Rating: 
Summary: You May Be In For a Surprise! (3 and 1/2 stars)
Review: All right, I'll admit it, I bought this movie because I am a Madonna fan. However, I'll also be the first to admit that the movie is choppy and the plot is a little weak. Also, both Madonna and Penn aren't the best at their acting ability here. All that said, for its flaws (and yes, they are plentiful), the movie really is quite enjoyable. In the first hour or so, the movie is especially hard to follow, so hard to follow you may even find yourself howling with pleasureful laughter! However, in the last 30 minutes or so of the film you won't be able to get your eyes off the screen. Everything starts moving so fast you'll be glued in, and many will find themselves especially excited. The scenery and the performances of the other actors involved also help contribute to Shanghai's goodness. All I can say is that, though with its flaws, Shanghai Surprise is still a good movie, and while one only a Madonna or Sean Penn fan really needs to own, it's still worth seeing. It's certainly original.
Rating: 
Summary: This is a decent film- not sure why it's so hated.
Review: As I sat down to watch this film, I was braced for the worst but instead found myself rather pleasantly surprised. Honestly, I'm not sure why this is considered such a terrible movie. My only real complaint is that none of the characters are particularly believable, but I'm not sure how seriously this film was ever meant to be taken. The plot, while a little weak at times, is interesting enough; the songs George Harrison wrote for the film are great; and I especially enjoyed Sean Penn's performance of Glendon Wasey. I loved the part at the end where he's making Gloria wave! I think Madonna was good in this film too but I don't believe acting is her first talent and to be fair, she wasn't given as much to work with in this film as Sean was. All in all, it was fairly enjoyable 93 minutes of my time.
Rating:
Summary: Good movie
Review: I actually like this movie. It's not as bad as people say it is, and I've watched it a few times. Mostly of course because Madonna looks so damn good in it. I'm not too sure about Sean penn though, and I still don't understand what Madonna saw in him. It's not the best acting role for any of the two but if you want to relax in front of the tv with a movie you don't have to think so much about while watching, this is it.
Rating:
Summary: It's sorta okay
Review: I admit when I first saw this movie, I was mesmorized by Madonna. The acting is over-the-top and the plot a little far-fetched, but the movie doesn't deserve the reputation it has. Madonna has done worse, see The Next Best Thing or Swept Away, if you doubt me.
Madonna plays Gloria Tatlock, a missionary (!?!?!) in Shanghai in 1938. Sean Penn plays Glenn Waysy, a glow-in-the-dark tie salesman (?!?!?!) trying to leave China back for the United States. They get together trying to find lost opium.
The plot is far-fetched like I said earlier, and there is nothing "good" about the film, but... it doesn't merit the disdain it has.
Rating: 
Summary: Painfully bad
Review: I am a huge Madonna fan. I love her music. I love her movies (not because I think she can act but because they're always so bad they're good). But this movie is an exception to all the others. It's just bad. Words can't describe. I think what made it so painful was the fact that it went on forever. Just when you think it's over something else happens. Once that's over with something ELSE happens. After that, something ELSE happens. And then something else. And then something else. And all that really happens is Madonna and Sean Penn run around like idiots. I'm sure this movie must be really embarassing for them. Madonna's performance is so wooden and if Sean weren't cute he wouldn't be any fun to watch either.I wish I could give this movie 0 stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Madonna Mediocracy!
Review: I am a Madonna fan so in my eyes she can never do any wrong, but this film really is a classic Bomb! Shanghai Surprise is probably considered not only one of Madonna's worst films, but also one of the worst films of all time. I only watch this movie because Madonna comes out in it. Just seeing Madonna is pleasure enough. Madonna is the only reason why anyone would want to see or have this film in their collection, other than that the film is not worth anything. After watching the film a couple of times you kind of start laughing at the mediocracy of it. The direction is drab, plot and dialogue is crummy, and bad acting characterize the surprise you get when your in Shanghai with lovely Madonna and disgusting Sean Penn.
Despite the many flaws in the film I still find it to be one of Madonna's more pleasurable films to watch rather than her dumb Dick Tracy or Evita for which she won an award. This is a fun movie to watch just to look back at a time when Madonna's career was starting to skyrocket. Despite her not so good acting, Madonna and the music are the only highlights of this film.
Rating: 
Summary: An 80s Classic finally on DVD!!
Review: I never really understood why this movie got so badly slated at the cinema. It's a great, fun film with an excellent performance from Madonna. She looks fantastic and it's one of my all time favourite movies. A real 80s classic.
Rating:
Summary: give it a chance
Review: i saw this movie in the theater when i was a kid (the place was completely empty). i haven't seen it in ages since but i just got the dvd and i didn't remember it being so good. what an enjoyable film.
madonna and sean are both sexy and adorable. the plot is full of fun twists and the ending is so uplifting. i don't think it's anything oscar-worthy but it does what a good movie should do: it entertains.
along with desperately seeking susan and who's that girl, this is one of madonna's most natural performances. she doesn't overpower the movie the way she has in all her post-league of their own work (that power only worked to her advantage in evita).
also, she's not as mannered and affected here as she is in later films. the only stiff part is in the beginning (where one newspaper reviewer said she seemed to be reading off cue cards) where gloria is treating glendon with distaste. i guess it's hard for madonna to play "stiff" without seeming like she's acting.
but the rest of her performance is very natural. her smile at the end when sean takes her arm and makes her wave to faraday is extraordinary, on par with the acting of a good romantic comedy actress like sandra bullock or julia roberts.
i can see why sean and madonna wanted to do this. it had the potential to be well-received (though period screwball comedies/love stories were an outdated genre after 1975) but i think the media can make or break you. the media was really fed up with the poison penns and that's why they trashed this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Lackluster film enlivened only by Madonna's beauty
Review: I've always thought that Madonna was one of the most gorgeous women on the planet, but this movie would have been turgid tedium if not for Madonna's exceptional beauty. While she certainly looks great, her considerable sex appeal is dulled by casting her in a role as a (supposedly) prudish missionary, making Madonna seem more like an ice queen instead of a sex goddess. Why not capitalize on the smoldering sensuality she naturally posesses? In addition to her beauty, Madonna radiates sexiness in most of her videos. I would recommend skipping this and watching them.
Also, she is very conservatively dressed through much of the film. While Body of Evidence may be a bad movie, at least it is worth watching because she has a couple of nude scenes, exposing the perfection of her body. Shanghai's only sexy moment is when Madonna strips to her slip and seduces Penn's character. Of course, he gives in. Who wouldn't give in to Madonna, but why try to fight off the attempt? To be honest, though, I think he resists her for longer than any man really could.
Rating:
Summary: NO SURPRISE HERE..
Review: JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU HAVE SEEN YOUR LAST OF SUCKY MOVIES..ONE, LIKE THIS REARS ITS UGLY, BLEACH BLONDE HEAD..WHEN WILL SOME PEOPLE START READING SCRIPTS, BEFORE COMMITING TO DO A MOVIE..I HOPE SOMEONE GOT FIRED OVER THIS FIASCO..IT ACTUALLY MAKES MOVIES LIKE "GRAFFITI BRIDGE" LOOK LIKE "ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE"....MADONNA, GO HOME!!!!!!!! GO TO SHANGHAI, GO ANYWHERE, BUT RUN FROM MOVIES LIKE THIS.., I ONLY GAVE THIS 1 STAR, BECAUSE THAT IS AS LOW AS ONE CAN GO..IN REALITY..ONE STAR IS ONE TOO MANY..SAVE YOUR MONEY, GO GET "SPINAL TAP" INSTEAD.
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