Shanghai Knights

Starring:Owen Wilson, Jackie Chan, Fann Wong, Aidan Gillen, Aaron Johnson
Directed by:David Dobkin
Rating:PG-13
Genre: Comedy/Action
2003

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary:Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) and Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson) team up again, this time to avenge the death of Chon's father, killed by an English noblemen (Aidan Gillen). The duo's quest takes them to England, where they are joined by Chon's sister (Fann Wong).

Review:

Tim: I really liked the original, although I had some reservations about how vital it was to have this sequel. That being said, I was honestly glad to see Chan and Wilson back together on the screen. However, as you would probably expect, this film is not as good as the original. It starts off very slowly (like the original) and does get better, yet it can't top Shanghai Noon.

Chan's fight scenes are as cool as always, however, many of them require the viewer to suspend his or her disbelief a little too far. Many of them are downright ridiculous. Trying to look past that, Chan is amazing.

It was interesting to change the setting, moving this one to England. This provided a whole new field to use for fight scenes, and much more material for new jokes. However, the film was much better when set in the Wild West, and this sequel loses something in the transition to England. You find yourself longing to see Chon Wang and Roy O'Bannon back blasting their six-shooters. Ah well.

One of the main problems of this movie is symptomatic of comedic sequels everywhere- they reuse too many of the original jokes. For example, in this film, they use the same jokes as the original, but switch the butt of the joke from Chan to Wilson or vice-versa. I'm all about reliving the past, but it makes it difficult to watch these two movies back-to-back (or within any period of time where your memory would retain a joke).

Despite the many flaws of this film, it is also pretty good. Wilson's fast talking is great as always and Chan pulls off some truly amazing moves. The film uses British music brilliantly to add to the atmosphere of the film. This really is a great buddy flick. Wilson and Chan are just tremendous together. Finally, both this film and its predecessor wonderfully blend together action and comedy. If you liked the original, I would recommend seeing this one- just realize its shortcomings before you start.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Shanghai Noon, Rush Hour, I Spy, Behind Enemy Lines, Meet the Parents, Rush Hour 2