Jackie Chan
and Owen Wilson return in Shanghai Knights, the sequel to
the 2000 western-martial arts hit Shanghai Noon. Here,
the setting may have changed but Wilson and Chan prove that they
have chemistry together, which can only improve with age. Much
like Noon, Knights isn't concerned with plotting
and unfortunately runs a little bit too long, but the real joy
of both films is watching the two actors do what they do best.
The story picks up in the old west where Chon Wang (Chan) is now
the sheriff. He receives news that his father has been killed
and that his sister has followed the murderer to London. He
decides to do the same, only first stopping off in New York to
pay his old partner, Roy O' Bannon (Wilson), a little visit and
to collect his share of the money from their previous adventure.
Only when Chon
gets to the New York, he finds out Roy has invested it all into
some pretty shoddy bets and is now making his keep by waiting
tables. Hoping to make it up to him, Roy accompanies Chon to
England where they meet Chon's sister, who Roy is smitten with.
They also meet a young Charlie Chaplin, Arthur Conan Doyle, and
Jack the Ripper as they uncover a plot to assassinate the royal
family.
Shanghai Knights has a good time poking fun at these
people as well as other things, like the automobile and moving
pictures, but most of the really funny stuff comes from the
delivery of both Chan and Wilson. Chan is our greatest living
physical comedian as he's an artist who isn't just about thrills
but also about grace and humor. The action sequences here are
tremendously entertaining, especially one where he beats up bad
guys while paying homage to Gene Kelly's "Singing in the Rain."
He is an entertainer of physical brilliance and watching him is
a great pleasure.
When Chan isn't doing his thing, Owen Wilson is a very funny
comic adversary. Wilson has a knack for playing goofy characters
and the script benefits greatly from that. The rest of the cast
does well also. Randy Edelman's musical score is really a nice
touch here, too. There isn't much to Shanghai Knights
besides the Knights themselves. Chan and Wilson are a fun
diversion who make two hours worth your time and money.
