Rush Hour

By RICHARD CORLISS

He dangles from a Hollywood street sign, drops onto a truck, rolls off and slips into and out of a jitney, slides across the top of a taxi and in through the backseat window--all in 15 seconds. O.K. for Hollywood; hooray for Jackie Chan. In his first big U.S. movie, Chan is a Hong Kong cop teamed with the L.A.P.D.'s cheeky Chris Tucker (Money Talks) to find a kidnapped girl. This smartly mounted thriller stirs a good rapport between the stars and proves that, at 44, Asia's top action hero can still kick up a storm. Rush Hour is a nice little surprise, like a fortune cookie with some good news inside.

--By Richard Corliss