Shanghai Knights (2003)
Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Fann Wong
Two stars of five
So Friday we decided we needed a dinner and movie night. Dinner was a
cute little Art Deco restaurant, and the film was Shanghai Knights,
Jackie Chan's latest Hollywood release. Daughter had been looking
forward to the film, as she really like Jackie Chan, and,
incidentally, any film where a young woman kicks serious ass.
In stark contrast to his Hong Kong productions, Jackie Chan's American
movies seem to be stuck in a rut. Chan plays an harassed, expert
something-or-other on a mission, teamed for God only knows what reason
with an ineffectual loudmouth American who gets in his way at every
opportunity. Repeat in endless sequels until the audience dies of
ennui.
The latest effort being Shanghai Knights, which, it turns out, is only
the first sequel to 2002's Shanghai Noon, and not the third sequel to
Rush Hour (1998). I get the two franchises confused because they're
exactly the same. Sorry, I should say that they borrow liberally from
each other. Oh, let's face it: They're exactly the same. They
borrow so many stunts, situations, and even outtakes from each other
that some amount of confusion is inevitable.
It is stylish to talk about how Jackie Chan has aged and how he isn't
making the films he used to make. I'm unwilling to go there, partly
because he's only a few months older than I and partly because he
still gets more genuinely physical onscreen at 49 than virtually any
other American actor of any age.
Still, the choreography of Shanghai Knights is genuinely superior to
Shanghai Noon. Director David Dobkin isn't afraid to pull back to
middle distance and let you see Chan operate, in stark contrast to the
frantic quick-cut extreme-closeup shaky-cam that ruined most of Chan's
stunts in the first film. The stunts in Knights are worth seeing. If
only that were true for the rest of the film.
Let's be honest -- does anyone *not* find Owen Wilson extremely
annoying? I mean, is he just like that in real life or does he do it
on purpose?
It's not just that his character is a perennial screw-up with
absolutely no redeeming characteristics, and not even that he stops
the film cold at every opportunity for yet another rendition of what
can only be called "the white version of shuckin' and jivin'", it's
that he speaks soooooooo slloooowwwwwwlllllyyy while he's making an
ass out of himself that you're fairly confident you can get to the
bathroom and back before he finishes boring the audience into early
retirement. He's like Chris Tucker with a dead battery. You get
bored waiting for him to finish annoying you.
Yes, I'm aware that Wilson is very popular with the ladies. He plays
smug, pretty, ineffectual, unreliable, dishonest characters,
everything you ever wanted in a first husband.
(Ok, let's cast the Movie From Hell: a buddy movie with lots of
interaction between Wilson and some other relentless screw-off. Oops,
it's already been made. It was called I Spy.)
In grateful contrast, model/actress/singer/world traveler Fann Wong is
athletic, intensely beautiful, wonderfully poised, and lights up every
scene she occupies. Watching her lick Wilson's face in this decade's
obligatory concussion-induced hallucination is nearly worth the price
of admission. (You get to see it again in the outtakes.)
Aidan Gillen is excellent as the English uber-villain, playing it
absolutely straight, with no mugging or over-the-top hijinks. There
isn't the slightest question that he gives Chan back his sword in the
climatic fight scene not from a sense of fairness but a desire to
humiliate. Donnie Yen is intense and capable, if a bit brief, as the
Chinese villain.
Chan is at his most funny as a straight man; being serious in funny
circumstances. Someone needs to tell him that we're not exactly
breaking out in gales of laughter when he purses his lips and waggles
his head. Stick with what you do well, Jackie. Please.
You liked the historical references of Shanghai Noon? Knights is just
choc full of 'em. To the point where they get really annoying. I had
to keep reminding myself that I was watching a kung-fu film and not
some demented Forest Gump on acid. The only reference that was even
remotely funny was the near-accidental final resolution of Jack the
Ripper. (I always wondered about that....)
In summary, Shanghai Knights is definitely a mixed bag. Great stunts,
a good job by Chan, a wonderful screen presence by Wong, excellent
villain portrayals by Yen and Gillen, somewhat ruined by too many cute
historical references, an extremely unlikable character in Owen
Wilson, and a bit too much mugging between Wilson and Chan.
Embarrassing in parts, boring in parts, and really thrilling in parts.
Cut about 15 minutes of childish hambone exposition and you'd really
have something. At least, it wasn't as painful to watch as The
Tuxedo.
Two stars of five. Would have been three, if the blond sidekick had
been practically anyone else.
Ron
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X-Language: en
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X-RT-TitleID: 1120269
X-RT-AuthorID: 2596
X-RT-RatingText: 2/5
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