Shanghai Noon (2000)

Director: Tom Dey
Starring: Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Lucy Liu

Synopsis:
A Chinese Imperial Guard is sent to America to ransom a runaway princess, teaming up with a train robber along the way.

Impressions:
This movie was clearly made to cash in on the success of the first Rush Hour and it's certainly an entertaining film in its own right. There's a decent balance of comedy and drama that keeps the film from getting too serious or too silly. Jackie Chan is good as always and if you like the kind of character's Owen Wilson plays, you'll like him too. I also liked Brandon Merrill as Falling Leaves, her only film role thus far. Also, Roger Yuan and Xander Berkeley are solid as the villains. There are some rather brilliants fights, as you'd expect from a Jackie Chan film and it's interesting seeing Chan in a Western setting. I have a few quibbles, but they dip into spoiler territory, so I'll leave them be. For some lighthearted fun, this is a film worth seeing.

Rating:
Watch It