{{short description|2003 film by David Dobkin}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox film | name = Shanghai Knights | image = Shanghai knights.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = [[David Dobkin (director)|David Dobkin]] | producer = {{Plainlist| * [[Roger Birnbaum]] * [[Gary Barber]] * [[Jonathan Glickman]] }} | screenplay = {{ubl|[[Alfred Gough]]|[[Miles Millar]]}} | based_on = {{Based on|Characters|Alfred Gough <br />Miles Millar}} | starring = {{Plainlist| * [[Jackie Chan]] * [[Owen Wilson]] * [[Donnie Yen]] * [[Aidan Gillen]] }} | music = [[Randy Edelman]] | cinematography = [[Adrian Biddle]] | editing = Malcolm Campbell | studio = {{ubl|[[Touchstone Pictures]]|[[Spyglass Entertainment]]|Birnbaum / Barber Productions|Jackie Chan Films}} | distributor = [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista Pictures Distribution]] | released = {{Film date|2003|2|7|United States|2003|4|4|United Kingdom|2003|4|10|Czech Republic}} | runtime = 114 minutes<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.bbfc.co.uk/EVF179721 |title=Shanghai Knights (12) |website=[[British Board of Film Classification]] |access-date= 2017-06-10 |archive-date= 2016-12-30 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161230160240/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/shanghai-knights-2003 |url-status= dead }}</ref> | country = {{Plainlist| * United States<ref name="lumiere">{{cite web|url=https://lumiere.obs.coe.int/movie/20373#|title=Shanghai Knights|website=Lumiere|access-date=4 February 2025}}</ref> * United Kingdom<ref name="lumiere"/> * Czech Republic<ref name="lumiere"/> }} | language = English | budget = $50 million<ref name="numbers">{{cite web |title= Shanghai Knights (2003) - Financial Information |url= https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Shanghai-Knights#tab=summary |website= The Numbers |access-date= 2019-09-29 |archive-date= 2015-04-06 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150406220112/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Shanghai-Knights#tab=summary |url-status= live }}</ref> | gross = $88.3 million<ref name="numbers" /> }} '''''Shanghai Knights''''' is a 2003 [[Martial arts film|martial arts]] [[western film|western]] [[action comedy film]]. It is the sequel to ''[[Shanghai Noon]]'', and the second installment of the [[Shanghai (film series)|''Shanghai'' film series]]. Directed by [[David Dobkin (director)|David Dobkin]] and written by [[Alfred Gough]] and [[Miles Millar]], it stars [[Jackie Chan]], [[Owen Wilson]], [[Fann Wong]], [[Donnie Yen]] and [[Aidan Gillen]].
It was released in the United States on February 7, 2003. The film received mixed reviews but it performed well at the box office.<ref name="numbers" />
==Plot== In 1887, Lord Nelson Rathbone leads a band of [[Boxer movement|Boxers]] into the [[Forbidden City]], stealing the [[Imperial Seal of China]] and mortally wounds its Keeper. Before dying, the Keeper gives his daughter Chon Lin a [[puzzle box]] for her brother, Chon Wang. In [[Carson City]], [[Nevada]], Wang is now [[sheriff]]. He receives the box and a letter from Lin, telling him of their father's death and that she has tracked his killer to [[London]].
Wang travels to [[New York City]] to find his old partner Roy O'Bannon and collect his share of their gold so that he can buy passage to London. Roy has left [[law enforcement]], invested all the gold, and is now a [[waiter]] and [[gigolo]]. Following a series of misunderstandings, the pair ship themselves to London in a crate.
In London, Roy's pocket is picked by a youth named Charlie, leading to a massive brawl; Roy and Wang are arrested. In [[Scotland Yard]], the two quickly befriend Inspector [[Arthur Conan Doyle|Artie Doyle]] and are released. Artie shows them that Lin is in custody for attempting to kill Rathbone. Roy is instantly smitten with Lin. Wang and Roy reunite with Charlie and acquire an invitation to a gala at Rathbone's country estate.
Roy and Wang infiltrate the gala in [[disguise]], and follow Rathbone to a private library, where he slips through a secret passage. Lin, having escaped prison, arrives and saves Roy from Boxer guards. The three see Rathbone give the Imperial Seal to Wu Chow, the [[illegitimate]] brother of the [[Emperor of China]]. After a brief struggle, Charlie steals the seal. Everyone escapes and Wang, Roy and Lin make their way to [[Whitechapel]].
