Rating: 
Summary: Jackie Chan's Sweet-Natured 'Eastern Western' !
Review: 'Shanghai Noon' is a joy; a cliched, stereotypical, yet fun-loving
western that is as much a homage to Hollywood comedy oaters (such as
'Cat Ballou', 'Maverick', and 'Support Your Local Gunfighter') as it
is a Jackie Chan vehicle. Chan, showing less of the acrobatic martial
arts skills and hair-raising stunts than usual (perhaps as a
concession that he is approaching 50!), relies more on his charm and
sweetness, and it pays off! If you've never seen a Chan film before,
THIS is a great film to start with, as you'll see the sincerity and
wry humor that have endeared him to much of the world for the last 20
years.Plotwise, the story is simple; a Chinese Imperial Princess
(Lucy Liu, one of the BUSIEST actresses in film!) is kidnapped by an
American tutor, and held hostage among Chinese laborers in the Old
West. Three Chinese Imperial guards are dispatched to deliver a ransom
of gold, and an inept fourth guard (Chan, who has a crush on the
Princess) is added, as a kind of servant to the others. Enroute by
train to deliver the ransom, a holdup occurs, which introduces Owen
Wilson, as an equally inept, but thoroughly likable bandit...then the
fun begins, with doublecrosses, cliche-spouting Indians, bar room
brawls, drunken horses, shootouts, and about every other Western
cliche you've ever seen, good-naturedly tossed in! The chemistry
between Chan and Wilson is terrific (MUCH better than Chan and Chris
Tucker, in 'Rush Hour'), and some of the inside jokes (look out for
the 'John Wayne' quips!) are priceless!... The DVD edition is truly
amazing, with commentaries by Chan and director Tom Dey, a fabulous
'Making Of' documentary, even an interactive game where you get to
'direct' Chan in a sequence! If you're looking for a DVD that
combines action, humor, and a taste of the classic Western comedies,
this film should be at the top of your list! You WON'T be
disappointed!
Rating: 
Summary: Funny, Original, & Exciting!
Review: Shanghai Noon is definitely one of my favorites from Jackie Chan. Although I love most of his movies, this one had a different style that made me laugh even louder. The wild west is just something he hadn't incorporated in this movies yet...and finally he did! I'll say it again and again, "I STILL can't believe he does his own stunts! " He is absolutely amazing! Especially in the scene when Jackie and the bandits are on the train and fighting and jumping from cart to cart. It's exciting just watching Jackie take that leap (because you know it's real...it's not any special effects...not the blue screen dubbed background). My favorite scene was when Jackie was being chased by the native tribal dudes. The flying axes really get your attention! Your heart races as you watch Jackie execute each move with flawless conviction. I also enjoy and appreciate how this movie (among other Jackie Chan/Chow Yun Fat/Jet Li flicks) is slowly bringing Chinese culture into the American mainstream. Just the use of mandarin in an American theater is a step up for the Asians. Lucy Liu and Owen Wilson also did a fine job. You'll really enjoy the out-takes at the end of the film. (One of Jackie's trademarks)
Rating:
Summary: Really funny!
