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After the overwhelming success of Shanghai Noon, it was inevitable that Jackie
Chan and Owen Wilson would reunite for a sequel—and this is one sequel that doesn’t
disappoint.
The movie begins in Forbidden City, China in the 1880s. The
keeper of the Imperial Seal is killed, and the Seal is stolen. The keeper’s daughter
(Fann Wong) sends word to her brother, Chon Wang (played by Chan), who left China in
Shanghai Noon and decided to settle down and become sheriff of a town in the Wild
West. His sister has tracked their father’s killer to London, and Chon is determined to
meet her there and avenge their father’s death. To get to London, though, he needs to
get his share of the Emperor’s gold (a reference to the first film) from his old partner
in crime, Roy O’Bannan (Wilson), who’s settled in New York. Chon and Roy travel to
London together, where they find Chon’s sister and track down their father’s
killer.
To Chan and Wilson, I say, “Good show, old chaps!” While there’s
nothing especially unexpected about this film, it’s still a load of fun. The fight
scenes are spectacularly inventive—just as you’d expect from Jackie Chan. The writing is
especially clever (look for all kinds of historical references—to Charlie Chaplin,
Sherlock Holmes, and Jack the Ripper). And Wilson and Chan work really well together.
Sure, the plot’s not all that strong, but you’ll barely notice (or care). It’s jolly
good.
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