ChildCare Action Project:
Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP)

Entertainment Media Analysis Report

MAR01898
Rush Hour (1998)
PG-13
CAP Score: 35
CAP ID: 2.21

Thomas A. Carder
CAP President

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Rush Hour (1998) CAP Thermometers Rush Hour (1998) WAS NOT PG-13 programming! R-rated movies of 1995 and 1996 earned CAP scores from 54 and below (we don't do X/NC-17 movies). With a final score of 35, Rush Hour was CLEARLY equivalent to R-rated movies of that period. How much more proof do we need that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has significantly lowered their threshold of acceptance. The very same analysis model used to determine the scoring of movies during 1995 and 1996 was used on Rush Hour.

Jackie Chan was outstanding as a karate expert and as an athlete. He was so good that I expect a large number of the adolescent movie-goers who see this movie will want to be just like him... One might think that movie programming showing karate is not all that bad. Well, typically it is not so bad, but presented in certain ways it is bad. The parents of what was a two-year old girl who was killed by older boys pretending to be Power Rangers(tm) will agree with me. And before you bring up "Kids that young are not supposed to see PG-13 movies," there were kids in the theater a lot younger than 13, with and without parents.

The same goes for Chris Tucker. His genious in the performing arts was so brilliant that I'll bethca many of the adolescents (AND adults) who see this movie will mimic him with "I'll kick your..." and "Bul..." as well as the plethora of other examples of potty-mouth words this movie spewed at the rate of 61.2 per hour (more than one per minute)! As I have been saying, maybe...just maybe the entertainment industry is the root cause for the foul language (and other aberrant and immoral behaviors as well as violent behaviors) in our schoolyards. We did not talk and act that way when I was a kid.

And what made this movie so bad was that the invasive and destuctive examples of ignominy were embedded in a hilarious theme of a romp in the life of a comic cop. I almost wanted to puke when the audience guffawed as the 11-year old girl spoke God's name in vain with the four letter expletive just like Tucker. And when she sang along with a sensual song on the car radio, just like she knew what she was singing about, I could see her childhood and the childhood of other young girls who watch this trash slowly slipping away.

We've all been innundated with discussions about peer pressure. Well, I submit that the social pressure of the big screen is more of a peer than the kid who sits next to yours in class.

Following is a breakdown of the distribution for scoring.

Wanton Violence/Crime (W)lost the intermediate level of points 12 times due to quite severe use of firearms to control and to kill, graphic karate displays, hostage-taking (including a child), and a child knifing an asailant. Nothing warranting the maximum level point loss was found.

Impunity/Hate (I)(1) lost no intermediate or maximum level points.

Sex/Homosexuality (S) lost the intermediate level of points once due to a child singing a sex/lust song with the car radio but lost no maximum level points.

Drugs/Alcohol (D) lost no intermediate or maximum level points.

Offense to God (O)(2) lost the maximum level of points in each of fourteen instances of the use of God's name in vain with the four letter expeltive, once by an eleven-year old girl.

Murder/Suicide (M) (3) lost the intermediate level of points in each of six instances of murder.

Additional examples of unacceptable programming icluded:

  • 99 uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary
  • reckless driving to avoid capture
  • lying to avoid accountability and to gain advantage
  • alcoholic drink as a social drink
  • the use of drugs
  • lesser uses of firearms to control or threaten
  • a vulgar threat
  • axe attacks
  • attempted vehicular homocide
  • orders to kill
  • inappropriate dress
  • inappropriate touch
  • unprofessional references to human anatomy
  • barroom fighting using pool sticks as weapons
  • violence with karate
  • attempted murder by firearms
  • homosexual suggestion
  • a child hitting her father and a trusted friend
  • sex talk

    In accordance with the numeric comparative baseline database of the CAP Entertainment Media Analysis Model, Rush Hour (1998) presented programming equivalent to R-rated material in Wanton Violence/Crime, Impunity/Hate, and Offense to God. The movie is equivalent to PG-13 programming in Sex/Homosexuality and Murder/Suicide, and PG-rated programming in Drugs/Alcohol. Thus, Rush Hour is equivalent to 50% R-rated programming, 33% PG-13 programming, and 17% PG-rated programming.


    (1) As noted in CAP Special Report-001, "Investigation Area and Scoring Trend," of the six CAP Investigation Areas, Impunity/Hate was the strongest presence in all four movie classifications. It has a strong revelation about the entertainment media.

    (2) The use of the three/four letter word vocabulary without God's name is incorporated into the Impunity/Hate Investigation Area. The use of God's name with or without the three/four letter word vocabulary is incorporated into the Offense to God Investigation Area. There is no duplication. As required of the Holy Scriptures, unless God's name is used with reverence to His glory and praise, its use is considered in vain, whether literal or euphemistic.

    (3) Only portrayal of successful murder or suicide are incorporated into Murder/Suicide. Presentation of attempts to commit murder or suicide, deaths by police action, and deaths by war are incorporated into Wanton Violence/Crime.


    Please remember we believe that if even one of the six Investigation Area scores for a movie is equivalent to the CAP comparative baseline database scoring range for R, PG-13, or PG material, the entire movie should be regarded as so rated.  For example, if only Wanton Violence/Crime earns a score equivalent to R but all other Investigation Areas earn a score equivalent to G, THERE IS R-RATED MATERIAL IN THE MOVIE AND YOUR KIDS WILL SEE IT AND HEAR IT IF THEY WATCH THE MOVIE!




    Additional reviews of this movie may be located at "Movie Review Query Engine at Telerama."




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    Thomas A. Carder
    President
    ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP)

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