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Rush Hour 3

Date: Jul 06 2021

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

In a very American intersection of cultures, a loud, wild, young, black detective played by Chris Tucker was paired with master of martial arts cinema, Jackie Chan, in 1998’s Rush Hour.

Now, in the third installment of the series, Tucker’s character has become a beat cop and Chan’s a bodyguard for an ambassador. They meet up again and fight organized crime in Paris. But Mason and Beren aren’t too interested in the specifics of the movie.

Listen to Mason tell Beren about how he thinks Rush Hour 3 represents American cinema abroad rather poorly.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Beren

Mason: I didn’t even see…Do you know what’s playing at the theater across the way?

Beren: Um, I don’t know. I think…Definitely Rush Hour 3, which is supposed to be the biggest movie in America.

Mason: Really?

Beren: Like it has a huge box office gross.

Mason: So you’re just going by box office? I mean, I believe that, I guess.

Beren: It’s a good indicator of ticket sales, I mean box office gross. I mean, Rush Hour 1, huge movie, Rush Hour 2, huge movie…

Mason: Huge movies. I mean, I saw the first and the second one. That was like a different time. I mean it’s been so long between the second one and now. It’s been what, like seven years?

Beren: And what was Chris Tucker doing in between those years. He wasn’t in any other movies, was he?

Mason: I think he was watching his career wave goodbye to him.

Beren: Yeah but then he goes and makes like, you know, his movie opens, makes $200 million, like Rush Hour 2. He doesn’t have to worry about working. I mean, obviously he’s not wanting to be respectable.

Mason: I guess. It’s one of those things that as an American, like, it makes me sad that that’s what…I mean, anyone looking in that looks at the box office goes…They’re like, “Oh yeah, Americans love Rush Hour 3 and, you know, whatever Christmas movie Hollywood made this year.” You know, instead of like the little films like uh…you know, what’s the one? The lawyer one that George Clooney’s in right now…Or The Darjeeling Limited.

Beren: Michael Clayton.

Mason: Yeah, it’s like those movies…they never hit anybody’s radar.

Beren: That’s true, I mean…yeah…I gotta respect…

Mason: “Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?!” That’s my awesome Chris Tucker impression.

Beren: That was good. That was good.

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Discussion

Mason and Beren are hanging out across the street from a movie theater, and Mason asks what’s playing. Beren isn’t sure about all the movies, but she knows that Rush Hour 3 is playing. It’s playing at most theaters in the US. Beren says it’s the biggest movie in America.

When Mason asks how she measures what the biggest movie is, she tells him she’s going by box office gross. He says that maybe it’s best not to judge movies by box office gross. Sometimes really good movies don’t make all that much money. Mason wonders what people in other countries think of Americans’ tastes in movies.

Mason wishes that movies like Michael Clayton and The Darjeeling Limited were more popular and more common abroad. Marni just recommended The Darjeeling Limited to him last week. He must have really liked it.
Then he inexplicably does an impression of Chris Tucker’s most famous line from Rush Hour, and Beren laughs.

Do you think it’s good to judge a movie based on how much money it makes?

Comments

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Sha-sha

Denmark

I'm waiting to watch it

Sha-sha

Denmark

I’m waiting to watch the movie

silviawang

China

hehe i like it

jianjane

China

i am a new user ,i hope you take more care for me

C-Note

Lithuania

Don't muddle men and character, it's not the same. ^.~

sinemis

Turkey

ı havent watched any one of these films,personally ı dont like the films that contain martial arts or lots of action:P when ı watch an action film ı dont feel much like a change in my view of life.

jennachoi

South Korea

I don't think it is fair to judge movie by its expense. Some kinds of movie need to spend a lot of money for directors to express whatever they want to, but the other movies is enough to express well orginazed story lines with good actors and actresses.

jaction

China

Jachie chan is a great actor in china . i love him.

jaction

China

you are a great chinese!

manic1987

China

yet,i have not watched the movies.But Jackie Chan is a great actor …I like all the movies which Jackie acted…Oh~

arabella521

China

I used to watch some movies .they are very toughed.I almost could not stop crying.for the kindness of the leading character,for their twists and turn fate,for their strugglings,for their courange,for all the goodnesses that the movie have.

arabella521

China

i don't think that the movie that have the buge box office gross will be a good movie.a good movie must have great story line,the actors gave a reasonable show.it should be toughedand,could give people a deeply thougt.

jayjaychange

United States

I like this film very much,and Ilike Jachie Chan,too.

zhang2044

China

My God!It’s too quick!I can’t get it

badr94

Syrian Arab Republic

Idont now

Mickey Wu

China

jackie chen is a great movie star,who is good at Chinese kafu.

Mickey Wu

China

I like jackie Chan.He is a great movie star,who is good at chinese kafu

shia

China

I've watched 1,I was impressed by jakie chan's consummate martial arts.And I think jackie chan's great action and Chris Tuker's humor was a great combination. But the following series are too similar to make me feel bored.