Shanghai Knights | |
---|---|
Directed by | David Dobkin |
Screenplay by | |
Based on | Characters by Alfred Gough Miles Millar |
Produced by | |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Adrian Biddle |
Edited by | Malcolm Campbell |
Music by | Randy Edelman |
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution |
Release date |
|
Running time | 114 minutes [1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $50 million [2] |
Box office | $88.3 million [2] |
Shanghai Knights is a 2003 American martial arts action comedy film. It is the sequel to Shanghai Noon , and the second installment of the Shanghai film series. Directed by David Dobkin and written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, it stars Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, Fann Wong, Donnie Yen and Aidan Gillen.
It was released on February 7, 2003. The film received mixed reviews but it performed well at the box office. [2]
In 1887, Lord Nelson Rathbone leads a band of Boxers into the Forbidden City, killing the Keeper of the Imperial Seal of China and stealing the seal. With his dying breath, the Keeper gives his daughter, Chon Lin, a puzzle box for her brother, Sheriff Chon Wang.
In Carson City, Nevada, Wang is now sheriff and has captured an impressive array of fugitives. He receives the box and a letter from Lin, telling him of their father's death and that she has tracked the murderer to London.
After mourning his father's death, Wang travels to New York City to find his old partner Roy O'Bannon and collect his share of their gold so that he can buy passage to London. Roy has left law enforcement, broken off his marriage, invested all their gold in the Zeppelin, and is now a waiter and part-time gigolo. After an aborted attempt at prostitution to pay for tickets, the pair ship themselves to London in a crate.
In London, Roy's pocket is picked by a youth named Charlie. After a struggle between Roy, Wang, Charlie, and a gang angered by Charlie stealing on their turf, they are arrested. In Scotland Yard, Inspector Artie Doyle thanks the two for defeating the Fleet Street gang. When they ask about Lin, Artie shows them she is in custody, having attempted to kill Lord Rathbone. Roy is instantly smitten with Lin and gives her a deck of playing cards as a good luck charm. Wang and Roy reunite with Charlie, and he helps them break into a grand estate for shelter, where they obtain an invitation to a gala at Buckingham Palace.
Roy and Wang infiltrate the gala in disguise, Roy as Major General "Sherlock Holmes" (a name he derives from the face of a clock) and Wang as the "Maharaja of Nevada". Wang and Roy follow Rathbone to a private library, where he slips through a secret passage. Wang finds the seal box, but the seal itself is gone, and they are attacked by Boxer guards. Lin, having used Roy's playing cards to pick the lock on her cell, arrives and saves Roy. The three see Rathbone give the Imperial Seal to Wu Chow, the illegitimate brother of the Emperor of China. After a brief struggle, Charlie steals the seal. Rathbone and Wu Chow escape after the former sets the barn they were in on fire. Lin manages to escape, with Roy and Wang stealing Rathbone's car, later crashing it into Stonehenge. Rathbone fires Artie after furiously suggesting that his "incompetence knows no bounds". Wang and Roy are picked up by Lin the next morning, and she takes them to Whitechapel.
At a brothel, Roy is devastated when he overhears Wang try to convince Lin that Roy is an unsuitable husband, even telling her of his gigolo history and suspected infertility. Wang soothes Roy's feelings of betrayal by treating him to a pillow fight with the brothel women. Wang, Roy, and Lin are found and captured by Rathbone, who reveals his plan: In exchange for the seal, Wu Chow will kill the British royal family and frame Lin. Rathbone, the tenth in line for the throne, will then become king. Awaiting death, Roy confesses he spent most of the fortune publishing novels such as Roy O'Bannon Vs. The Mummy, in which he portrayed himself as a hero and Wang as a cowardly sidekick. The two reconcile and Wang says he will not stand between him and Lin. He frees himself and saves Roy.
Wang and Roy consult Artie about Charlie's location. Artie deduces from a hat he dropped that Charlie is at Madame Tussauds. They save him from the Boxers, but lose the seal after the three are forced to hand it over in exchange for Charlie's life, and are then captured by police. Charlie rescues them and reveals that his full name is Charlie Chaplin. They save the royal family from being assassinated by machine gun by Wu Chow, whom Lin kills with a rocket. The three pursue Rathbone to the top of Big Ben. Roy is thrown off, but hangs onto the clock face, while Wang is hopelessly outmatched at swordplay by Rathbone, who repeatedly spares his life to prolong their duel. Wang gives up on trying to outright defeat Rathbone, instead severing the support ropes for the platform they are on. Roy safely catches Wang as Rathbone falls to his death. Both soon jump after grabbing a portion of the Union Jack flag hanging below the clock face and landing safely inside the Queen's coach.
