Shanghai Noon

Directed by: Tom Dey Written by: Alfred Gough Miles Millar Starring: Jackie Chan Owen Wilson Lucy Liu Roger Yuan Xander Berkeley Brandon Merrill

Let me give you a bit of background before starting to review this movie. This is the first movie I've been able to follow very closely in one of the news sections and then catch a viewing prior to its release. It felt odd to know so much about a movie before actually seeing it. I knew most of the plot already. I knew several scenes in detail. I'd had the opportunity to talk to people connected to the production. I mention this because I was worried that knowing so much might have diminished my ability to enjoy the movie. I didn't need to worry.

All you really need to know is that this movie is a lot of fun. Is it a perfect movie? Hell no. Is it a great movie? Nope. It is however hugely entertaining and big crowd pleaser.

Jackie Chan is Chon Wang, a member of the Chinese Imperial guard. Princess Pei Pei (Lucy Liu) is set to marry someone she can't stand. Her english tutor offers to get her to America to escape the marriage. She leaves but quickly finds that she has actually been kidnapped and delivered into the clutches of the traiterous former guard Lo Fong (Roger Yuan). A group of guards is dispatched with the ransom money to retrieve the princess. Chon Wang is separated from his group during a train robbery in Nevada led by Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson).

The robbery is bungled and Roy's gang turns on him, burying him up to his neck and leaving him for dead. Chon refuses to help him and sets off on his own. Eventually the two meet up again and start working together.

The movie's plot bares a striking resemblance to Chan's last movie Rush Hour. In both movies, Chan is sent to America to rescue a kidnapped girl. Once there he is forced to team up with someone he doesn't really get along with at first. In both movies the plot is secondary to the chemistry between Chan and his costar. With Rush Hour, how much you liked it depended greatly on how much you liked Chris Tucker. It's not much different here.

Owen Wilson is pretty good here. He gets a lot of laughs as a bumbling outlaw. He doesn't really know what he's doing and couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with a gun. A lot of the gags revolve around him being more of a modern guy than a cowboy. He takes the time to stretch before a duel. He believes in practicing. He's a guy who thinks appearance before anything else. A lot of it doesn't make that much sense in the Wild West context but historical accuracy is not the point of this movie anyway. It's a comedy first and foremost. I thought he was funny most of the time though I could easily see people getting annoyed with him.

Lucy Liu is fine as the princess although she isn't given too much to do. One of my complaints with the movie is that her motivations aren't always well explained. Early on they make sense but as the movie goes on it gets harder and harder to understand her behavior.

Roger Yuan makes a really good villain so oddly that leads to my other major complaint. He wasn't given enough opportunity to be evil. I wanted to see more of him and understand him a bit more. We know why he kidnaps the princess but beyond that his motivation is a total mystery. He makes an impressive figure on screen but just isn't given enough time on screen.

The reason for that of course is the reason for this movie, Jackie Chan. Chan is as always great fun to watch in action. There are other actors who are more impressive as fighters but he brings an amazing sense of style to his motions that makes him so entertaining. For instance, early in the movie he has to try and save a young child from a group of Crow warriors. You get the impression that he's scared to death and grabbing at everything around him for defense. It makes the fight both exciting and funny. He uses his face for effect every bit as much as his fists and feet. I know how talented and dangerous he is but I never feel like he's just going to over power and annihilate his opponents. He always makes it seem like he can actually lose a fight. It brings a real honesty to the action.

I would have to say I like this movie a bit more than Rush Hour. It's a lot funnier and a bit less of a formulaic buddy movie. The ending is a bit corny though. There is an Indian woman played by Brandon Merrill that only seems to pop up to keep our heroes from getting into too much trouble. She's lovely but is really only a cheap device to solve awkward points in the script.

It doesn't really matter though. While watching this movie none of these things bothered me to any great extent. I can't help but think of them afterwords now that I'm sitting down to write a review but during the movie they weren't a problem. I found myself pulled along and enjoying myself. The crowd was definitely into it and laughed through the whole thing. It's good solid fun and you can't complain about that.

- John Shea