"SHANGHAI NOON" (2000) (Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Mild Extreme Mild Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None Heavy None Moderate Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Mild Minor Minor Mild Extreme QUICK TAKE: Action/Adventure/Comedy: After a late 19th century Chinese princess is kidnapped and held for ransom in Nevada, one of her imperial guardsman heads to the American frontier where he partners with an unlikely gunslinger while trying to rescue her. PLOT: It's 1881 in China's Forbidden City and Princess Pei Pei (LUCY LIU) is sneaking out with her American tutor, Calvin Andrews (JASON CONNERY), to avoid a prearranged marriage to the Prince who's only a young boy. One of her Imperial Guards who's smitten with her, Chon Wang (JACKIE CHAN), wants to stop her from leaving, but instead bows down in complete and utter respect to her authority. The princess, however, discovers that her tutor is an accomplice to Lo Fong (ROGER YUAN), an ex-Imperial guardsman who kidnaps her in Carson City, Nevada and demands a ransom in gold be paid for her release. Back in the Forbidden City, three Imperial guardsmen are chosen to accompany the royal interpreter (HENRY O) to rescue the princess, and Chon gets to tag along only because the interpreter is his uncle. Seven weeks later and en route to Carson City, Chon, his uncle and the three guards run into Roy O'Bannon (OWEN WILSON) and his small, ragtag group of outlaws that includes Wallace (WALTON GOGGINS), the hotheaded newest member of the bunch, who ends up shooting and killing Chon's uncle during a train robbery. After a series of close-calls with those outlaws, some Crow Indians and in a barroom brawl, Chon finds himself not only with an Indian wife, Falling Leaves (BRANDON MERRILL), given to him by a tribal chief for rescuing one of his people, but also an unlikely partner in the form of Roy, an outlaw only in name with an otherwise laidback and harmless demeanor to him. Learning the ropes of becoming a cowboy and then being deemed an outlaw himself due to his association with Roy, Chon most overcome various obstacles, including that of Marshall Nathan Van Cleef (XANDER BERKELEY) and other men who want to capture or kill him and Roy, all while trying to rescue the princess. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of Jackie Chan and his brand of martial arts films, or anyone else in the cast, it's a good bet they will want to see it. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For action violence, some drug humor, language and sensuality. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: JACKIE CHAN plays an Imperial guardsman who wants to rescue his kidnapped princess. Along the way he becomes something of a cowboy, smokes some sort of narcotic via a peace pipe, gets intoxicated from booze, evidently sleeps with an Indian woman who's then given to him as his bride, and defends himself via acrobatic martial arts moves from various people who want to hurt and/or capture him. OWEN WILSON plays a laidback and charming outlaw who feigns being a dangerous and experienced gunslinger, enjoys visiting brothels (although we don't see any activity) and helps Chon in his quest (but initially does so only for a cut of the reward). LUCY LIU plays the princess who flees from an arranged marriage only to find herself kidnapped for a ransom. WALTON GOGGINS plays a new and uncontrollable member of Roy's outlaw gang who kills Roy's uncle and uses profanity. BRANDON MERRILL plays Chon's wife (who apparently sleeps with him upon first meeting him via tradition of this Indian tribe) and occasionally shows up to rescue him and Roy. ROGER YUAN plays the evil ex-Imperial guard who kidnaps the princess for a ransom and uses other Asians as slave labor for building a railroad. XANDER BERKELEY plays the steely marshal who's after Roy and Chon. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this action adventure film that's been rated PG-13. Like any Jackie Chan film, this one contains copious amounts of action-related violence involving martial arts related material (punches, kicks and various items used to defend oneself), as well as general fighting and various characters threatening others with various weapons. Those standard villains (who also kidnap a princess for a ransom) have bad attitudes, as do those who make disparaging remarks toward a character simply due to him being Asian. A few instances of that violence turn lethal, but the deaths aren't gory. In addition, while some viewers may find some of those scenes as unsettling or suspenseful, most of them, just like the overall film, are played in a comically adventurous fashion. Such highly choreographed and acrobatic fighting, along with other moments/behavior in the film, may prove to be enticing to some kids to imitate. Some drinking occurs and results in some drunkenness, while a major character seemingly gets high from whatever he smokes from a peace pipe given to him by some Indians who also smoke it (a few instances of regular smoking also occur). A sexual encounter is implied and some characters visit several brothels, although no related activity occurs on the screen. Meanwhile, profanity consists of at least 7 "s" words, while other milder expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Should this summary not fully address your concerns