At a [[brothel]], Roy is devastated when he overhears Wang try to convince Lin that Roy is an unsuitable husband. Wang, Roy, and Lin are found and captured by Rathbone, who reveals his plan: In exchange for the seal, Wu Chow will kill the British royal family with a prototype [[machine gun]] and frame Lin. Rathbone, tenth in line for the throne, will become king. Roy and Wang reconcile and manage to escape.
Wang and Roy consult Artie about Charlie's location. Artie deduces that Charlie is at [[Madame Tussauds]]. They save him from the Boxers, but are forced to hand over the seal in exchange for Charlie's life. Roy and Wang are arrested, but Charlie rescues them and reveals that his full name is [[Charlie Chaplin]]. Roy and Wang free Lin and stop the assassination, killing Wu Chow with [[fireworks]]. The three pursue Rathbone to the top of [[Big Ben]]. Wang is able to throw Rathbone through the face of the clock, killing him.
Roy, Wang, and Artie are [[British honors system|knighted]] for saving the royal family. Artie decides to become a writer and creates the character [[Sherlock Holmes]] based on the disguise Roy wore at the gala. Wang opens the box his father sent him to find a message reminding him of the importance of family. Roy proposes that he and Wang go to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] to join the new [[motion picture]] industry. Charlie stows away in their carriage as they drive off.
==Cast== {{Div col}} * [[Jackie Chan]] as Chon Wang (AKA:Benny Hana/The Maharaja Of Nevada) * [[Owen Wilson]] as Roy O'Bannon (AKA:Roy O'Baloney/Smokey Desperado/Sage McCallister/Major General Sherlock Holmes in Disguise) * [[Donnie Yen]] as Wu Chow * [[Aidan Gillen]] as Lord Nelson Rathbone * [[Fann Wong]] as Chon Lin (AKA:Loony Lin) * [[Tom Fisher (actor)|Tom Fisher]] as [[Arthur Conan Doyle|Arthur "Artie" Doyle]] * [[Kim Chan]] as Chon Wang and Chon Lin's Father * [[Gemma Jones]] as [[Queen Victoria]] * [[Aaron Taylor-Johnson|Aaron Johnson]] as [[Charlie Chaplin]] * [[Oliver Cotton]] as [[Jack the Ripper]] * [[Tom Wu]] as "Lead Boxer" Liu * Kelly-Marie Kerr as Clara * [[Constantine Gregory]] as the Mayor of New York City * [[Ray Donn]] as Chinese villager <small>(''uncredited'')</small> * [[Barbara Nedeljáková]] as Debutante * [[Anna-Louise Plowman]] as Debutante * [[Georgina Chapman]] as Debutante * [[Daisy Beaumont]] as Cigarette girl * [[Alison King]] as Prostitute * [[Matt Hill]] as Deputy * [[Barry Stanton (actor)|Barry Stanton]] as Lord Chancellor {{div col end}}
===Jackie Chan Stunt Team=== * [[Brad Allan]] as Street thug / Library thug <small>(''uncredited'')</small> * Paul Andreovski as Library thug with sword (double) / English policeman <small>(''uncredited'')</small> * Nicky Li * He Jun * Wu Gang * Park Hyun Jin * Lee In Seob * Han Guan Hua * Peter Edward Dutton * John Hillman
==Production== {{More citations needed section|date=June 2017}} Director [[David Dobkin (director)|David Dobkin]] was personally chosen by Jackie Chan. Dobkin had a difficult time choosing a suitable Asian actress who could do movement work, emote well and speak excellent English. He then saw clips of Fann Wong's videos "Wo lai ye" (2001) and "Qing she yu bai she" (2001) and asked to audition her in London, which she did. She got the role and the number of scenes with her in was increased by thirty percent. According to Jackie Chan's memoir ''Never Grow Up'', [[Faye Wong]] from his native city Hong Kong was his first choice, but Fann Wong was incorrectly hired instead.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.todayonline.com/8days/sceneandheard/celebrities/jackie-chans-memoir-never-grow-fann-wong-wasnt-his-first-choice|title=Jackie Chan's Memoir 'Never Grow Up': Fann Wong Wasn't His First Choice in 'Shanghai Knights'|access-date=2022-01-09|archive-date=2022-01-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109073256/https://www.todayonline.com/8days/sceneandheard/celebrities/jackie-chans-memoir-never-grow-fann-wong-wasnt-his-first-choice|url-status=live}}</ref>
Aside from [[establishing shot]]s of iconic English landmarks, including [[Palace of Westminster|The Houses of Parliament]], [[Buckingham Palace]] and [[Madame Tussaud's]], the scenes in [[London]] were largely filmed in [[Prague]], [[Czech Republic]] from February 4 to June 21, 2002.<ref>{{cite news |title='Shanghai' wraps |url=https://variety.com/2002/film/news/shanghai-wraps-1117869042/ |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=June 26, 2002 |access-date=April 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406201241/http://variety.com/2002/film/news/shanghai-wraps-1117869042/ |archive-date=April 6, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Czech Republic: Jackie Chan films "Shanghai Knights" on location in Prague |url=http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//RTV/2002/05/16/205160047/?s=shanghai|publisher=[[ITN]]|date=May 16, 2002|access-date=April 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406111716/http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//RTV/2002/05/16/205160047/?s=shanghai |archive-date=April 6, 2017}}</ref>
