Shanghai Noon

First we had "Wild Wild West", which bottomed out at the box office with such a thud one had to wonder if this horrible event was an errant sound effect off a sound track.

Now we have "Shanghai Noon", which, hopefully, won't follow suit.

I doubt it will. Starring Jackie Chan, "Shanghai Noon" is a sly comedy that winks and nods and bows humbly to Westerns in a way "Wild Wild West" should have, but didn't.

Thus the self-destructive act that movie was.

"Shanghai Noon", as noted, is a comedy. Which means there isn't much of a plot. Here it is: China. The Forbidden City. 1881. The princess (Lucy Liu) loathes and resents her fate: She is to be married to a man she can't stand. To avoid this she escapes to the United States with aid from her teacher. There she is kidnapped and held for ransom.

In Nevada. (Why not Nevada? It suits the overall tone of the movie.)

Three guards--imperial guards--are sent to rescue her. Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) goes along to carry baggage for his uncle, who is the interpreter.

Once in Nevada Chon Wang (sounds like 'John Wayne') joins forces with a train robber named Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson), who looks like he could have come from a "Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid" excerpt. Chon and Roy rescue the princess, doing so with the aid of an Indian maiden (Brandon Merrill).

Rarely are there complex plots to a Jackie Chan movie. This one is no exception. But that is acceptable, because his martial arts sequences more than make up. Add to this Wilson's verbal humor and low-brow silliness, and it is a delight.

Which is a welcomed surprised. Material like this has a reputation for being bad.

Very bad.

Wilson comes across as a certain comedic talent. He is perfectly paired to Chan, and together they redefine the buddy movie concept.

Speaking of Jackie Chan, he has developed a formula of sorts for his movies: He is a man of limited English vocabulary, but much action. And his actions are certain ballet.

Lucy Liu, as the princess, is not the stereotypical damsel in distress. Again, a certain element in the movies Chan makes. She is brave, bravehearted, and bullheaded.

There are many movies scheduled for release this summer. To date this is the only one I would recommend paying full price for.

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