Review: Pairing Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson together may seem the most unlikely thing to do since color televisions were first invented. But both of these actors are funny, in one way or another--Chan through his innocence, Wilson through his sarcastic, snide remarks. Wilson is as impressive an actor as he is a writer--he shares writing credits on such films as "Rushmore" and "The Royal Tenenbaums." Chan, on the other hand, is a better martial arts master than Jet Li and a more likable character actor than Chow Yun Fat (whose disastrous film "Bulletproof Monk" made me want to split his head open to prevent him from ever making another American mainstream motion picture ever again). In "Shanghai Noon," Chan plays Chon Wang, a 19th century Chinese martial arts master who ventures out to Nevada in order to rescue the kidnapped Princess Pei Pei (Lucy Liu), whose name is misused by Roy O'Bannon (Wilson) on at last one occasion. After Chon Wang (mistakenly pronounced "John Wayne") meets up with Roy, the two decide to form an alliance and rescue the princess -- one for honor, the other for loads of money awaiting them upon her safe arrival back home in Imperial China's Forbidden City. Roy is a lousy wannabe cowboy who used to stage clumsy train robberies along with his band of thieves, who betrayed him and left him for dead. He offers his help to Wang, and tries to play it cool, but he can't -- after all, he's not a very convincing cowboy. But, as the smarmy wisecracking sidekicks always are, O'Bannon just wants money. But as his friendship with Chan grows stronger, he realizes that money isn't everything. Sounds routine, doesn't it? Well, it is, to a certain extent. But it succeeds due to a fine cast -- Chan and Wilson are extraordinarily good together; so good, in fact, that Chris Tucker is just a forgotten memory by the time that the film is over. It's a classic spin on the Old West formula; what "The Princess Bride" or "Shrek" did for fairy tales, "Shanghai Noon" does for Westerns. All the old cliches are poked fun at in a light way. And as great as Chan is, and as much as he carries most films he's in with his sweet charms and likable personas, Wilson comes across as equally likable as Chan. Chan's martial arts are usually the highlights of these films, but in this he proves he can do more than just kick -- he can be funny. Well, okay, he proved that in "Rush Hour" (1998), but I like this better. The jokes in "Shanghai Noon" aren't "great," but I laughed a lot at this film. It's smarter than one might think, and is certainly one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had in quite some time. Probably years. I wasn't expecting much (especially because I wasn't an enormous fan of the sequel--see below), but if fun could be rated on a scale of 1 - 10, this would be an 11. I give this film nothing more than four out of five stars because it's not a great film on all critical levels. But it's certainly fun--likely more fun than any film you'll see for quite some time--and for that it will soon be earning a place in my sacred DVD collection. I must say that I wasn't a huge fan of "Shanghai Knights," the sequel to "Shanghai Noon," which involved Chon Wang and Roy O'Bannon venturing to England in order to save Wang's sister. But after seeing this film I'm thinking I might just have to pay a small revisit the sequel again.
Rating:
Summary: Funny!
Review: Shangai Noon is one of those movies that doesn't get a lot of praise, but is hilarious. Owen Wilson does a great job at playing a cowboy who isn't that good. Jackie Chan does a pretty good job of playing an asian cowboy. It's a good pair and the sequel does this movie no justice. 5 stars.......
Rating: 
Summary: So Light It Floats
Review: There's a fair amount of fun to be had with this film. It doesn't take itself seriously or bother going too deep. The tone is bright and happy and it makes for perfect mindless entertainment. But nothing else. Seriously, there is no need to watch this more than once as it is the most forgetable pile of utter silliness in a long time. Owen Wilson is so charming as the hapless but innocent crook Roy O'Bannon who teams up Jackie Chan's Chong Wang/John Wayne to put an evil Sheriff out of business, rescue a Princess and defeat some stock Chinese Bad Guy. It's all harmless stuff with some neat fight scenes that never get too violent and a gleefully light-hearted sense of humor. Randy Edelman's generic Western score is terrible (as usual) and sounds like everything else he's ever done only with a few notes changed. But it's the only weak part of a thoroughly indifferent, inoffensive and passive movie. The DVD is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound.
Rating:
Summary: Fun and lighthearted eastern western
Review: "Holy crap, vultures are eating my head!" So said Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson) as he's buried up to his neck in the middle of the desert, just before Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) leaves Roy two chopsticks in his mouth to dig himself out. SHANGHAI NOON, though not great, is a terrifically fun and funny film. Chon comes to the states to rescue a kidnapped princess and encounters O'Bannon, a funny, laconic wanna be desperado who's more interested in the fringe benefits of being a desperado than the actual work of becoming one. But when Jackie finds the princess (the scrumptious, freckle faced Lucy Liu) he finds maybe she doesn't want to go back. An inventive, hilarious movie chock full of Chan's patented fighting and stunts (though a couple were obvious cheats, either by a computer or a stunt double, a rarity for Chan but hey, he is pushing fifty years old) and the extras on the DVD are pretty nifty, including a "so you want to be a desperado" and a "so you want to be a Chinese imperial guard" interactive games. Jackie's best movie? Not quite. But the chemistry between Chan and the deadpan hilarious Wilson is much better than the Chan and Tucker of Rush Hour. Watch for the gut splittingly funny bath tub drinking game. Better than Rush Hour and Who Am I? but not as good as Jackie's better Hong Kong films. Still worth repeated viewings though.
