|
Review by Susan Granger
3 stars out of 4
The classic Western gets a kick in the pants when East meets
West and Jackie Chan tosses the tumbleweed. He plays a Chinese
Imperial Guard who tags along when the Emperor sends three of his
cohorts to America, circa. 1890, to ransom and rescue Princess Pei Pei
(Lucy Liu) who has been kidnapped from the Forbidden City. So there
he is - Hong Kong's contemporary Buster Keaton knocking around all the
cowboys & Indians & Asians cliches as he crosses Nevada. He's named
Chon Wang, pronounced "John Wayne," and there are obvious allusions to
"High Noon." About half-way through the story, the buddy theme kicks
in, as Chan befriends a bumbling wannabe outlaw, played strictly for
laughs by Owen Wilson. Director Tom Dey, whose previous experience is
in TV commercials, blatantly telegraphs what's gonna happen in advance
so there aren't too many surprises - like when Chan and the Native
Americans pass the peace pipe. Writers Alfred Gough & Miles Millar
heap on the racial and ethnic stereotypes but, in general, they let
Jackie Chan do a lot of what he does best: acrobatic fighting. There
are clever touches - like an amusing trick horse, an inebriated bubble
bath in a bordello, and making unlikely use of antlers and
horseshoes. Unlike other grim martial artists, Chan radiates warmth
and humor which makes him irresistibly appealing between the action
sequences. So how does "Shanghai Noon" compare with "Rush Hour"?
"Rush Hour" is set in a contemporary urban environment which may be
easier for much of Chan's audience to relate to than the gunslingers
of the Wild West. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Shanghai
Noon" is a light-hearted, silly, irreverent 7. And don't leave before
the final "out-take" credits - they're the best of all.
Copyright © 2000 Susan Granger
|
