, she wanted to take a desk job instead of risking her life on the streets. Coincidently, both of Carter's former partners are women.
Difference: Lee's Sister And Carter's Cousin
Audiences are never fully aware on whether or not Lee has any living family in the film. We are only aware of his father. The show decided that Lee needed a family to hold on to and created a sister storyline. Lee originally thought his sister to be dead, but meets her as he works the terracotta case with Carter.
In the film, we are introduced to Carter's cousin, Luke. Carter goes to him for information seeing as Luke is a small-time criminal. Other than one scene, we never see Luke again. In the show, Luke is switched out for Gerald. Unlike Luke, Gerald becomes a main support character who helps Carter when he's in trouble or needs information. Fans also learned that Gerald sacrificed himself in order to let Carter run from the police so he could have a better future.