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 It's
too bad that the Hollywood studios can't release a movie that's
solely comprised of the outtakes that traditionally appear at
the end of Jackie Chan's American-produced films. As everyone
knows, these hilarious false starts, flubs and stunts-gone-wrong
are often the best part of his movies.
Until then, fans will have to settle for unnecessary sequels
like Shanghai Knights. The fact that the film even got
made is a surprise, since its predecessor, 2000's Shanghai
Noon, grossed only $57 million at the domestic box office.
Then again, Chan and co-star Owen Wilson have come a long way
since the sun set on Noon two-and-a-half years ago, and
though Knights feels padded and runs about 20 minutes too
long, it still fits the bill as a charming, silly and fun winter
diversion.
Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) has settled into his new career as a
successful sheriff in the Old West, while carefree cowboy Roy
O'Bannon (Owen Wilson) has decided to take his chances in the
Old East (New York, to be exact). When Wang gets word that his
father has been murdered, he seeks out O'Bannon's help in an effort
to travel to London to find the culprit. Upon their arrival, Wang
and O'Bannon uncover a plot to kill the Queen, but even worse,
Wang has to contend with O'Bannon's crush on his kid sister (Fann
Wong), who has also come to London to find her father's killer.
Shanghai Knights is a little slow going, and the stunts
feel somewhat tame compared to Chan's earlier work (after all,
the guy is 49), but the film makes up for its flaws with a healthy
dose of charm between its charismatic co-stars. Chan has recently
stated that he'd like to put the fight scenes behind him so he
can focus on more acting and comedy, and as long as he pairs himself
with complementary co-stars like Wilson and Rush Hour's
Chris Tucker, then he has nothing to worry about (in other words,
no more movies with Jennifer Love Hewitt, who didn't fit into
last year's Chan flop The Tuxedo).
Owen Wilson has become Hollywood's most unlikely man-for-all-seasons,
having proven himself in sophisticated fare (The Royal Tenenbaums),
action films (Behind Enemy Lines), and goofy comedies (Zoolander).
Other than last year's disappointing team-up with Eddie Murphy
in I Spy, Wilson often steals his scenes when he plays
the comic foil to play-it-straight co-stars like Chan. In Shanghai
Knights, Wilson works hard to maintain a carefree, off-the-cuff
atmosphere, and his presence alone is a reminder that the only
thing at stake here is having a good time.
As for the supporting performances, what would any buddy picture
be without a damsel in distress? Noon's Lucy Liu is out,
and Knights’ Fann Wong is in, as Chan's more-than-capable
little sister. Already a popular recording artist in Singapore,
Wong makes an effective American film debut by mixing sexuality
with a healthy dose of butt-kicking action. Irish actor Aidan
Gillen also gives an effective performance as the evil, spoiled
British mastermind behind the film's iffy plot, although it must
be stated that he resembles a young Alec Baldwin on a bad hair
day.
Between the bigger budget, the lavish production values and a
Forrest Gump-style attempt to make references to British
history, every effort is made to make Shanghai Knights
better than its predecessor. Since the law of averages indicates
that sequels are often inferior to the films that spawned them,
Chan and Wilson can take comfort in the fact that Shanghai
Knights is at least as good as Shanghai Noon.
And those outtakes? The best part of the movie!
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