Shanghai Noon

Directed by: Tom Dey
Written by: Alfred Gough
Produced By: Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Jonathan Glickman
Starring: Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Lucy Liu
Music By: Randy Edelman
Production Company: Touchstone Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment, Birnbaum/Barber Productions, Jackie Chan Films Limited
Release dates: May 26, 2000 (United States)

Plot: In 1881, Chon Wang – a homophone for John Wayne – is a Chinese Imperial Guard in the Forbidden City. After Princess Pei-Pei, aided by her foreign tutor, runs away to the United States, the Emperor of China sends three of his guards and the Royal Interpreter to retrieve her. Having failed to stop her escape, Wang insists on joining the mission. The Royal Interpreter, Wang's uncle, allows him to accompany the party, and the Captain of the Imperial Guards hopes the "foreign devils" will get rid of Wang. The party arrives in Nevada, where outlaw Roy O'Bannon and his gang hijack their train. Wallace, a new member of Roy's gang, kills Wang's uncle, and Wang, a skilled martial artist, fights off the gang before uncoupling the train cars and escaping on the engine. Wallace takes over the gang, leaving Roy buried up to his chin in the desert. Meanwhile, Pei-Pei, tricked into believing she was freely escaping her arranged marriage in China, learns she has been kidnapped by an agent of Lo Fong, a traitor who fled the Forbidden City.

Wang finds Roy and demands to know the direction to Carson City. Roy tells him the city is on the other side of a mountain, and Wang leaves two chopsticks in Roy's mouth to dig himself out. Reaching the other side of the mountain, Wang saves a Sioux boy from the Crow tribe and half-consciously marries the Sioux chief's daughter, Falling Leaves, during the wild celebrations. Wang finds a small town and encounters Roy in a tavern, inciting a barroom brawl. The two are sent to jail, and share each other's stories. Tempted by mention of the gold ransom, Roy offers to help Wang find the princess. After Falling Leaves helps them escape, Roy trains Wang in the ways of the cowboy, assisted by Falling Leaves.

Review: This could be a remake of how the west might have been won; but it is more a fun frolic of gunslingrs and martial arts. Jackie Chan is at his epic best as a fish out of water. Struggling with a language barrier and cultural shock. While Owen Wilson does his best as a perfect challenging side kick. Though the team is more ballanced than many recent film teams; there are plenty of homages to other films and historical figures and places.

Be sure ti have plenty of popcorn for this one.

M J Flack