Shanghai Noon

Review - Shanghai Noon is less filling but tastes better than most Jackie Chan films.  Spoken almost entirely in English (a major selling point). It offers some of the most credible story telling in a Jackie Chan film.  However, the cost of such credibility is taken directly away from the action.  Now there are fights and some nice acrobatics but they’re not the selling point of the film.  Rather they've given Jackie some time to develop a character and that character's relationship to his new partner, played by Owen Wilson.

You've all seen Owen around even if his name isn't familiar.  (He was most recently in The Haunting and Armageddon; a dead man in both; that's Hollywood.) And in my opinion a real likeable guy and entertaining to watch.  His chemistry with Jackie is best displayed during a bath the boys take at the local saloon.  These guys musta had a blast filming this.

The rest of the cast are all cast offs.  No one especially shines and Lucy Liu is only a name to draw more $ from the public's pockets; but she does get to fight a little bit.  (She's used here as badly as Angelina Jolie in Gone In 60 Seconds)

Inoffensive and enjoyable, Shanghai Noon is for everybody.  It's hard to go wrong with Jackie Chan as a whole and this is one of the better outings he's had.

-m-