After the success of Rush Hour, this was commissioned faster than New Line could say 'cash cow'. And this certainly is second verse, same as the first (banter, fight, banter, fight), as our mismatched heroes - Chinese cop Chan, Yank cop Tucker - foil counterfeiters.
Taking in three locations - Hong Kong, LA, and Las Vegas - gives way to a slew of ever-so-slightly racist and sexist gags, replacing the original's sense of fun.
Tucker is less annoying than usual, but this is Chan's show. He really should be too old for this shit, but you can't help but admire the grace with which he takes on a small army armed with only a towel, and a wastebin.
Ratner squeezes in nice cameos from Jeremy Piven and - inexplicably - Don Cheadle, and villainess Zhang Ziyi kicks suitable arse. But really, any movie in which the outtakes are better than what goes before, is in trouble.