about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who wishes to see it, you may want to take a closer look at our detailed content listings for more specific examples of what occurs in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE A hooker pours some liquor into Roy's mouth. Some Indians smoke a peace pipe and then hand it to Chon who takes several puffs and then seems high from what he's inhaled (one of the Indians then says in subtitles, "This is pretty powerful sh*t"). Chon then passes out. People drink in a saloon. While bathing in separate tubs, Roy and Chon drink booze (with Roy wondering if Chon knows of any Chinese drinking games) and the two eventually appear rather drunk. A man on the street drinks, and when he puts down his bottle, Chon's horse picks it up with his mouth and guzzles down the contents. BLOOD/GORE We see Chon's urine stream as he urinates on a shirt to make it wet (and thus stronger to withstand the force of trying to bend some jail cell bars with it). Van Cleef's hand is a little bloody after Chon throws a lawman's star-shaped badge into Van Cleef's hand. Chon has a little bit of blood from his nose and later has some on his arm from where a sword nicked him. During the outtakes, we hear the sound of a bubble from a person in some bath water. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Roy and his gang members are a bunch of outlaws who try to rob a train. One of Roy's gang, Wallace, is the real bad guy and ends up shooting and killing Chon's uncle. He also refers to Chon as a "Chinaman." Later, he calls him a "yellow fellow." Andrews turns out to be a bad guy who set up the princess and brought her to the U.S. to be kidnapped. Lo Fong uses Asian people as slave labor in building a railroad, kidnaps the princess and kills the person who delivered her, and threatens to kill some of the slave labor if she tries to escape. A woman refers to some people as "injuns" (instead of "Indians"). A saloon bartender is rude to Chon (thinking he's an Indian due to paint on his face), telling him he'll have to get his "firewater" somewhere else. We see that Roy has been cheating at poker. Roy feigns that he's not friends with Chon when a hooker with Roy doesn't approve of Chon. FRIGHTENING SCENES It's possible some viewers might find scenes listed under "Violence" as tense or suspenseful, but most of them are played for comedy and action rather than being taken seriously. Chon briefly hangs from a train and later he and Roy barely avoid being swept from a train by moving logs that roll out from beneath them and fall off the train. Roy and Van Cleef prepare for a duel/gun drawing contest (although most of it's played in a very humorous manner). We see Roy and Chon with nooses around their necks as they're about to be hanged. GUNS/WEAPONS Swords/Spears: Carried by the Imperial guardsmen and used in a dramatic performance the princess watches. Pistols: Used to threaten, shoot at, or kill various characters. Dynamite: Set up by Roy to blow open a safe, but instead it blows open a hole in the wall of a train car. Tomahawks/Knife/Swords/Whip: Used by various people trying to attack Chon. Rifle: Used by Chon's wife to shoot some target cans. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Holy sh*t," "Dumb sh*t," "Ask me if I give a sh*t," "Holy crap," "What in the hell?" an incomplete "What the…" "Sucker," "Screwed up," "Shut up," "Screw up," "Balls" (testicles), "Punk" and "Smart ass." All of the martial arts moves and other fighting (including some tomahawks being thrown) might inspire some kids to do the same. We see that some people have buried Roy up to his neck in the desert and left him there to die. We see Chon's urine stream as he urinates on a shirt to make it wet (and thus stronger to withstand the force of trying to bend some jail cell bars with it). To seal their deal as partners, Roy spits in his hand and waits for Chon to do the same in his own hand. Instead, he spits in Roy's hand. Chon spits in a man's face after being surrounded by members of a posse. Roy and Chon participate in a drinking game (we never learn the rules, and just see them drinking). Roy and Chon jump from a second story overhang down onto their horses waiting below them. Some members of a posse shoot at Chon's feet to make him dance. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of occasionally ominous and suspenseful but usually playfully or comically adventurous suspense music plays during the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 7 "s" words (1 in subtitles), 7 hells (1 in subtitles), 4 S.O.B.s, 4 damns, 1 ass, 1 crap, 2 uses of "G-damn" and "God" and 1 use each of "Oh God" and "Oh my God" as exclamations. SEX/NUDITY Roy flirts with a woman on the train he's robbing, and he talks about it being so hot out the last time they robbed a train that people were naked (not seen). We see Roy with several clothed hookers who are fanning him and feeding him food and drink (and one kisses his ear while the others caress his clothed body). We see the side of an Indian warrior's bare butt in the traditional outfit he wears. Chon awakens (after passing out from inhaling some sort of drug from a peace pipe) in a teepee that has a drawing of one horse mounting another (as in mating) on its side. He then realizes that a woman is in bed with him under the cover. When he comes out of the teepee (no nudity), everyone cheers (presumably from them believing he had sex with what he learns is his new bride). Moments later, that woman (the Chief's daughter) says in subtitles, "He did not complain last night." As Roy tries to urinate on a shirt to make it wet again (and thus stronger to withstand the force of trying to bend some jail cell bars with it), he talks to his unseen privates and says, "C'mon little Roy, work your magic"). As Roy enters a brothel (where some of the ladies show cleavage), he states that he's going to "pump" everyone in there for information. When Van Cleef looks at Roy's gun, he tells the blindfolded outlaw that he has some pretty impressive-looking equipment. Roy, not knowing what the marshal is looking at, tells him, "Stop looking at my package" (crotch). SMOKING Van Cleef smokes (cigars) a few times, while some miscellaneous characters on the street and in a saloon also smoke. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Chon discovers that his uncle was murdered. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The way in which people treat Chon since he's Asian (which was probably typical for the late 19th century). The fact that the film obviously isn't intended as a realistic portrayal of the old West, or anything else for that matter. VIOLENCE While robbing a train at gunpoint, Wallace punches a man who stands up, causing Roy to slap another member of his gang for adding Wallace to their group. Wallace then shoots and kills Chon's uncle when the interpreter enters their car (no blood). Some of Roy's gang members shoot their guns at Chon. Some dynamite explodes and blows a hole in the wall of a train car. Faced by several attackers, Chon kicks one from a moving train and must then deal with another holding a knife. The princess smacks Andrews and in turn, he pushes her down and then holds a gun on her. Lo Fong grabs a man by the arm and neck, apparently breaking the latter and killing the man. Seeing several Crow warriors pursuing a young person, Chon knocks one from their horse with a carefully aimed rock and grabs the other from his ride. Chon then fights these men with martial arts moves as they try to get him with tomahawks and spears. When more arrive, they then chase him and throw their tomahawks at him (that land in nearby trees). He throws them back at them, but they simply catch them. More hand to hand (and foot to body, etc.) fighting then follows, with Chon hitting several of the warriors with bendable trees. The princess knocks food from Lo Fong's hand and then tries to fight him, but he throws her to a bed and briefly starts to strangle her. Some men in a saloon pick up Chon and forcibly and literally throw him out onto the street. Chon then returns and uses martial arts moves to fight these men. Chon, Roy and another man then alternate exchanging punches with each other. More fighting then breaks out, with more punches being thrown, a bottle is broken over someone's head, tables are broken, Roy is pushed face first down a bar and dumped onto the floor, Chon uses antlers to hit or defend himself from others, etc. as the saloon turns into a full-scale barroom brawl until the sheriff fires his gun into the ceiling to get everyone to stop. Chon kicks and elbows a jail guard. Chon's wife uses a herd of animals to tear out some jail cell bars from a wall so that he and Roy can escape. Some members of a posse shoot at Chon. y and Chon fighting inside a building and then see Roy thrown out through a window to the street. Some members of a posse shoot at Chon's feet to make him dance. We hear the sound of Ro A posse member strikes a whip at Chon that wraps around his neck and pulls him over. After Chon spits in the man's face, the man punches Chon. Chon then proceeds to fight these men, using various items - such as a horseshoe - to hit them. Chon throws a lawman's star-shaped badge into Van Cleef's hand. Lo Fong pushes an old woman to the ground. Van Cleef backhands a hooker and he and Chon, who's intoxicated, then fight. Van Cleef eventually tries to strangle Chon, but a hooker hits the marshal over the head with a bottle, knocking him unconscious. Van Cleef hits Roy over the head and Lo Fong then punches Roy and Chon as well. Lo Fong then threatens Chon with a knife and then cuts off his ponytail while Van Cleef holds a gun on Roy. Kids in a crowd throw food at Roy and Chon as they're about to be hanged. Lo Fong comes after Chon on horseback with a sword and then kicks him, but Roy saves him. Others then shoot at Roy and Chon as they escape. Roy holds a gun on Lo Fong while Van Cleef holds a gun on him. A fight breaks out in a church with an imperial guard being shot in the shoulder, Chon fighting his own imperial guardsmen (sword vs. spear), Chon and Lo Fong fighting, and Roy and Van Cleef exchanging gunfire. Chon falls down through a bell tower, striking all sorts of things on the way down to the floor. Roy shoots and kills a man (played in a comical sense). Lo Fong steps down on Chon's neck. The princess then hits Lo Fong several times until he grabs her leg and twists it. She then delivers another big kick and he then comes after the princess with a sword. A person is strung up by a rope (and presumably killed) while two people get out of the way just in time as a huge, falling church bell nearly crushes them. Reviewed May 11, 2000 / Posted May 26, 2000

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