SHANGHAI NOON review

Hey folks, Harry here with a look at Jackie Chan’s latest American endeavor. SHANGHAI NOON.

While it is certainly not the funniest Western comedy ever... (choose between: CAT BALLOU, BLAZING SADDLES, the TRINITY series or WAY OUT WEST) ...it is by far the most pure fun to be had at theaters right now.

I saw the film with a small contingent of AICNers like Robogeek, El Cosmico and Father Geek. Heck, even good ol Glen Oliver was in attendance sitting way too far up in the belfry.

The first thing I noticed about this flick was how good it looked and was put together. Director Tom Dey has quite a lovely film here, and the DP, Daniel Mindel, seems to be quite a shooter as well.

I didn’t know what really to think about ol Tom Dey. I mean, here’s this guy coming straight out of music videos, and he’s putting together well-even-paced scenes constructed of the full gamut of shot selections. Showing off his landscapes, diving in for close-ups and pulling back to watch full frame Jackie kicking ass.

The next thing I noticed about SHANGHAI NOON is that unlike most westerns, it doesn’t play in just two or three locations... This movie moves around quite a bit. I mean... just look at this thing. At one point we’re in China... the next time we turn around we’re aboard a train, then in some river, then in an arid locale, atop some mountains, in a couple of cities, a railroad camp, a mission and on and on and on. This film never looks back. Instead it presses forward, exploring new tundra, new fights, new locales and foils.

The next thing I noticed is that it seems that every race depicted in this film doesn’t like any other race that appears in this film, until they are forced to.

Then there is the liberal actions of one Jackie Chan.... In this flick, not only does he do his trademark, ‘HOLY SHIT HOW’D HE DOOD DAT’ action... but he loosens up quite a bit in other ways.

First he gets high as a kite. Then he has sex while under the influence. He whips out his privates and soaks a shirt. He gets drunk as can be and cavorts with prostitutes. I mean... damn.... You go Jackie, you go!

His fight with the Indians in the film is enough to attend a screening of the film. It is truly magnificent.

It also has all the hallmarks. There’s the fight in the saloon. A train robbery. There’s cowboys and Indians. There’s a brothel. There’s the count to three showdown in the center of town. There are wanted posters. The trick horse. The jailbreak. The Indian Bride that can’t understand anything. And on and on...

So... what makes it all fresh? Personally, I believe it’s the element that Owen Wilson brings to the whole deal. His new age, existential outlaw is just hands down funny to me.

Now I don’t know... maybe I’m in some sort of minority here, but I’ve loved Owen Wilson in BOTTLE ROCKET, ARMAGEDDON, ANACONDA, THE HAUNTING, PERMANENT MIDNIGHT, MINUS MAN and now this film. I like that screwed up nose and the... “why can’t we all just get along” laid back attitude. He’s not a high pressure sales manager. He’s not tough as nails. He prefers the road easiest to traverse, and so he’s our lazy cowardly hero that’s in it for the gold.

I don’t have many problems with this film because nothing that I disliked, bothered to hang around long at all. I mean... I didn’t like the bad guy, felt he was bland and unthreatening. But he’s hardly in the movie. There’s the obnoxious three ex-pardners of O.W’s, but they’re barely in this thing.

The score by Randy Edelman recalls of his good ol days on THE ADVENTURES OF BRISCO COUNTY JR. In fact, this movie hit me in the same pleasant manner as ol BRISCO, and had Bruce Campbell shown up in this flick... that would have made me all the happier.

There are points in the film that recall HOT LEAD AND COLD FEET and there are parts that remind of KUNG FU... but overall... the jokes and the hits come so quickly that you don’t give those references too much thought.

This film deserves to succeed. Of Jackie Chan’s film work in North America, this is his best film. It’s still a far cry from some of his genius work in Hong Kong, but then it holds up much better than the latest attempt from John Woo, or the recent efforts of both Jet Li or Chow Yun Fat.

What I want now is a Jackie Chan directed film with an American Big Budget. Jackie is a Buster Keaton... a Charles Chaplin. He needs to be in control. And hopefully we’ll see that soon.