When director Brett Ratner was presented with the opportunity to direct “Rush Hour,” he saw it as a chance to revisit one of his favorite movies of all time, “Enter the Dragon.” “Rush Hour” teams Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan in a combination of eastern action and western comedy. However as Ratner knew, there was one specific player essential to the success of an “Enter the Dragon” for the 1990’s: legendary composer, Lalo Schifrin. “To me, he’s as important as the main actors. His music is another character; it just adds so much!” Schifrin’s score, a blend of funky urban grooves and exotic Chinese instrumentations, puts the kick behind every wise crack and close call Chan and Tucker endure. His main theme sets the stage with a wildly exciting collage of guitars, Asian scales, mysterious chord progressions, tom-tom crashes, and a driving beat. “Rush Hour” finds Lalo Schifrin at the top of his form, proving that for the composer of such classic film and television music as “Mission: Impossible,” “Cool Hand Luke,” and “Dirty Harry,” there are no limits to capability.
– Doug Adams
