Ethnic
humor used to play an important role in vaudeville, as immigrant
Europeans learned to get along by gently ribbing others and
themselves. Today, ethnic jokes are the mainstay of Frank
De Lima, the most popular stand-up comedian in Hawai`i. But
the civil rights revolution on the U.S. mainland destroyed
ethnic humor, which was seen as demeaning by many. Jackie
Chan’s Shanghai Noon revives ethnic humor, once
again in a vaudevillian slapstick manner (Buster Keaton is
one of his heroes), albeit subliminally. Directed by Tom Dey,
Shanghai Noon’s story, as usual with Jackie
Chan films, is not what is important; the tagline of the film
is "The classic western gets a kick in the pants." The action,
especially the stunts personally performed by Jackie Chan,
the smiles and other facial expressions, and the humor are
what draws audiences. (The biggest laugh at the Los Angeles
cinema that I attended came when a Caucasian couple riding
a covered wagon to California referred to silk-clad Chinese
from the imperial court as "Jewish.") When the story concludes,
nobody will get up to leave the cinema, as we are treated
to hilarious outtakes, which in the case of Shanghai
Noon are even funnier than many of the takes that
were edited into the film; indeed, they are bloopers. Nevertheless,
to tell the story, the movie is set in the year 1881. Pei
Pei, a Chinese princess (played by Lucy Alexis Liu), allows
herself to be taken from the Forbidden City in Beijing by
an Englishman (played by Jason Connery) in order to avoid
an impending marriage with a twelve-year-old, who is quite
a spoiled brat. However, the Englishman hands her over to
Carson City, Nevada, mining overlord Lo Fong (played by Roger
Yuan), who demands a ransom of 100,000 gold pieces. The emperor
commissions three members of the imperial guard to deliver
the ransom and return with the princess. Chon Wang (almost
pronounced "John Wayne" and played by Jackie Chan), who feels
guilty because he did not stop the kidnapping, begs to go
along, and his plea is accepted. Dressed in imperial silk
garments, the Chinese board a train for Carson City, but the
train is held up by Roy O’Bannon (played by Owen Wilson) and
his uncouth assistants. Chon successfully battles the gang
on the train, but they uncouple the cars on which he is riding,
so he has to find Carson City without a map to guide him.
Walking from the derailed train, Chon runs into Roy, whose
head is sticking out of the ground, presumably because Crows
or some other band of Native Americans have left him to die.
When Chon asks which way to go to Carson City, Roy offers
to give directions if Chon will release him. Roy then tells
Chon that Carson City is beyond the mountains, but Chon is
still too angry to release him. Chon then hikes up the snow-covered
mountains but encounters a young Sioux boy (played by Brandon
Merrill), being chased by Crow warriors. After rescuing the
boy, the Sioux reward him with the gift of Falling Leaves,
a gorgeous maiden, as his bride. Still, Chon proceeds onward
to locate the princess. After arriving in Carson City, he
walks into a bar to find Roy, but Chon is unwelcome; due to
the ensuing brawl, Roy and Chon are jailed and decide to team
up, especially when Roy hears about the 100,000 gold pieces.
Roy then trains Chon to be a cowboy on horseback. Ultimately,
the clumsy duo reach the silver mine where the princess is
being held hostage. Lo Fong is foreman to Chinese coolies,
who appear to work in the mine as slaves, recalling the severe
conditions that must have been present when Chinese built
the transcontinental railroad. After the inevitable showdown
and rescue as well as all the lessons about racism, the princess
chooses to stay in America. Does Jackie get the girl? We do
not know what happens next but await Shanghai Noon II,
which is to be filmed in 2001. MH
I
want to comment on this film
