Shanghai Noon (2000)

Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson team up together in this comedy western to rescue the kidnapped Chinese princess played by the beautiful

Lucy Liu. With Chan not knowing any English, or anything about the West is your classic fish out of water setup. Not dissimilar to the usual Crocodile Dundee story.

Chan plays pretty much the exact same role in all these types of movies, the humble, karate/kung fu fighting side kick who enlists a local handler to aid him finish his quest. Lots of wonderful elaborate fight scenes that involves much bending and twisting, and considering that Chan was 46 years of age at the time of this movie the man can move.

Wilson’s role is the smart wise cracking wannabe outlaw who is upset that Chan has been given a cool handle, The Shanghai Kid, and his ransom is higher than his.

There is absolutely nothing spectacular about this outing, the odd funny scene (see Chan/Wilson breaking out of prison by peeing on a shirt), and funny lines, but the formula is well known and you will definitely second guess where everything is going and not be disappointed when it arrives.

It is a perfect background movie that you can dip in and out of without losing much.