Review of Shanghai Knights (2003) by Kai82 — 18 Oct 2021

It is like the prequel a really solid movie but not an awesome one. I like the ideas, concept and characters. I can see this being a masterpiece if done better. One paper everything is amazing but sadly it does not work that well especially in the middle part of the movie.

To be fair this can just be me. I am a huge fan of Jackie Chan by the way and so are my friends. Because it is not in anyone's top Jackie Chan movies list I think I am not that far of. It is set in 1887 a few years after the events of the prequel Shanghai Noon.

In the Forbidden City in China the imperial seal is stolen and the keeper of the seal Chon Wang’s father gives his daughter Chon Lin a puzzle box for her brother with his dying breath. Meanwhile Chon Wang has become a legendary Sheriff with an impressing number of captured criminals.

When he receives the box with a letter from his sister that has followed the clues to London he is searching his friend Roy O’Bannon for help. This is the start of the adventure. The story works but has some lengths and a few flaws.

For example: A foreigner leading a group of Boxers is as believable as the woke left following a republican old, white and rich man that supports Donald Trump (Not as much a hyperbole as you believe).

For those who don't believe this look up the goals of the Boxer, the century of humiliation and the Boxer rebellion. Back to the review. It stats strong but gets weaker in the middle and stronger when we get to the climax.

I was bored in the middle parts and overall it is not in the top categories of the genre and Jackie Chan movies. Like the prequel the characters improve this. Jackie Chan is always Jackie Chan and delivers what you want to see as Chon Wang.

Owen Wilson is solid as Roy O’Bannon but does not amaze me. I think mostly because Rush Hour did it better with Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Fann Wong (Fann Woon Fong) as Chon Lin is the hidden gem of the movie.

They made a few additions with characters you might have heard of with Tom Fisher as Arthur and Aaaron Johnson as Charlie (I avoid spoilers with not telling the surnames). Good fan service except for me who knows the back story of both.

I know the biographic of Charlie as I read it and a lot about Arthur too. The bad guys are good and work well. We get a good cast of characters and the actors mostly deliver. The sets, costumes and stunts are excellent too.

There are some homages to older Jackie Chan movies in the fight scenes if I remember correctly. Overall I repeat that it is a solid movie but not great. It is not in the league of the best Jackie Chan movies and forgotten.

I have not heard anyone mentioning this movie in years. Would neither warn nor recommend this movie.