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.
I have to let you know, that the pacing in the movie feels uneven, with certain moments dragging on unnecessarily, especially in the second half and the plot can feel predictable, and there isn't much depth to the characters. The humor, though fun, becomes repetitive, particularly with Roy’s exaggerated incompetence. Roy is played by Owen Wilson, and Wilson’s style in this portrayal is laid-back, while Jackie Chan’s is a mix of comic martial arts and action scenes and even though the action scenes were entertaining, they lack the same intensity as Jackie Chan’s other films.
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. The combination of these two is just unique, and the movie is done as a Western form of the buddy-cop thing, but some of the Western references feel forced rather than integrated smoothly into the story.
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.
It will stand as one of Jackie Chan’s comedic genius that is produced in the U.S.
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