==Reception== ===Critical response=== ''Shanghai Knights'' received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the chemistry between Chan and Wilson, the action sequences, and the fun nature of the film, but strong criticism for the plot.
On [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 66% based on 149 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The site's consensus states: "A silly, anachronistic mess, but the pairing of Chan and Wilson makes the movie fun."<ref>{{cite web |title= Shanghai Knights |website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]] |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shanghai_knights/ |access-date= 2025-03-07 |archive-date= 2019-06-19 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190619224939/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shanghai_knights |url-status= live }}</ref>
On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 58 out of 100, based on reviews from 33 critics.<ref>{{cite web |title= Shanghai Knights |website= [[Metacritic]] |url= http://www.metacritic.com/movie/shanghai-knights/critic-reviews |access-date= 2019-08-08 |archive-date= 2011-02-18 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110218031645/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/shanghai-knights/critic-reviews |url-status= live }}</ref> Audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a grade "B+" on scale of A to F.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= Cinemascore |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= 2018-12-20 }}</ref>
[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun Times]]'' gave the film three out of four stars, calling it "fun in a broad, genial way", but disapproved of the "entirely arbitrary" plot.<ref name="Ebert">{{cite web |date= February 7, 2003 |last= Ebert |first= Roger |author-link= Roger Ebert |title= Shanghai Knights Movie Review (2003) |url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/shanghai-knights-2003 |website= [[Chicago Sun Times]] |access-date= August 8, 2019 |archive-date= March 31, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190331191807/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/shanghai-knights-2003 |url-status= live }}</ref> Joe Leydon of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' found it better than its predecessor: "A hugely entertaining and more lavishly mounted follow-up to 2000's ''Shanghai Noon'', the high-concept East-meets-Western {{endash}} that first teamed [the] top-billed duo {{endash}} pic rides even taller in the saddle as a fleet and funny crowd-pleaser."<ref>{{cite web |date= January 26, 2003 |last= Leydon |first= Joe |author-link= Joe Leydon |title= Shanghai Knights |url= https://variety.com/2003/film/reviews/shanghai-knights-1200543862/ |website= [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |access-date= August 8, 2019 |archive-date= August 8, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190808140122/https://variety.com/2003/film/reviews/shanghai-knights-1200543862/ |url-status= live }}</ref> Elvis Mitchell of ''[[The New York Times]]'' gave a positive review, singling out Chan's fight sequences and Wilson's performance, noting how "Wilson gets to steal a part of the movie that Chan is smart enough not to want." Mitchell also praised the "bluntly gorgeous" cinematography, and said Chan's reputation is "resuscitated in the rousing, cheerful sequel", calling it "one of his best."<ref>{{cite web |date= February 7, 2003 |last= Mitchell |first= Elvis |title= FILM REVIEW; Galahad in Shining Cowboy Duds |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/07/movies/film-review-galahad-in-shining-cowboy-duds.html |website= [[The New York Times]] |access-date= 8 August 2019 |archive-date= 8 August 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190808140122/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/07/movies/film-review-galahad-in-shining-cowboy-duds.html |url-status= live }}</ref> Nathan Rabin of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' also praised the chemistry between the two leads, writing, "Chan [...] found the perfect screen buddy in Wilson." Rabin criticized the "thin" plot, but found "there's a greatest-hits element" to Chan's fight scenes.<ref name="avclub">{{cite web |date= 2003-03-14 |last= Rabin |first= Nathan |author-link= Nathan Rabin |title= Shanghai Knights |url= https://www.avclub.com/shanghai-knights-1798198326 |website= [[The A.V. Club]] |access-date= 2019-08-08 |archive-date= 2019-08-08 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190808140122/https://film.avclub.com/shanghai-knights-1798198326 |url-status= live }}</ref>
