 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Shanghai Knights
- Review Date: July 13, 2003
- PG-13
- Genre: Comedy
- 2003
Common Sense Media says
Martial arts buddy sequel is exactly what you expect.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Shanghai Knights is the sequel to Shanghai Noon and involves the same kind of martial arts violence that appeared in the first movie. Characters are hung, killed with arrows, and stabbed with daggers and martial arts pratfalls and sight gags appear in abundance. Owen Wilson's character starts out as a prostitute, and frequently makes off-color jokes about sex and frequent stereotypical jokes about the differences between American, Chinese, and British culture. He also smokes a cigar in one scene, and appears drunk after downing several shots of liquor.
What's the story?
Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson reprise their roles as serious Chinese Imperial Guard turned sheriff Chon Wang and amiable bandit turned waiter/gigolo Roy O'Bannon. In the first film, the princess and the treasure the heroes won at the happy end are swiftly dispatched and Roy and Chon are off to London to avenge the murder of Chon's father and retrieve the great seal stolen from the emperor of China. They arrive just as the celebration of Queen Victoria's 50 years on the throne is about to begin. Chon's sister Lin (Fann Wong) is in jail for attempting to kill Rathbone (Aiden Gillen), the Queen's cousin. Our heroes have to get Lin out of jail, get back the seal, and stop the plots to kill off the nine people between Rathbone and the crown and usurp the emperor of China. Their adventures include comedic encounters with policemen, prostitutes, Jack the Ripper, a street urchin/pickpocket, a newfangled contraption called the automobile, and Stonehenge.
Is it any good?
There are no surprises in SHANGHAI KNIGHTS, but that's only because it delivers exactly what we expect: a cheerfully anachronistic buddy/action/comedy movie starring Chan and Wilson. Every few minutes it throws in either a classic pop standard, an impossibly agile fight scene, some offbeat surfer cowboy comments, some fish out of water humor, or some combination of all of them. In other words, it's pretty much just like the first movie, except that it's set in London.
The action scenes are ably staged, especially a marvelous battle with Keystone Cops-style policemen in a revolving door, a fight in a fruit market, and some masterful acrobatics with that most British of props, the umbrella. The comedy is more uneven, though Wilson's way with a line is always deliciously offbeat. Wong has a dazzling smile and a lethal kick, always a good combination to have on hand.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about the puzzle box Wang's father sent him, and why it was important to show patience before receiving the message. Why was that particular message so important to him?
Look up information about Charlie Chaplin, Jack the Ripper, Queen Victoria, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his famous creations, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.
What kinds of stereotypes can you spot in this movie?
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Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
Very Odd
This is a good action movie. Don't expect much of a plot, but minorly entertaining if you like Jackie Chan.
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Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
entertaining movie
good stunts
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Teen, 13 years old
September 18, 2010
AGE
teens
LOL @ Owen Wilson!! love him!
What other families should know:
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Teen, 13 years old
August 31, 2009
AGE
edgyer than the first one but still funny stuff
not as good as the first one, but still pretty funny. it was also edgyer than the first one. for instance in " Roy's dream" a girl licks his face. he is also surrounded by pretty girls. and roy wants chon to get money by sleeping with girls. the language is about the same as the first and so is the violence ( which is not very bad at all) also characters stick together throughout the whole film. so if you have a mature ten year old i think ok
What other families should know:
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Teen, 15 years old
February 5, 2012
AGE
Hilarious
For older teens only
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Teen, 14 years old
March 3, 2012
AGE
watch it.
just good for kids not all kids good for 13 and up will be fine awesome movie you should watch and i watched iit and it was not bad like bad scenes like no nutidy.
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| Studio: | Touchstone Pictures |
| Director: | David Dobkin |
| Cast: | Fann Wong, Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 114 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | February 7, 2003 |
| DVD release date: | July 15, 2003 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | action violence and sexual content |
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