I Watch Films: Shanghai Knights

 

Shanghai Knights

It’s 1887 and in the Forbidden City Lord Rathbone (British) (Aiden Gillen) steals the Imperial Seal, killing the keeper. The keeper gives a puzzle box to his daughter Chon Lin (Fann Wong), telling her to send it on to her brother Chon Wong (Jackie Chan). Wong is now sheriff of Carson City following the events of Shanghai Noon; learning that his father has been killed and his sister has tracked the killer to London he heads to New York. There he meets Roy O’Bannon (Owen Wilson) to collect his half of the treasure so he can go to London. O’Bannon has invested it and is now living as a waiter and gigolo; the farcical fall out from this ends with the pair shipping themselves to London in a crate.

In London a pickpocket named Charlie (a young Aaron Taylor-Johnson) picks Roy’s pockets; a long and complicated brawl ensues and Roy and Wong are arrested. However Police Inspector Artie Doyle (Tom Fisher) takes a shine to them and lets them go; it turns out Lin has been arrested for attempting to kill Lord Rathbone – who is the Queen’s cousin. Roy falls in love with Lin at first sight, then the two disguise themselves and go to Lord Rathbone’s party at his estate.

Sneaking into Rathbone’s private rooms they see Lord Rathbone giving the seal to Wu Chow (Donnie Yen); the plot involves Chow helping Rathbone to the British throne in return for Rathbone helping Chow to the Chinese throne. Lin turns up; there’s another complicated fight; Charlie steals the seal and they escape.

Time for some character business at the brothel they’re staying in; Wong declares Roy unsuitable to romance Lin. Before this can be resolved they are captured. More plot is revealed and they are questioned as to where the seal is. Roy and Wong escape (the intention is that Lin, or rather her body, will be the scapegoat for the assassination of the Queen and the eight other royals between Lord Rathbone and the throne*). Inevitably the finale takes place at the Jubilee, when they watch the fireworks on the Thames and have to fight the various assassins.

I find the anachronisms equal parts amusing and annoying; they’re doing it on purpose. Knockabout historical comedies are supposed to not take this seriously, on one hand giving you some jokes about the popular conception, on the other being deliberately wrong to make you laugh. Most of the action is good; Jackie Chan is never less than entertaining as he works his way through a complicated stunt, or tries to fight three guys but all of them get tangled in furniture. Wilson’s stunt man is at least competent and the others have been cast knowing they’re going to have to do the close ups in the fight.

Watch This: Sporadically entertaining comedy-kung-fu-historical thriller
Don’t Watch This: You wanted better history, better kung fu, better jokes

* In 1887 Queen Victoria had 9 living children and several grandchildren