I absolutely
love this movie. Shanghai Noon is one soft comedy that I just found myself
loving. The movie pulls off a very nice romantic, soft comedy that you’ll go
crazy for. Shanghai Noon has a great pairing—maybe not as iconic as
the one in Rush Hour—but
Owen Wilson’s style of comedy is one I’ve come to love and appreciate.
Owen Wilson’s
style is laid-back, while Jackie Chan’s is a mix of comic martial arts and
action scenes. The combination is just unique. The movie can be seen as a form
of the buddy-cop genre.
The movie pays
homage to some classic Westerns, like High Noon, and Jackie Chan’s
character is named Chon Wang, meant to sound like John Wayne. Another thing to
love about the movie is its unusual suspense. It has its own way of thrilling
you, leaving you, the viewer, to really think:
One of the
things I liked—and part of the suspense—is the idea that Owen’s character, Roy,
is the worst gunslinger around (this guy can’t shoot straight to save his
life). Yet, somehow, he’s managed to survive in the West and even become the
leader of an armed robbery gang.
The second thing
that got me thinking is also about Roy’s character. He was buried up to his
neck in the desert but somehow managed to get out and reach the nearest town
before Jackie, who was traveling on foot and horseback. When asked how he did
it, Roy claimed to have dug himself out with chopsticks.
The movie’s plot
crosses two regions: China and the U.S. In China, Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) is an
imperial guard who has his eyes on the princess, Pei-Pei (Lucy Liu). She gets
abducted and taken to America.
Wang’s affection
for the princess leads him to join the Imperial Guards sent to bring Pei-Pei
back. A ransom in gold is also sent by the king to her captors. When they
arrive in America, the train they’re on gets robbed by Roy (Owen Wilson) and
his crew, and that’s how Wang and Roy meet.
The two later
team up in an attempt to rescue the princess from her captors.
The combination
of the two was well-received by many critics, leading to huge DVD sales and box
office success for the movie.
It will stand as one of Jackie Chan’s comedic genius that is produced in the U.S.
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