Rating:
Summary: best comic duo eva!
Review: I'll be honest I thought this movie would not be funny or interesting, after seeing it I was proved wrong. Ok the beginning was a bit boring, but as soon as Jackie meets Owen it starts to get good. There r some hilarious scenes (check out the bathtub scene!)and action packed scenes. This movie has the right amount of action and comedy. I now think that Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson are the best duo since Laurel and Hardy, they r brill! You would think that Chan would be the star here but no, Owen Wilson steals the show, proving to be hilarious and he is obviously talented. Im relieved to hear there will be Shanghai noon 2 which will be great. I agree with a previous review, some of those stars are awarde to Owen. Overall, shanghai noon is one of the best films in the last year, and the outakes are sooooo funny. Enjoy watching it! p.s if you have seen the movie read on: well done Owen for not dying in an action flick!
Rating:
Summary: A Surprisingly Funny and Highly Entertaining Film!
Review: I am usually drawn to drama, classic cinema or film noir as opposed to modern comedies, mainly because most seem to rely on profanity, toilet humor or obnoxious characterizations. A good friend recommended "Rush Hour" and I immediately knew I was going to become a Jackie Chan fan... I then got "Rush Hour 2" and then this film....... how refreshing to watch a film high on action, loaded with comedy and having so much genuine humor. ALL the lead actors in the film were wonderful in their parts. No weak areas here. This is NOT "Gone With the Wind", but as zany and wonderful comedy, it's a modern classic in my book. The photography and the transfer is superb by the way.. and cinemeatographer should be commended for the beautiful work. Also excellent was the music score that was consistantly appropriate...... although the popular songs leaned towards the "rap" audience and I thought a few modern country artists might have worked better here... not to worry, the pop music did not get in the way of the overall quality of the film. This is a terrific and charming film.
Rating:
Summary: Fun and lighthearted eastern western
Review: "Holy crap, vultures are eating my head!" So said Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson) as he's buried up to his neck in the middle of the desert, just before Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) leaves Roy two chopsticks in his mouth to dig himself out. SHANGHAI NOON, though not great, is a terrifically fun and funny film. Chon comes to the states to rescue a kidnapped princess and encounters O'Bannon, a funny, laconic wanna be desperado who's more interested in the fringe benefits of being a desperado than the actual work of becoming one. But when Jackie finds the princess (the scrumptious, freckle faced Lucy Liu) he finds maybe she doesn't want to go back. An inventive, hilarious movie chock full of Chan's patented fighting and stunts (though a couple were obvious cheats, either by a computer or a stunt double, a rarity for Chan but hey, he is pushing fifty years old) and the extras on the DVD are pretty nifty, including a "so you want to be a desperado" and a "so you want to be a Chinese imperial guard" interactive games. Jackie's best movie? Not quite. But the chemistry between Chan and the deadpan hilarious Wilson is much better than the Chan and Tucker of Rush Hour. Watch for the gut splittingly funny bath tub drinking game. Better than Rush Hour and Who Am I? but not as good as Jackie's better Hong Kong films. Still worth repeated viewings though.
Rating: 
Summary: Goofy fun
Review: This is good, silly entertainment. It's for the days when you don't want to think much about what's going on, and don't want to watch movies where people undress. That's about all, though. Owen Wilson's wide-eyed naivete was over-used, and Chan's athleticism and physical comedy were under-used. The plot was adequate to keep the characters moving and to alternate between bad guys every now and then. Still, it's not the kind of movie that will keep you up late with its deep philosophy - or even with its bad puns. Perhaps the funniest scene is the bathtub drink-off (no nudity, lots of bubbles). On the second thought, maybe it was the bloopers during the final credits. If you're determined to watch something but can't find anything good on, maybe this is what you wanted. Set your expectations properly, and enjoy.
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