|
The movie starts in the forbidden city, introducing Chon’s
father and sister Lin (Wong) as guardians of the imperial
seal. The seal is an item of unparalleled value so of course
it is stolen by the devious Lord Rathbone (Gillen)
who kills Chon’s father in the process. Chon (Chan)
gets word from his sister and heads out to London by way of
New York City, picking up his friend Roy O’Bannon (Wilson)
to recover the seal and seek revenge. Rathbone is also conspiring
with the bastard heir to the throne of China (Yen)
and the two of them each wish to seize power in their respective
native lands.
Jackie Chan flicks always have lighter-than-air plots and
this one is no exception. Really, his movies are excuses for
some amusing fights with a smattering of comedy in between.
Helpfully here those in-between moments are some of the more
enjoyable parts of the picture. The two stars have genuine
comic chemistry, with Wilson as the lovable rogue and Chan
as the straight man. When O’Bannon, who can’t say no to anything
female, starts making a play for the extremely desirable Lin,
Chan gets to come into his own and despite questionable mastery
of English it works—the look on his face is in and of itself
enough to elicit laughs. Of course Wilson is more than up
the task. His unique blend of quirks and the ability to deliver
the silliest lines with conviction all help this production.
The film features several fights, all choreographed by Jackie
Chan himself and they are, like the rest of the movie fun
and silly all at once. Chan uses an assortment of props—swords,
vases, umbrellas, etc., in a variety of interesting though
not original action scenes. Fann Wong is clearly capable of
kicking people in the face and does so on numerous occasions
and Owen Wilson gets to hang back and look goofy. Donnie Yen
is a man of not inconsiderable martial arts talent. He choreographed
Blade II and starred in Hong Kong films, but unfortunately
he is not given the opportunity to express those talents here.
His one fight with Chan was all too brief. Likewise the fight
with Gillen, who appears to have some sword experience, lacked
the typical Chan panache. Chan did not demonstrate any of
his acrobatic abilities or improvisational martial arts during
the duel with Gillen and the camera position made the action
difficult to follow.
Shanghai Knights may leave hardcore martial arts fans
wanting more, but should please everybody else. The jokes
are obvious, but the relentless enthusiasm of the two stars
guarantees amusement. The movie takes advantage of the opportunity
to poke fun at history by the portrayals of Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle, Jack the Ripper, and Charlie Chaplin. (The last is
especially interesting, as Chan borrows heavily from the works
of Charlie Chaplin.) Innovative choices in the music department
keep the vibe of this film light, and while the end destination
is never in doubt the journey is so much fun. This is just
a B-movie, but everyone is working their hardest to make the
best of it.
Throughout the movie Chon Wang says to his partner, “Who
loves you, baby?” right before the fun begins. Surely though,
Jackie Chan must love us, for here is a man willing to put
his life on the line to entertain and the fun begins whenever
he is on screen. While some of us yearn for a return to the
glory days of Jackie Chan’s superhuman stunts, those days
are over. But with his talent as a born entertainer and the
help of talented co-stars like Owen Wilson more fun is yet
to come. So Mr. Chan: Who loves you baby? We do!
—Woodrow Bogucki
|
While we would never encourage anyone to destroy a video... 
