Shanghai Noon

Starring: Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson
Director: Tom Dey
Genre: Action / Comedy
Year: 2000
Rating: 3 / 5

When people think of Jackie Chan, one thing always comes to mind right away - spectacular stunts. Long an action star in the East, Chan has recently achieved great fame in the United States due to his awe-inspiring action sequences, scenes made all the more impressive because Chan does all of his own stunts. It took a movie like Rush Hour, however, to introduce American audiences to Chan's striking sense of humor. Though action will always be present in any Jackie Chan movie, it is his humorous nature which is most on display in his latest movie, Shanghai Noon, a warm, entertaining take on a forgotten genre.

In 1881 in the Forbidden City, Princess Pei Pei (Lucy Liu, Ally McBeal) is due to marry a rather undesirable twelve-year-old. Eager to escape this unappealing future, Liu flees to America, aided by her duplicitous English teacher (Jason Connery). Immediately after her flight, the Royal Family uncovers a ransom note, demanding 100,000 pieces of gold in exchange for the princess. This gold must be delivered to Carson City, NV, in two months time, or the princess will die. Three members of the Imperial Guard, accompanied by an elderly emissary and his nephew Chon Wang (Jackie Chan), are dispatched to find the princess and bring her back to China.

On the way to Carson City, trouble befalls the contingent from China. A band of outlaws, led by Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson), raids the train on which the Chinese are travelling, and one outlaw kills Chon Wang's uncle. Chon is separated from his group, yet he continues to search for Carson City, hoping to still help the princess. On the way, he repeatedly runs into the bumbling Roy, and the two eventually form a reluctant friendship. As these two get closer to their goal, they learn more about each other, as Roy teaches Chon about life "out west" and Chon teaches Roy a little something about friendship.

Shanghai Noon is not cinematic marvel, but it is an enjoyable blend of star Jackie Chan's action skills and his warm nature. Though the amount of action is toned down from a typical Chan movie, the scenes present here are worthwhile, including a hilarious bar brawl during which our hero makes crafty usage of a pair of moose horns. Owen Wilson has a soft-spoken aura which plays well here, even though it is quite far removed from Chris Tucker's louder sidekick role in Rush Hour. The villains are pretty standard fare, though one would hardly expect otherwise in a comedy of this variety. Shanghai Noon is a Jack Chan vehicle, and, as such, it succeeds by offering fans exactly what they want - lots and lots of Jack Chan.

Certification: Rated PG-13 for violence and language.
Running Time: 110 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
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