Review
SHANGHAI KNIGHTS
Starring Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson
Directed by David Dobkin
Opens Friday, February 7
Check listings
Sometimes bad movies are good because they’re bad.
Shanghai Knights sucks in every conceivable way. The acting’s shabby, the plot’s ridiculous, the coincidences are ludicrous, the action’s uninspired and the villains are about as threatening as the Canadian Navy.
But, in spite of its tremendous badness, it’s still a lot of fun.
The acting is non-existent. Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson don’t even attempt to play their characters. Chan is his usual charming, naive self as Chon Wang, the Imperial Guard turned Shanghai Kid. And Wilson reprises the same smarmy schtick he’s used in every role he hasn’t played for Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums). Both are capable of more, but who cares? They’re having a good time – which is surprisingly infectious – and they deliver the cheesy jokes with a wink and smile.
The plot is a string of historically inaccurate coincidences that make the Ogopogo seem probable by comparison. But that’s OK. Shanghai Knights takes Roy O’Bannon and Chon Wang to London – in search of the Imperial Seal of China – where they run into Jack the Ripper, Artie Doyle, a young Charlie Chaplin and Queen Victoria. It’s Forrest Gump meets the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles – without the intelligence.
If Roy and Chon Wang aren’t hauling Charlie Chaplin off to Hollywood (the obligatory link to Shanghai Knights’ inevitable sequel), Chon Wang’s sister Chon Lin (Fann Wong) is booting the Ripper off a Whitechapel bridge. It’s so stupid; it’s clever. But it’s impossible not to smile when O’Bannon and the Shanghai Kid show up on Sir Artie Conan’s doorstep in the trademark clothes of Holmes and Watson. Idiotic? Yes. But funny nonetheless.
As for the action: well, it’s all been done before. If you’ve seen any of Jackie Chan’s movies, you’ve seen the action in Shanghai Knights. He scampers up walls, pummels his enemies with hyperkinetic martial arts, makes weapons out of whatever’s handy and delivers his usual height-defying finale. The only attempt at something different is a Keystone Kops homage set in a revolving glass door. And, in the glorious tradition of Shanghai Noon, Wilson stays mercifully away from the action (unless you count his nude pillow fight with a roomful of prostitutes), leaving all the kicking, punching and stunts to Chan. No matter how derivative the action is, however, Chan’s adrenaline-pumping commitment makes it a thrill to watch.
But then there’s the wimpy villains. Nothing good can be said about them. They have absolutely no redeeming qualities. They’re skinny, whiny and even their haircuts are weak. Rathbone (Aidan Gillen) and Wu Chan (Donnie Yen) are so bad they don’t come anywhere near being good. What a shame. Shanghai Knights was so close to perfection.
Shanghai Knights is classic Hollywood trash – stupid, action-packed and fun. So if you want to escape for a little while, the latest instalment of The Adventures of Roy O’Bannon and the Shanghai Kid is just what you need. Besides, even if you hate the movie, you’ll love the bloopers – they’re always the best part of a Jackie Chan film. And they’re worth at least the price of a matinée. |