==Planned sequel== [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] announced in May 2015 that they were moving forward with ''Shanghai Dawn''. [[Jackie Chan]], [[Owen Wilson]], and [[Fann Wong]] are expected to reprise their roles as Chon Wang, Roy O'Bannon, and Chon Lin respectively.<ref>{{cite web |last=Perry |first=Spencer |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/440615-mgm-moving-forward-with-shanghai-dawn-starring-jackie-chan-and-owen-wilson |title=MGM Moving Forward with Shanghai Dawn, Starring Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson |publisher=ComingSoon.net |date=2015-05-14 |access-date=2015-07-08 |archive-date=2019-08-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190825053121/https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/440615-mgm-moving-forward-with-shanghai-dawn-starring-jackie-chan-and-owen-wilson |url-status=live }}</ref> In September 2016, [[Jared and Jerusha Hess|Jared Hess]] signed on as director for the film, while both Millar and Gough would develop a screen story with Theodore Riley and Aaron Buchsbaum writing the script for the film.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/shanghai-dawn/ |title=Shanghai Dawn | News | Movies - Empire |location=gb |publisher=Empireonline.com |date=2003-02-20 |access-date=2017-06-10 |archive-date=2019-08-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190825053125/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/shanghai-dawn/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/new-shanghai-noon-sequel-napoleon-925947|title='Napoleon Dynamite' Director Jared Hess Tackling 'Shanghai Noon' Sequel (Exclusive)|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|last=Kit|first=Borys|date=September 6, 2016|access-date=September 6, 2016|archive-date=August 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190825053125/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/new-shanghai-noon-sequel-napoleon-925947|url-status=live}}</ref>
Gough said the third film will be set in China because Chan "wants to showcase China in the way that the first film showcased the old West". Gough added that Chan and Wilson also have a hand in the creative process: "With those films, the collaboration of Jackie and Owen comes out on screen as they get along very well. With that in mind, you want to get their input in the story phase, so that when we got to script, it's based into the DNA of the story."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://creativescreenwriting.com/into-the-badlands/|title=Into the Badlands: Blood-splattered Heroes and the One Degree of Jackie Chan|publisher=Creative Screenwriting|last=Swinson|first=Brock|date=November 23, 2016|access-date=November 25, 2016|archive-date=August 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190825053134/https://creativescreenwriting.com/into-the-badlands/|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2024, Gough later revealed that the sequel will most likely never happen as Chan seemed to lose interest in producing it. He further revealed that the plot would have picked up from where the last film left off with Chon Wang now a Hollywood stunt man. He would receive news that Roy O'Bannon was in Mexico with revolutionaries and would team back up with him.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/beetlejuice-2-alfred-gough-wednesday-season-2/|title='Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' Writer Breaks Down the Sequel and Talks 'Wednesday' Season 2 [Exclusive]|website=Collider|last1=Weintraub|first1=Steven|last2=Weisman|first2=Jake|date=September 24, 2024|access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref> Despite this, in 2025, Chan claimed that the script was still being worked on.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2548585/jackie-chan-jokes-about-making-rush-hour-4-at-100-teases-return-to-shanghai-noon-sequel|title=Jackie Chan jokes about making Rush Hour 4 at 100, teases return to Shanghai Noon sequel|website=The Express Tribune|date=May 30, 2025|access-date=September 11, 2025}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Wikiquote}} * {{IMDb title|id=0300471|title=Shanghai Knights}} * {{mojo title|id=shanghaiknights|title=Shanghai Knights}}
{{David Dobkin}} {{Jack the Ripper media}}
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