Friday From the Archives: Shanghai Knights (2003)

"I was at first hesitant to see this flick. While Shanghai Noon, successor to Shanghai Knights, is still a personal favorite of mine, Jackie Chan's small atrocity, The Tuxedo, left a sour aftertaste in my mouth. I was corrected in the errors of my ways quite quickly, however. Take Rush Hour 2, remove Chris Tucker with Owen Wilson, add a 1800's England flavor, and you've got essentualy a very similar movie. It's coincidently another Jackie Chan buddy picture, and it happens to be among the very best. Shanghai Knights utilizes Chan's signature action-comedy mix to create a film that's both breathtaking and hilarious at the same time. Fight scenes are excellent; some of Chan's best work can be found right here in America. And while Jackie's not a cunning linguist, Owen Wilson has the majority of dialogue to speak of, and, for the most part, does a respectable and commendable job. Their new female partner (played by the lovely Fann Wong) is excellent and does a commendable job as well. The comedy between and sometimes during the fight scenes is good; although nothing special, I found myself laughing quite frequently. Also, this flick's narrative was quite good, and I enjoyed the whole flavor of the movie. It all fits together like a fine glove in Shanghai Knights and easily results in one of Chan's finest American works yet."

Fan art.