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Shanghai Knights (2003)
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Reviews Counted:144
Fresh:94
Rotten:50
Average Rating:6/10
Consensus: A silly, anachronistic mess, but the pairing of Chan and Wilson makes the movie fun.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for action violence and sexual content
Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Feb 7, 2003 Wide
Box Office: $60,447,592
Synopsis: In this entertaining sequel to SHANGHAI NOON, Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) and Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson) are reunited on an adventure that leads them to Great Britain. Upon hearing of his father's... In this entertaining sequel to SHANGHAI NOON, Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) and Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson) are reunited on an adventure that leads them to Great Britain. Upon hearing of his father's murder in China at the hands of Englishman Lord Rathbone (Aidan Gillen), Wang leaves his law-enforcing life in Nevada and heads east. In New York City, he tracks down Roy, who now works as a waiter/gigolo. After a close encounter with New York's finest, Wang and Roy travel to London, where they team up with Wang's sister, Lin (Fann Wong), also out to avenge their father's death. Their search uncovers a plot to assassinate the royal family and brings them into contact with many touchstones of turn-of-the-20th-century British culture. A fitting follow-up to Chan and Wilson's first pairing, SHANGHAI KNIGHTS takes the fish-out-of-water element of the original and doubles it, as both Wang and Roy navigate the highs and lows of Victorian London. Chan, as always, astounds with a series of acrobatic fight sequences that involves unusual accessories such as revolving doors, fruit stands, and Chinese vases. And Wilson once again aptly fills the role of the wisecracking opportunist with a conscience who has a wry quip for every occasion. Meanwhile, Fann Wong is luminous as Wang's high-kicking sister; Aidan Gillen sneers superbly as the scheming Rathbone, and Hong Kong legend Donnie Yen makes the most of his small role as Rathbone's co-conspirator. In addition to incorporating Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Charlie Chaplin, and Jack the Ripper into the story, David Dobkin's amusing film also features knowing nods to SINGING IN THE RAIN and the Harold Lloyd classic SAFETY LAST. [More]
Starring: Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Fann Wong, Aidan Gillen
Starring: Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Fann Wong, Aidan Gillen, Tom Fisher, Donnie Yen, Aaron Johnson, Gemma Jones
Director: David Dobkin
Director: David Dobkin
Screenwriter: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar
Producer: Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Jonathan Glickman
Composer: Randy Edelman
Studio: Touchstone Pictures
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Release:
Jul 15, 2003
Reviews for Shanghai Knights
Director David Dobkin and screenwriters Alfred Gough and Michael Millar (and probably Jackie Chan) not only know movies, they obviously love them %u2013 and that affection comes through in nearly every scene.
Everyone involved worked to make the sequel funnier and more entertaining - and they've succeeded.
This Jackie Chan/Owen Wilson sequel is a slack retread of Shanghai Noon -- but it's hard to get too upset about that.
It's a merry surfeit, lofted by calisthenic wow above the usual level for late-era Jackie and Wilson's mellow-gold delivery.
Shanghai Knights has the pacing and action of Chan's classic Hong Kong films, but with the polish and production values of a Hollywood project.
Like an Abbott & Costello comedy, Shanghai Knights is truly dumb, sometimes inconsistent, but awfully funny.
One exquisite sequence has Jackie both dancing and fighting to the tune of "Singin' in the Rain." It is a wonderfully entertaining fight scene.
At one point, Roy just flat-out tells Chon that, though they may not be accomplishing anything, he's really enjoying their current adventure. And that's pretty much the spirit of the movie.
Shanghai Knights is a mess. A few ground rules would have helped immensely.
Chan and Wilson have an easy chemistry together and director David Dobkin ... knows enough not to get in the way of that or the fight choreography.
It's nearly impossible to shake the 'been there done that' undertones of the film.
This is one of those movies where people turn their heads and you hear a "swoosh"! That sound effect reportedly originated with a head-turn by actor Ben Kingsley. "In a stiff breeze," explained Owen Wilson, "Ben's nose could win the America's Cup."
There's about as much suspense here as in an Abbott & Costello movie (which this film frequently resembles).
Latest News for Shanghai Knights
July 13, 2006:
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August 15, 2002:
Nothing shocking, but just the kind of chemistry that made the last installment work just right. ![]()
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