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Shanghai Noon
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MPAA Rating: PG-13
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Entertainment: +3
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Content: -1 1/2
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The amazing martial arts stuntmaster, Jackie Chan, is Chon in this tongue-in-cheek comedy western. Its 1881 and the Chinese princess, Pei Pei (Lucy Liu of TVs Ally McBeal), doesnt like the groom for her imminent, arranged marriage. So her tutor helps her flee to America. However, hes part of a scheme to ransom the princess for one hundred thousand pieces of the Emperors gold, to be delivered to Carson City, Nevada on a certain day at high noon. The emperor sends the gold with his top Imperial Guards, but Chon also goes because hes the translators nephew. Chon dreams of being the toad that turns into a prince after the rescue. When the Carson City bound train is robbed and his uncle shot, Chon finds himself out in the west alone, but still determined to rescue the princess. Along the way, he unknowingly gets married into an Indian tribe and teams up with train robber Roy OBannion (Owen Wilson). Theres plenty of Jackies famous stunts along with lots of martial arts action and humor which will entertain teens and adults alike.
After Chon saves an Indian boy, hes welcomed into the tribe and a peace pipe smoking scene implies the pipe is filled with marijuana. After passing out, Chon wakes up with the tribal chiefs daughter and is told hes married. A comment by his wife implies sex occurred. Its also questionable when she later kisses Roy since Chon prefers the princess. A couple of scenes in a brothel also feature women in undergarments. Between western shoot-outs, saloon brawls and martial arts fights, violence is frequent. One graphic scene shows a deputys badge stuck in a mans hand. Chon urinates on his shirt for bending jail bars which provides questionable humor. More humor is Chons name Chon Wang (sounds like John Wayne) which Roy thinks is a terrible name for a western character. The dialogue also includes a number of obscenities and regular profanities. Although filled with plenty to laugh about, SHANGHAI NOON is morally dark.
Preview Reviewer: Paul Bicking
Distributor: Buena Vista/Touchstone/Disney, 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521
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Summary
The following categories contain objective listings of film content which contribute to the subjective numeric Content ratings posted to the left and on the Home page.
Crude Language: Many (19) times Mild 14, moderate 5
Obscene Language: Many (10) times S-word 7, other 3
Profanity: Several (6) times Regular 4 (GD 2, G 2), exclamatory 2 (OMG, OG)
Violence: Many times Moderate and severe (slap, shootings, gun threats, kicks, neck broken, hit with rock, bites, many martial arts hits and kicks, whip around throat, star graphically stuck in hand, falls, man hanged)
Sex: Implied once (couple under blanket)
Nudity: None; Near nudity Few times (prostitutes in underwear, low cut dresses)
Sexual Dialogue/Gesture: Few times (man flirts with woman, dream of being in brothel, comical reference to sex, suggestive double meaning comments)
Drugs: Alcohol/beer in saloons, drinking game in bathhouse, drunkenness treated humorously, Indian peace pipe implied to use marijuana, horse drinks from whiskey bottle
Other: Man uses spit as hair grease, urination stream shown, man mis-says princess name as child word for urination, lawman shown as corrupt and vicious, cultural differences between orient and west shown, Indian wife helps Chon but later kisses Roy
Running Time: 110 minutes
Intended Audience: Teens and adults
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