Racialized Masculinities: The “Flawed” AfroAsian Brothers in Rush Hour Series

This chapter examines the representations of AfroAsian brotherhood and its cultural significance in the Rush Hour trilogy (1998, 2001, 2007). The comedic plots of the films revolve around Lee, a Hong Kong policeman played by Jackie Chan, and his partner, Carter, a Los Angeles police officer played by Chris Tucker. Although the movies are different from each other in terms of setting, they all feature the bonding surrounding an AfroAsian brotherhood and the subsequent overlapping racialization of masculinities. This chapter studies the gazes used by the filmmakers when depicting the characters to interrogate this cross-racial bromance. It is an inquiry into the dynamics of the relational masculinities of the protagonists. By looking at the mise-en-scène and characterization used in these movies, the chapter presents the cultural significance of the blockbusters by examining the racialized bromance within Hollywood cinematic representations of AfroAsian bonds.