SHANGHAI KNIGHTS

US, 2003, 114 minutes, Colour.
Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Aaron Johnson, Thomas Fisher, Aidan Gillen, Fann Wong, Donnie Yen, Gemma Jones.
Directed by David Dobkin.

The accepted wisdom is that sequels are not as good as the originals. This time the sequel is as good if not better. The teaming of Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson as gunslingers in the American West rescuing a Chinese princess was a very funny combination of Jackie Chan's martial arts and Owen Wilson's nonchalant deadpan humour. And now they have done it again. This time the budget is bigger. The setting is 19th century London. There are more choreographed fights through hotel swing doors, in London markets, in a palatial library, on a barge on the Thames and, finally, inside and outside Big Ben. And the situations are droll, the dialogue amusing and some nice, ironic surprises along the way.

The writers have been doing their research on England in the 1880s and 1890s. While the film says it is 1887 and Queen Victoria's jubilee, the writing sets everything in 1897 with the emergence of cars, the movies and the Boxer Rebellion. They seem to have been reading their John Buchan (The Thirty Nine Steps), Fu Manchu and other English adventures and seeing plenty of 30s movies.

After a lavish opening in the Forbidden City, we get a glimpse of Jackie keeping law and order in Carson City, making his way to find Owen living it up in New York and writing paperbacks about their exploits (in which he is the hero and Jackie the sidekick). To avenge the death of his father and save the royal seal, Jackie goes with Owen to London.

The villain, played with smarmy superiority by Aidan Gillen, is called Lord Rathbone (and emulates his screen successor, Basil, with swashbuckling swordfights). Though tenth in line to the throne, he intends to get rid of Queen Victoria (Gemma Jones) and the other nine. Jackie and Owen cut their path through a swathe of opposition (and Owen's anti-Brit feeling and comments) with the help of a police inspector with wonderful powers of deduction called Artie Doyle and a young pickpocket, Charlie Chaplin.

It shows how a well-thought out and witty script can make routine martial arts adventure material an above average entertainment.

1. An entertaining sequel? The film standing on its own?

2. The continuity with the original film? Roy and Chon and their working together, in the West? Seeing Chon as sheriff in Carson City? Reading the books about their exploits? Roy and his high life in New York City, with the women, as a waiter?

3. The prologue and the Forbidden City, the luxurious décor, the seal, the father and daughter, the father disowning Chon, the attack by Lord Rathbone, the confrontation, the murder, stealing the seal? The daughter and her writing to her brother, wanting revenge? The setting of the scene for the two to travel to London?

4. London 1887 (1897)? Victorian London, the markets, accommodation? The high society, Lord Rathbone and his Chinese contact? The palace, his apartment, the special library with all the treasures and the seal? Madame Tussaud's, the fireworks on the Thames? Costumes and décor - a flair for the period?

5. The dialogue and its modern tone, the musical score and the contemporary songs including 'Winchester Cathedral', the references to popular characters like Conan Doyle and Charlie Chaplin, the silhouette of Sherlock Holmes and Watson, Roy calling himself Sherlock Holmes? The references to the Fu Manchu stories, John Buchan and The 39 Steps and Big Ben? The enjoyment of the literary allusions?

6. Jackie Chan's choreography and the variety of fights - in New York City, the revolving doors, in London, the market, Lord Rathbone's library, the barge, Madame Tussaud's, Big Ben? The entertainment value of this precision and stylised fighting, martial arts and swordfights?

7. Chon, meeting his sister, her being in prison, attempting to kill Lord Rathbone? Meeting Artie Doyle, the stiff-upper-lip British man with a flair for detection? His helping them? Roy and Chon going to the reception dressed as an officer and as a maharaja, the jokes about Chinese Indians? Their getting into the library, the revolving door, Chon disappearing and reappearing? The fights, using the ladders and the various tools at hand in the library? Rediscovering the seal?

8. Lord Rathbone as villain, suave, killing Chon's father, returning to England, the favourite of Queen Victoria, tenth in line to the throne, his plan, the machine gun, eliminating his rivals, doing a deal with the Chinese? The build-up to the fireworks, his being in target, moving away, the shooting and none of the royal family being hurt? His pursuing Chon, the fight in Big Ben, the swordfight, his falling to his death?

9. Chon, simple, genial, his sister, the spars with Roy? His ambitions to avenge his father, being patient, the fights? Roy, his anti-British tone, the deadpan humour, his not being an action hero, his hanging on the hand of the clock on Big Ben? The final rescue with the British flag?

10. Lin, the death of her father, going to England, imprisoned, getting out, joining in the fight? Her falling in love with Roy?

11. Artie Doyle, the prim and proper policeman, his Sherlock Holmes detection in action, being sacked by Lord Rathbone, joining forces with Chon and Roy? His retiring to write the Sherlock Holmes stories?

12. The orphan boy, stealing Roy's watch, the pursuit, his being helped by Roy, saving Chon and Roy? Charlie Chaplin?

13. Queen Victoria, the enjoyment of the Jubilee? Her gratitude and knighting the three knights?

14. The finale, the possibility of the movies, everybody going to California - including Charlie Chaplin?

15. An entertaining blend of action and comedy with a literate script?