One of the biggest partnerships of the 20th century was made when Brett Ratner’s Rush Hour hit theatres in 1998. No one quite knew it yet, but they’d made movie magic when they paired martial arts legend Jackie Chan with fast-talking American actor Chris Tucker. The movie made millions and spawned two sequels, but it was the first Rush Hour that set pulses racing and audiences laughing. Chan, with his deadpan sincerity and unintentionally funny delivery, has become the go-to guy for many comedic roles, and his role as Inspector Lee in Rush Hour was no exception. Here are Chan’s top 20 quotes, in no particular order.

20. Lee: Leave me alone. A man like you could never understand. Carter: A man like me? Lee: You are devoted only to yourself. You’re ashamed of being a police officer. You dishonor your father’s name. Carter: Look, you don’t know nothing about my father. Lee: You say your father is a legend. Carter: My father was a legend. My father was killed making a routine traffic stop in broad daylight by some punk who didn’t want no ticket, when his partner supposed to get out of the car and back him up, but never did. My father was just as much devoted as you, and now he’s dead. And for what? A traffic ticket and some punk? You tell me, what’s the honor in that? Lee: You believe your father wasted his life, that he died for nothing? Carter: Prove me wrong.

In this dramatic exchange, Carter tries to convince Lee to stay and finish the job they’d started – finding Soo Yung.

19. Lee: Carter! Help! Do something! Carter: Hey, be cool, man! Hang on! Lee: I can’t hold on anymore! Carter: Hang on for about an hour. I’m gonna go get the ambulance. I’ll be right back. Lee: What are you doing?! Just hang on, man. I’ll be right back. Lee: Carter! Carter: I was just playing.The extremely straightlaced Inspector Lee learns all too quickly that his American counterpart takes things a little too lightly sometimes when the chips are down.

18. Lee: Hunh, yeah what is it good for? Absolutely nothing good god, you all. Carter: It ain\’t you all, it\’s y\’all.While Carter and Lee cruise, the song \”War\” is playing in the background. Carter, hearing Lee singing it wrong, corrects him.

17. Carter: Man, what you got me eating? Lee: That’s eel. Carter: Is it good? Lee: Very good. Carter: What you got? Lee: Camel’s hump. Carter: What? Lee: Camel’s hump. Carter: Mmm. Kinda good. Need a little hot sauce. But it’s kinda good, though.Lee orders Carter some Chinese food, and Carter learns that everything isn’t necessarily what it seems as he explores his meal.

16. Lee: Why were you hiding? Carter: What you talking about? I wasn’t hiding. Lee: You were hiding. Carter: I bent down to tie my shoe, looked up, and you was gone.

Lee tries to discuss Carter’s “losing” of him, but Carter isn’t playing; he refuses to admit he stayed behind deliberately.

15. Lee: You must take me to see Consul Han right away. Carter: Man, just sit there and shut up. This ain’t no democracy. Lee: Yes, it is. Carter: No, it ain’t. This is the United States of James Carter now. I’m the president, I’m the emperor, I’m the king. I’m Michael Jackson, you Tito. Your ass belong to me.

Carter’s orders are to keep Lee away from the consulate when he arrives in America. However, Inspector Lee is equally determined to see Consul Han about the current situation, but Carter is evasive, as is his way.

14. Lee: Ahh. Beach Boys. Carter: Oh, hell, no. You didn’t just touch my goddamn radio. Lee: The beach boys are great American music. Carter: The Beach Boys’ll get you a great ass-whoopin’. Don’t you ever touch a black man’s radio, boy. You can do that in China, but you’ll get your ass killed out here, man.

Carter gives Lee a fast education in the way the American music system works, particularly in his vehicle.

13. Lee: What’s up, my nigger? Bartender: What did you just say? Lee: What’s up…my nigger?

Lee, having been told to do everything Carter does in entering a bar, repeats the lines that Carter just exchanged with a bar patron minutes before to disastrous effect.

12. Lee: Why would they not want my help? Carter: ‘Cause they don’t give a damn about you. They don’t like you. I don’t like you. Lee: I don’t care. I’m here for the girl. Carter: The girl don’t like you. Nobody likes you. You came all the way over here for nothing. You ain’t gonna be.

Carter explains to a confused Inspector Lee why he isn’t going to be successful in his quest to find the girl and bring her home successfully.

11. Carter: How long this flight? Lee: 15 hours. Carter: 15 hours? What are we gonna do for 15 hours? Lee: Hunh war. Carter: Oh, hell, no! Stewardess! Lee: What is it good for? Carter: Stewardess, get me another seat!

Carter panics when he realizes how long the flight overseas is and Lee starts to sing.

10. Lee: Not being able to speak is not the same as not speaking. You seem as if you like to talk. I like to let people talk who like to talk. It makes it easier to find out how full of shit they are. Carter: What the hell did you just say? I like people to talk.

Lee explains to Carter why he let him think that he didn’t speak English, and what exactly he learned from the experience.

9. Lee: Excuse me very much.

Lee apologizes to the FBI for what he had to do in order to complete his mission: to see Consul Han.

8. Lee: We both full of shit. Carter: You full of shit. I’m gonna kick your ass. Don’t nobody do that but me.

Carter is incredibly ticked that Lee spoke nothing but Chinese to him until a few moments before, and Lee points out that they are a pair of liars.

7. Carter: Me and Lee are taking care of the situation. We have everything under control. We’re on top of it. We’ll get your daughter back safe and sound. Lee: He is very passionate about finding your daughter. Han: Well, I owe you my gratitude.

Lee supports Carter as the American meets Consul Han for the first time.

6. Carter: I don’t understand what you be saying. Lee: What? Carter: You see what I’m saying?

Once again, the two cops misunderstand one another.

5. Lee: 7-11? Carter: Hey! I heard that. I heard that.

Lee and Kenny are talking about Carter in Cantonese, and Carter picks up the reference to 7-11. Lee and Kenny are talking about the fact that Carter’s mouth never closes.

4. Lee: That’s bad for you.

Lee takes the “ciga-weed” man’s joint out of his mouth and throws it on the ground, much to his shock.

3. Lee: What are you doing?

Carter tells Lee that he will take him wherever he wants to go once they get something to eat. When they go to shake on the agreement, Carter handcuffs Lee to the steering wheel before he can do anything about it.

2. Lee: John Wayne. Carter: Yeah, John Wayne, man. Hang out with the Duke.

Carter takes Detective Inspector Lee to Graumann’s and shows him John Wayne’s footprints outside the theatre, not knowing yet that the Chinese inspector very definitely speaks English.

1. Carter: Hey, man, act like you’re from out of town. Lee: I am from out of town. Carter: Well, don’t act like a cop. Act like a tourist or something. Don’t be so obvious.

Carter tries to get Lee to loosen up and not be made for a cop, to disastrous results. Lee, being logical, sees no reason to change, as he is quite obviously from out of town.

Rush Hour continues to delight audiences worldwide, even though it was released nearly 15 years ago. Certainly, the three movies combined have enough laughs for generations to come.