Van Horne (Cena) constantly complains that Luo Feng (Chan) mumbles and is impossible to understand. Luo retorts that Americans think every problem is solved with a bullet. There is a brilliant running gag where Chris tries to do a "stealth kill" and fails miserably, forcing Luo to show him how it’s done with a tea towel.
While the script borrows heavily from genre classics—echoing the tension of Three Kings and the buddy dynamics of Rush Hour —it functions exactly as intended. It provides a reason for Chan to do stunts and for Cena to flex his comedic and physical muscles.
John Cena has successfully transitioned from a wrestling icon to a legitimate Hollywood character actor. In , Cena plays to his strengths: self-deprecating humor and imposing physicality. His character, Chris, is the "wild card" to Chan’s "straight man."