DVD Movie Rating for: Shanghai Noon

4 out of 5

Movie Plot of: Shanghai Noon

A 19th century Western directed by Tom Dey, Shanghai Noon stars Jackie Chan as Chon Wang, a clumsy Imperial Guard to the Emperor of China. When Princess Pei Pei (Lucy Liu) is kidnapped from the Forbidden City, Wang feels personally responsible and insists on joining the guards sent to rescue the Princess, who has been whisked away to the United States. In Nevada and hot on the trail of the kidnappers, Wang is separated from the group and soon finds himself an unlikely partner with Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson), a small time robber with delusions of grandeur. Together, the two forge onto one misadventure after another.

DVD Production Details of: Shanghai Noon

Starring: Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Lucy Liu

Director: Tom Dey

Format: Color, Widescreen, Dolby

Studio: Walt Disney Home Video

DVD Release Date: June 3, 2003
DVD Features:
Commentary by Jackie Chan

Commentary by Owen Wilson

Commentary by director Tom Dey

Music Video

Production Stills

Deleted Footage

3 Making Ofs: "Making an Eastern Western," "The Shanghai Kid," "Western Stunts, Eastern Style"

Widescreen anamorphic format

DVD Easter Eggs

There are two hidden features on Buena Vista Home Entertainment's release of the Jackie Chan movie 'Shanghai Noon.'

From the disc's main menu go to the 'Special Features' where you will find two quiz games under the menu entry 'Shanghai Surprise.' If you finish these games correctly, you will be treated to some additional extras.

The first game, called 'Roy's Revenge,' gives you the chance to see a preproduction animatic of another train crash scene that did not make it into the movie and was never shot. The second game, 'Chon's Challenge' takes you to the drinking game scene in the movie, but this time, the Chinese parts are fully translated and subtitled into English.

Cast of the movie: Shanghai Noon

• Jackie Chan .... Chon Wang
• Owen Wilson .... Roy O'Bannon
• Lucy Liu .... Princess Pei Pei
• Brandon Merrill .... Falling Leaves
• Roger Yuan .... Lo Fong
• Xander Berkeley .... Nathan Van Cleef
• Rongguang Yu .... Imperial Guard
• Ya Hi Cui .... Imperial Guard
• Eric Chen .... Imperial Guard
• Jason Connery .... Calvin Andrews
• Walt Goggins .... Wallace (as Walton Goggins)
• Adrien Dorval .... Blue (as P. Adrien Dorval)
• Rafael Báez .... Vasquez
• Stacy Grant .... Hooker in Distress
• Kate Luyben .... Fifi, Carson City Hooker

Photo Gallery of the movie: Shanghai Noon

Click on one of the thumbnails to see the full size, high resolution photographs

Shanghai Noon

Reviews of the movie: Shanghai Noon

Story? What story? All a movie like Shanghai Noon needs is the amazing stunt set pieces featuring kung fu superstar Jackie Chan and the drolly caffeinated ramblings of Owen Wilson (and to be sure, that's all it gets). It's a buddy comedy about Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson), a minor, borderline incompetent desperado, and Chon Wang (Jackie Chan)--Roy thinks he hears (and scoffs at) the name "John Wayne"--a member of the Chinese Imperial Guard searching for a kidnapped princess (Lucy Liu ). They become reluctant partners in the Old West (Roy, who considers Chon his sidekick, is hurt to discover that the bounty on Wang's head is more than his own), brawling, drinking, bathing, and bonding and in general having mildly amusing adventures together, while eluding a posse and other random enemies.

There's not a lot of focus to the plot or much motivation for characters to turn up where and when they do--just what was achieved by the much-discussed trek to Carson City, anyway? But Chan's inventively staged battle sequences (particularly an early one in which he uses flexible, resilient trees to best some Crow Indians) are predictable highlights. You'll wish there were more to some of them, but as with his many of other films, you'll want them on video to watch in slow-motion to see how he pulls them off. And in a potentially star- making role, Wilson's loquacious, hyper-self-conscious meanderings--he's funny even when his lines aren't--make him seem less like a character than a very amusing deconstruction of one. Chan and Wilson are entertaining together, even though they're both off in their own little worlds. Think of it as Butch Cassidy and the Shanghai Kid, and you won't be too far off.

East meets west. Jackie Chan rides low in the saddle.
This is a very funny parody of the classic westerns we grew up with. Plenty of action and countless random acts of comedy. Chon Wang(Jackie Chan)represents the Chinese Imperial Guard, as he travels to 1821 Nevada to rescue Princess Pei Pei(Lucy Liu). Out of place Wang runs into a bumbling train robber Roy O'Bannon(Owen Wilson), who tries to school the pigtailed Chinaman in the arts of being a cowboy. The reluctant partners run into tight situations on their way to finding the princess.

Jackie Chan is outstanding combining his comedic wit with manic martial arts. Owen Wilson seems like a preppy drugstore cowboy hung out to dry. His lame character is also a big source of the movie's humor. Supporting cast includes:Xander Berkeley, Brandon Merrill, Walt Goggins and Jason Connery.

Sit back and be prepared to laugh. Nothing here to think about, just relaxing entertainment.