PHOTO: Touchstone Films

My first Jackie Chan film was "Rumble In The Bronx". That was a couple years ago, and every film since then has been... OK, but not great. Don't get me wrong -- any chance to see Jackie in action is one I'm taking. You could make a fine shot film made up of nothing but Jackie climbing walls in seemingly effortless and imaginative ways. But I'm glad to see a film with more balance.

It's easy to imagine how "Shanghai Noon" could have been pitched: Think "Blazing Saddles" meets "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid", and you'd be at least close. Jackie gets to do the magnificent thing he does on screen, and you get a story thrown in too. How can you go wrong?

Best bit of business: Jackie on some loose planks in a bell tower. It's all over in a couple of seconds, but it's just fabulous.

Kudos also to Owen Wilson who plays a sensitive new-age outlaw with just the right touch. Easily could have been dreadful, but Wilson keeps it light and earnest throughout. Nice work.

Related Sites

Shanghai Noon (Official Site)
Shanghai Noon (IMDB)