A loyal Imperial Guard sets off to America to rescue a kidnapped Princess that he serves in China. After the train he is on is robbed by Outlaws, and his uncle is killed, a set of circumstances will put the guard in the company of a rapscallion cowboy named Roy O'Bannon, to form an unlikely a duo as you are ever likely to see.
Laden with Cowboy clichés and trumpeting that it is a West meets the East fish out of water shenanigan, Shanghai Noon could so easily have been a film to roll your eyes up to heaven with. Thankfully it turns out to be a non pretentious, non moralistic mess that entertains those looking for a comedy that just wants to cheer you up. Jackie Chan as Chon Wang (say that real fast to get the joke) opens up his bag of martial arts joviality and impresses as much as he amuses (check out the horse shoe set piece). While Owen Wilson as O'Bannon leaves behind some previous stinker pictures, to engage us royally as a comedy actor and provide us with dynamite chemistry playing off the charming wonder of Chan (the sequel was inevitable). With both men clearly happy to run with it and let each one share the limelight.
It's a positive delight is what it is, blustering set pieces go hand in hand with cheeky in-jokes and Western genre standards, whilst the end credit out takes are some of the funniest out there. Highly recommended viewing to those in need of a pick me up and to those who know that sometimes harmless fun can be a cinematic treat. 7/10
Laden with Cowboy clichés and trumpeting that it is a West meets the East fish out of water shenanigan, Shanghai Noon could so easily have been a film to roll your eyes up to heaven with. Thankfully it turns out to be a non pretentious, non moralistic mess that entertains those looking for a comedy that just wants to cheer you up. Jackie Chan as Chon Wang (say that real fast to get the joke) opens up his bag of martial arts joviality and impresses as much as he amuses (check out the horse shoe set piece). While Owen Wilson as O'Bannon leaves behind some previous stinker pictures, to engage us royally as a comedy actor and provide us with dynamite chemistry playing off the charming wonder of Chan (the sequel was inevitable). With both men clearly happy to run with it and let each one share the limelight.
It's a positive delight is what it is, blustering set pieces go hand in hand with cheeky in-jokes and Western genre standards, whilst the end credit out takes are some of the funniest out there. Highly recommended viewing to those in need of a pick me up and to those who know that sometimes harmless fun can be a cinematic treat. 7/10