Roy, Wang, and Artie are knighted for saving the royal family from Rathbone and Wu Chow. Artie decides to become a writer, and asks Roy for permission to use the "Sherlock Holmes" name. Wang opens the box his father sent him to find a message reminding him of the importance of family. Roy proposes that he and Wang go to Hollywood to join the new motion picture industry. Charlie stows away in their carriage as they drive off.
This section needs additional citations for verification .(June 2017) |
Director David Dobkin was personally chosen by Jackie Chan. Dobkin had a difficult time choosing a suitable Asian actress who could do movement work, emote well and speak excellent English. He then saw clips of Fann Wong's videos "Wo lai ye" (2001) and "Qing she yu bai she" (2001) and asked to audition her in London, which she did. She got the role and the number of scenes with her in was increased by thirty percent. According to Jackie Chan's memoir Never Grow Up, Faye Wong from his native city Hong Kong was his first choice, but Fann Wong was incorrectly hired instead. [3]
Aside from establishing shots of iconic English landmarks, including The House of Lords, Buckingham Palace and Madame Tussaud's, the scenes in London were largely filmed in Prague, Czech Republic from February 4 to June 21, 2002. [4] [5]
The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the chemistry between Chan and Wilson, the action sequences, and the fun nature of the film, but strong criticism for the plot.
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 65% based on 150 reviews, with an average rating of 6.1/10. The site's consensus states: "A silly, anachronistic mess, but the pairing of Chan and Wilson makes the movie fun." [6]
On Metacritic, the film has a score of 58 out of 100, based on reviews from 33 critics. [7] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B+" on scale of A to F. [8]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave the film three out of four stars, calling it "fun in a broad, genial way", but disapproved of the "entirely arbitrary" plot. [9] Joe Leydon of Variety found it better than its predecessor: "A hugely entertaining and more lavishly mounted follow-up to 2000's Shanghai Noon, the high-concept East-meets-Western – that first teamed [the] top-billed duo – pic rides even taller in the saddle as a fleet and funny crowd-pleaser." [10] Elvis Mitchell of The New York Times gave a positive review, singling out Chan's fight sequences and Wilson's performance, noting how "Wilson gets to steal a part of the movie that Chan is smart enough not to want." Mitchell also praised the "bluntly gorgeous" cinematography, and said Chan's reputation is "resuscitated in the rousing, cheerful sequel", calling it "one of his best." [11] Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club also praised the chemistry between the two leads, writing, "Chan [...] found the perfect screen buddy in Wilson." Rabin criticized the "thin" plot, but found "there's a greatest-hits element" to Chan's fight scenes. [12]
This section needs additional citations for verification .(July 2015) |
MGM announced in May 2015 that they were moving forward with Shanghai Dawn. Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson and Fann Wong are expected to reprise their roles as Chon Wang, Roy O'Bannon and Chon Lin respectively. [13] In September 2016, Jared Hess signed on as director for the film, while both Millar and Gough would develop a screen story with Theodore Riley and Aaron Buchsbaum writing the script for the film. [14] [15]
Gough said the third film will be set in China because Chan "wants to showcase China in the way that the first film showcased the old West". Gough added that Chan and Wilson also have a hand in the creative process: "With those films, the collaboration of Jackie and Owen comes out on screen as they get along very well. With that in mind, you want to get their input in the story phase, so that when we got to script, it's based into the DNA of the story." [16] As of 2024, there is no further information or release date for the film.
Samuel "Sammo" Hung Kam-bo is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a fight choreographer for other actors such as Kim Tai-chung, Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, and Yuen Wah.
Shanghai Noon is a 2000 American martial arts western action comedy film directed by Tom Dey in his feature film debut, written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and starring Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson and Lucy Liu. It is the first entry in the Shanghai film series.
Keye Luke was a Chinese-American film and television actor, technical advisor, artist, and a founding member of the Screen Actors Guild.
Fann Woon Fong, known professionally as Fann Wong, is a Singaporean actress, singer, businesswoman and model. She has been referred to as one of MediaCorp's Ah Jie for being one of the most successful actresses from Singapore.
