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Shanghai Knights (2003)

After watching 25 years of Jackie Chan movies, I think I have finally outgrown them, for some reason they just do not hold the same magic for me any more. Faced with a different production style and language difficulty, Chan managed a pair of box office hits in the Rush Hour series, but his Hollywood films pale in comparison to his previous works. This time Chan is back in the saddle with Owen Wilson and both are recovering from two of the worst films of 2002, The Tuxedo and I Spy respectively. Do they have what it takes to keep the franchise fresh?

In Shanghai Knights, Chon Wang and Roy O'Bannon find themselves teaming up again, but this time there is no princess to rescue. Instead, they head out to London to track down the person that murdered Wang's father, and to retrieve the imperial seal that was stolen from the Forbidden City. With the assistance of Wang's beautiful and resourceful sister Lin, they eventually uncover a conspiracy that will affect the power structure of the East and the West if it is allowed to succeed. Foreigners in a strange land, the dynamic duo must once more rely on Wang's quick hands and Roy's charming wits, not to mention the help of a few friendly natives, to complete their mission.

A relatively standard buddy film, Shanghai Knights follows the same winning formula with Chan handling the fights and Wilson cracking the jokes. The two of them definitely seem more comfortable around each other the second time around, and as a result the movie benefits from the familiarity between the leads. The Chinese-Singaporean singer Fann Wong plays Chon Lin, relatively new to the cinema. She does a good job in the role of Wang's sister and as Roy's love interest. Wong also gets the opportunity to kick a few butts at the same time. Donnie Yen is again underused as the exiled renegade Wu Chan, and even though he is very convincing as a villain, the short screen time he has doesn't even begin to demonstrate his versatility as an actor much less an accomplished martial artist. Lastly, Aidan Gillen's portrayal of Rathbone is surprisingly likeable, rather than the stereotypical evil mastermind we are so used to seeing in action comedies these days.

Fans of Jackie Chan should be happy to know that he has abandoned the wire work and special effects recently seen in The Tuxedo, and has gone back to the traditional stunts he is known for. Unfortunately, the best match up in the movie, between Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen, happens to be one of the shortest fights. I cannot help but wonder about how this would turn out if this was a Hong Kong production. We probably would've been treated to three to five minutes worth of uninterrupted kung fu goodness. Even so, Chan does have an incredible showdown at the end with Aidan Gillen. The sword action is fast and furious, and should be a treat to all action enthusiasts.

Overall, the pacing of the movie is pretty good, although there are a few parts that seem to drag on endlessly, especially the opening scene in New York. Shanghai Knights is an enjoyable film that aims to entertain. It is certainly a fun ride but I founnd the humor and the jokes aren't as sharp as the ones in Rush Hour, probably because Owen Wilson lacks the spontaneity of Chris Tucker.

On second thought, maybe I'm not quite done with Jackie Chan just yet, but I do wish he would stay away from the formulaic plot that has become the hallmark in his American movies. Oh yeah, don't forget to catch the blooper clips right before the credits, they are good for a few laughs.

- Zalasta

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