SHANGHAI NOON
US, 2000, 110 minutes, Colour.
Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Lucy Liu, Brandon Merrill, Roger Yuan, Xander Berkley, Jason Connery.
Directed by Tom Dey.
Shanghai Noon proved to be a very popular film for Jackie Chan. After many decades of entertaining people with all kinds of action adventures, he reached international and American popularity with his two Rush Hour films. Shanghai Noon and its sequel Shanghai Nights are even better than the Rush Hour films. Part of this is his teaming with Owen Wilson with his rather laidback, ambitious yet failure to achieve kind of personality. They work very well together.
The title is a pun on a Chinese High Noon. Jackie Chan’s name is Chon Wang and a lot of jokes are made about John Wayne as a name for somebody in the west as later there are jokes about Wyatt Earp. There are also jokes about Lee van Cleef with the sheriff being Nathan van Cleef.
Jackie Chan, while getting older, still has an ebullient sense of humour his choreographs very interesting fights. Owen Wilson at this time was emerging as a star performer in Ally Mc Beal and was to move into serious films as well as becoming one of Charlie’s Angels. The villain at the beginning is Sean Connery’s son, Jason Connery.
The director is Tom Dey who made the Eddie Murphy- Robert de Niro spoof Showtime and the very successful romance with Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Mc Conaghy, Failure to Launch.
The film opens with some spectacular scenes in China, makes a transition to the Wild West, takes us into the world of the Indians (with some laconic rather modern subtitles for Indian comments), to the saloons of Carson City, to gunfighters and train robberies, to the Chinese working on the railroads, to a big confrontation in a church. Most audiences will find it quite enjoyable – and those who like Jackie Chan’s martial arts work will be more than satisfied.
1.A popular entertainment? Action adventure? The comic touches?
2.The opening in China, the spectacle of the Forbidden City, the rituals? The transition to the west, the railroads, Carson City, the Indians? An authentic atmosphere of the west – with the touch of parody? The musical score?
3.The basic situation, Princess Pei Pei and the marriage plans, the commands of her father? Her being abducted? Taken to the west, the renegade Chinese, his gang? His command over the railroads and the Chinese workers? His wanting to use the princess?
4.Jackie Chan as Chon Wang, his work as a servant in the palace, his loyalty and obedience? His martial arts skills? His uncle, going to America in the team? On the train, with the gold, the robbery, the death? Chon Wang and his fighting on the roof of the train, separating the carriage with Roy on it, falling off the train? His wandering, finding Roy in the desert buried, giving him the chopsticks to get out? His trying to get to Carson City, the encounter with the Indians, his rescuing the chief’s son, the fight with the axes? His being welcomed by the Indians – finding him strange, his night with the chief’s daughter, their being glad that he was not a white man? His going to the town, to search for the princess? The sheriff and the bar, the fight, finding Roy again? Their fighting together, their being put in jail? Their annoying each other, the urinating on the cloth, bending the bars, getting out of the jail – with the help of the Indian chief’s daughter? The pursuit by the sheriff, the pursuit by the other bandits? The bonds with Roy, their becoming partners? Roy training him with the gun and other aspects of the west? The build-up to the finale, the confrontation with Lo Fong, Nathan Van Cleef and his pursuit? Everybody in the church – the choreography of all the fighting in the church, the bell? The final shoot-outs, the happy ending – the princess, staying in America, Roy and the Indian woman?
5.Roy, Owen Wilson’s comic style, laconic drawl, self-inflation? The robber, the gang on the train, Wallace and his mad approach? The fight with Chon, his ridiculing his name? Being buried in the desert, the chopsticks and getting out, gambling, teaming up with Chon after their fight, the prison sequence, the escape, his training Chon, the pursuit by the sheriff, the confrontation in the church? The two working together, allies?
6.Princess Pei Pei, in China in the west, being rescued, her ability to fight, the confrontation with Lo Fong? Happy to stay in America?
7.Lo Fong, his killing of Calvin Andrews after Andrews abducting the princess? The Chinese working on the railroads? The confrontation with Chon, his defeat?
8.The sheriff, his name, tough, pursuing the fugitives, his deceiving Roy with the bullets in the gun, Roy killing him with one bullet?
9.Wallace and the other members of the gang? Manic? Final confrontation?
10.The popular western ingredients and their being used to entertain as well as the satire and parody to amuse?
