The fastest hands in the East reunite with the biggest mouth in the West for "Rush Hour 2." Under the guiding hand of returning director Brett Ratner, Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker re-ignite their winning chemistry to give moviegoers a sequel that’s just as good — if not better — than the original film. "Rush Hour 2" features amiable leads, hellacious stunts and a few decent laughs. All of which compensate for a lean story about smuggling counterfeit bills from China to the U.S.

Rush Hour 2 is simply a good time at the movies.

But is anyone really coming for a complex plot and insightful dialogue? You just want to see Chan kick some butt while Tucker cracks wise. In that respect, audiences get their money’s worth. Even at 47, Chan is amazing. His fight scenes are a turbo-charged ballet of leg sweeps and body blows. His fight choreography is violent, but not excessive. Funny, but not slapstick.

While Chan dominates the action scenes, Tucker is never too far behind. His motor-mouthed delivery steals a fair share of the spotlight. He and Chan go together like Kung Pao Chicken and Rolling Rock (take my word for it). Without them, there’s no reason to even make the movie. This flick further illustrates that Chan is an extremely compatible co-star. For additional proof, check out his lively exchanges with Owen Wilson in last year’s "Shanghai Noon."

"Rush Hour 2" starts out in Hong Kong with Tucker’s LA detective now playing the fish out of water. The two cops are on the trail of a counterfeiting ring led by Chan’s old nemesis (John Lone from "The Last Emperor" and "M. Butterfly"). It’s a crooked path that takes them from the neon-lit spires of Hong Kong to the glittering streets of L.A. to a final showdown in the circus maximus of Las Vegas. Along the way, Chan and Tucker get in a lot of fights, crack some jokes and tangle with the beautiful and deadly Zhang Ziyi (from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"). We also get lively cameos by Don Cheadle ("Traffic") and Jeremy Piven (TV’s lamented "Cupid" and the upcoming "Serendipity").

Chris Tucker & Jackie Chan go together like Kung Pao Chicken and Rolling Rock.

Hong Kong is a great setting for the film. Action comedies — like a lot of movie genres — are pretty standard stuff so an exotic location can really shake things up. Hong Kong gives "Rush Hour 2" a needed dose of atmosphere. Unfortunately, they ditch the location about 30 minutes into the flick in order to come running back to L.A. I think such a sudden change hurts the film. We’ve seen enough of Los Angeles in movies. Show us something new. Seeing American Tucker lost in the Orient would have been fine with me.

Otherwise, director Ratner handles the film well. He is a filmmaker growing in skill with each new attempt. After a fortuitous run directing music videos, Ratner was able to make even Charlie Sheen entertaining by pairing him with Tucker in the breezy "Money Talks." He then continued to hone his action comedy chops with "Rush Hour," striking gold with the Tucker/Chan combo. Next, he proved equally adept at filming more relationship-based comedy with last winter’s heartfelt "The Family Man."

Director Brett Ratner deftly guides his stars through big-ticket action and high-kicking hilarity.

Now back on familiar turf with the chop-chop-bang-bang-ha-ha of "Rush Hour 2," Ratner deftly guides his stars through big ticket action and high-kicking hilarity. There are several standout moments, including a fight on the bamboo framework of a Hong Kong apartment building. Chan and his opponents glide from one floor to another like a cadre of angry spiders. The finale in a Vegas casino crackles with energy even if the situation seems reminiscent to the climax from the first film.

While the decision to make this movie was probably more motivated by commercial reasons than artistic ones — truthfully, would this flick even exist if the first one hadn’t scored major moolah? — "Rush Hour 2" still shines. It’s an amusing diversion, simply a good time at the movies. And boy, are we ever in desperate need of such things this summer. Besides, not every sequel has to be the next chapter in a continuing saga. Sometimes they can just be a second helping of something audiences really enjoyed the first time around.