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping in his directorial debut. It stars Jackie Chan, Hwang Jang-lee, and Yuen Woo-ping's real life father, Yuen Siu-tien. The film's plot is about Chien Fu, an orphan who is bullied at a kung fu school, meeting an old beggar, Pai Cheng-tien, who becomes his sifu (teacher) and trains him in Snake Kung Fu.
My Lucky Stars is a 1985 Hong Kong action comedy film starring and directed by Sammo Hung. The film was written by Barry Wong, and produced by Leonard Ho. The film co-stars Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Sibelle Hu, Richard Ng, Charlie Chin, Eric Tsang, and Stanley Fung. It was released as 5 Lucky Stars in Japan and as Ninja Encounter in the Philippines. My Lucky Stars is the second film in the Lucky Stars series, and a semi-sequel to Winners and Sinners, with many of the same actors returning as the "Five Lucky Stars" troupe, albeit with different character names and slightly different roles.
Kim Chan was a Chinese–American actor and producer. He was most notable for his roles as Lo Si, a.k.a. The Ancient, in Kung Fu: The Legend Continues and Mr. Kim in The Fifth Element.
New Police Story is a 2004 Hong Kong action thriller film directed by Benny Chan, who also produced with Willie Chan, Barbie Tung, and Solon So. The film stars Jackie Chan, Nicholas Tse, Charlie Yeung, Charlene Choi, and Daniel Wu. The film was released theatrically in Hong Kong on 24 September 2004.
James Wang Yu was a Hong Kong-Taiwanese martial artist, actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. Initially a contract player for Shaw Brothers, he rose to fame for his starring role in The One-Armed Swordsman (1967) and its sequels, and was one of the first major stars of martial arts and wuxia cinema. At the height of his fame in the 1970s, he was the highest-paid martial arts actor in the world. According to The New York Times, Wang was "the biggest star of Asian martial arts cinema until the emergence of Bruce Lee."
Dragons Forever is a 1988 Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film directed by Sammo Hung, who also starred in the film, and co-directed by Corey Yuen. The film co-stars Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Pauline Yeung, Deannie Yip, Yuen Wah, Roy Chiao, and Crystal Kwok. It is the last film in which Hung, Chan and Biao all appeared in together, as later Chan subsequently focused on his solo film career.
The Jackie Chan Stunt Team, also known as Jackie Chan's Stuntmen Association, is a group of stuntmen and martial artists who work alongside Jackie Chan. Founded in the 1970s, it originally included Hong Kong action stuntmen and martial artists, before expanding to include international talent over the next several decades.
Ten Tigers from Kwangtung is a 1980 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Chang Cheh and produced by Mona Fong. It is one of Chang Cheh's tales of Shaolin's historic rivalries with the Qing dynasty and the Canton Tigers. Along with the Brave Archer series, Ten Tigers had an all-star cast of Shaw martial artists.
Story of the Vulture Conqueror is a two-part Hong Kong film adapted from Louis Cha's novel The Legend of the Condor Heroes. The first part was released in 1958 while the second part was released in the following year. The film was directed by Wu Pang and starred Cho Tat-wah and Yung Siu-yee in the leading roles.
The Fairies of Liaozhai is a Chinese television series adapted from Pu Songling's collection of supernatural stories titled Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio. The series is produced by Chinese Entertainment Shanghai and stars Nicky Wu, Fann Wong, Qu Ying, Daniel Chan, Lin Chia-yu, Pan Yueming, Sun Li and Cecilia Liu. Shooting began in December 2006 and wrapped up in March 2007. The 40-episode series is divided into four parts — Liancheng (連城), Xia Nü (俠女), Huanniang (宦娘), and Xin Shisiniang (辛十四娘).
Pal Sinn Lap-man is a Hong Kong musician and actor.
Don't Give a Damn, also known as Burger Cop in the United States, is a 1995 Hong Kong action comedy film produced and directed by Sammo Hung and starring Hung, Yuen Biao, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Kathy Chow.
Shanghai is a series of martial arts action comedy films based on the characters written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The series includes: Shanghai Noon (2000), Shanghai Knights (2003), and the upcoming Shanghai Dawn (TBA). It stars Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson as the Chinese Imperial guard Chon Wang and the American bandit Roy O'Bannon. The series combined has grossed $188 million.