Shanghai Knights

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Lore & Background

The world of Shanghai Knights expands the geopolitical landscape established in its predecessor. In 1887, Lord Nelson Rathbone leads a band of Boxers into the Forbidden City, stealing the Imperial Seal of China and mortally wounding 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. At Scotland Yard, the two quickly befriend Inspector 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 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 to join the new motion picture industry. Charlie stows away in their carriage as they drive off.

In Their Own Story

Rain slicked the cobblestones of London as Roy tightened his grip on the saber hilt. Steam rose from the gutters, hiding footsteps in the shadows. Chon emerged from the mist, breath visible in the chill air. He held a crumpled letter that could topple an empire. They exchanged weary glances; the danger was closer than they thought. Tonight, the city would learn why two men from different worlds were unstoppable together.

Reader's Guide

Shanghai Knights serves as the direct sequel to Shanghai Noon, continuing the adventures of Roy O'Bannon and Chon Wang. The narrative picks up with the pair traveling from the American West to Victorian England. There, they uncover a conspiracy involving corrupt officials and Chinese royalty seeking power over the British government. Directed by David Dobkin, the film reunited Jackie Chan with Owen Wilson for another action-comedy collaboration. The cast also includes Fann Wong, Donnie Yen, and Aidan Gillen. The film was released in the United States on February 7, 2003. It 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 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.' On Metacritic, the film has a score of 58 out of 100, based on reviews from 33 critics. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade 'B+' on scale of A to F. 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. Joe Leydon of Variety found it better than its predecessor: 'A hugely entertaining and more lavishly mounted follow-up to 2000's Shanghai Noon.' Elvis Mitchell of The New York Times gave a positive review, singling out Chan's fight sequences and Wilson's performance. 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. A planned sequel, Shanghai Dawn, was announced by MGM in May 2015, with Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, and Fann Wong expected to reprise their roles. In September 2016, Jared Hess signed on as director. In 2024, Gough later revealed that the sequel will most likely never happen as Chan seemed to lose interest in producing it. Despite this, in 2025, Chan claimed that the script was still being worked on.

Did You Know?

• Director David Dobkin was personally chosen by Jackie Chan.
• The scenes in London were largely filmed in Prague, Czech Republic from February 4 to June 21, 2002.
• According to Jackie Chan's memoir Never Grow Up, Faye Wong was his first choice for the role of Chon Lin, but Fann Wong was incorrectly hired instead.
• The character Charlie, played by a youth, reveals his full name is Charlie Chaplin.
• Artie Doyle creates the character Sherlock Holmes based on the disguise Roy wore at the gala.