Shanghai Has Lost Its Kick
Chan, Wilson Going Through the Motions

The worst thing one can say about an action movie — and a martial arts movie in particular — is that it doesn't feel spontaneous. If the film seems contrived or choreographed, the illusion brought to the motion picture is destroyed. Unfortunately for fans of Shanghai Noon, the sequel is very much a spoiled illusion. The movie plods very familiar ground, both from the original movie as well as a dozen others.

Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson return to the late 1800s, this time leaving the Old West behind and sailing across the Atlantic to the Old World. When Chon Wang's (Chan) father is killed in China and the Imperial Seal stolen, he sets out for England to find his father's killer. Arriving in New York City, he tracks down his old partner Roy O'Bannon (Wilson) who is having troubles of his own. Added into the mix is Wang's sister, Chon Lin (Fann Wong), who has been arrested for attempting to assassinate the man who killed their father.

Unlike Shanghai Noon, the sequel does not rely on the "fish out of water" motif for laughs. Wang is very comfortable in America and the trip to England doesn't bother him. Roy, on the other hand, seems determined to pick a fight with every Brit he sees. (He has issues about the Revolutionary War.) Instead, the movie bounces from one situation to the next. Wang and Roy meet famous people and take part in historical events. It's like one long joke without much of a punchline.

As for the action, well... I hate to say it, but I think Chan is getting old. The fight scenes often seemed choreographed, as if Chan can't keep pace with his legend. His moves lacked the spontaneity that keeps martial arts movies exciting. While Shanghai Knights did have a few outstanding action moments, they were few.

Much of the movie is also a nod to the history of movies. There is even a recreation of Harold Lloyd's classic clocktower scene. In addition, there are several references to old and new adventure movies. This includes Wang and Roy tearing a giant flag to slow their fall from Big Ben, in a complete rip-off (no pun intended) of the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies.

Keep in mind that this is a comedy, not a history lesson. This story could never have come together in this way, because the timelines of the various people and events never really intersected. The automobiles that appear belong to the turn of the century, not the 1880s when Queen Victoria celebrated her fiftieth anniversary on the throne. As for some of the other famous (and infamous) people that pop up in the film, they are both misrepresented in fact and in time.

All in all, Shanghai Knights had its moments. I would not go so far as to say it was a good movie, but fans of Shanghai Noon will probably enjoy revisiting the characters. Still, don't hold your breath waiting for Shanghai III.

MY RATING: 4 out of 10.

RATED:
RUN TIME: 114 min.

Shanghai Has Lost Its Kick Chan, Wilson Going Through the Motions

Shanghai Has Lost Its Kick
Chan, Wilson Going Through the Motions