Watch Shanghai Noon

Shanghai Noon is a 2000 action-comedy movie that was directed by Tom Dey and stars Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, and Lucy Liu. Set in the late 19th century, the movie tells the story of a Chinese Imperial Guard named Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) who travels to the Wild West to rescue a princess (Lucy Liu) who has been kidnapped by a nefarious group of bandits. Along the way, he teams up with a wisecracking cowboy named Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson) and the two embark on an adventure filled with action, humor, and heart.

The movie opens with a scene in Imperial China, where Chon Wang is a loyal bodyguard to the Emperor. One day, Wang's princess is kidnapped and taken to the United States. Determined to rescue her, Wang bluffs his way onto a ship heading for America, but he is quickly caught and thrown in jail. There, he meets Roy O'Bannon, a petty thief who is also locked up. The two men become unlikely allies and escape together.

As they journey across the American frontier, Wang and O'Bannon face a series of challenges, from run-ins with vicious bandits to navigating the unfamiliar landscape. Along the way, they also form a bond, with O'Bannon teaching Wang about the ways of the West and Wang teaching O'Bannon about his own culture.

One of the standout aspects of Shanghai Noon is the chemistry between Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson. Chan, as always, brings a physicality and grace to his martial arts scenes, while Wilson imbues his character with a charming, laid-back humor that plays nicely off of Chan's straight-man persona. The two actors play off each other well, creating a fun, buddy-comedy dynamic that carries the movie.

Lucy Liu, in a smaller role as the kidnapped princess, brings a strong presence whenever she's onscreen, imbuing her character with a sense of agency and intelligence that sets her apart from typical damsel-in-distress tropes.

The action sequences in Shanghai Noon are plentiful and impressive, with Chan using his signature blend of acrobatics and martial arts to great effect. One standout scene sees Chan fighting off a group of bandits using a ladder as a prop, creating a visually thrilling sequence that's both dynamic and humorous.

The movie also boasts a strong sense of visual style, with director Tom Dey using the Western landscape to great effect. The sweeping vistas and rugged terrain provide a stunning backdrop for the action, while the costumes and production design do a great job of capturing the aesthetic of the time period.

While Shanghai Noon isn't groundbreaking in terms of its story or themes, it's a fun, entertaining romp that showcases Jackie Chan's talents and highlights the comedic chops of Owen Wilson. The blend of martial arts, humor, and Western tropes gives the movie a unique feel, and the chemistry between the leads is enough to carry the movie through some of its slower moments.

Overall, Shanghai Noon is a solid action-comedy that's worth a watch for fans of either genre. With Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, and Lucy Liu delivering strong performances and some thrilling action sequences, it's a movie that's sure to entertain.

Shanghai Noon is a 2000 adventure movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 50 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.6 and a MetaScore of 77.