The Rush Hour'' franchise is a series of American action comedy films created by Ross LaManna and directed by Brett Ratner with both Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in leading roles. All three films center around a pair of police detectives, Hong Kong Chief Inspector Lee (Chan) and Los Angeles Police Detective James Carter (Tucker), who go on their series of misadventures involving corrupt crime figures in Hong Kong and Los Angeles. The films incorporate elements of martial arts, humor, and the buddy cop subgenre. The films were released theatrically from 1998 to 2007, attaining commercial success, but critical reception was mixed.