Martial Arts and the Western

A Look at Shanghai Noon

by Jacquie Rogers

My exchange son is a Japanese actor.  Shogen is in his first US production, Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist, which premiers May 23. This is an action/ adventure martial arts series that can be shown either by episode or as a whole movie (info below). So I got to thinking about Asian martial arts actors, and of course the first that came to mind was Bruce Lee. I was interested in martial arts movies with a western theme, though, bringing on memories of Kung Fu with David Carradine. But humor hooks me every time so Shanghai Noon with Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson won out.

If your movies have to be “authentic,” then this film isn’t for you. If you want a gritty movie, don’t pick this one. However, if you’re an aficionado of irreverence (which I am), enjoy a good belly laugh along with some terrific fight scenes (which I do), then you can’t go wrong with Shanghai Noon. It has lovable protagonists, nasty villains, and strong women. Chon and Roy wouldn’t have lived through the first trip to town without Chon’s “wife,” Falling Leaf, and the bargirls saved Roy many a time. The princess was a wuss up to the very end, but even she redeemed herself.

This is one of the most unlikely buddy movies of all time. Chon Wang is intense, Chinese, and skilled at martial arts. Roy O’Bannon is laid-back, very Caucasian, and can’t fight his way out of a paper bag. Chon doesn’t waste words—you can’t shut Roy up. Chon is dedicated to loyalty and honor. Roy is dedicated to getting laid. As Roy says, “I am like a wild horse. You can’t tame me. You put the oats in the pen, though, and I’ll come in for a nibble every day. But the minute you shut that gate, I’ll jump the fence and you’ll never see me again.” But he says it in such a loving and sincere way.

Traditional Chinese warrior meets western new-age outlaw. Check out the trailer:

The main character is Chon Wang, played by Jackie Chan. (“Chon Wang? That’s a terrible name for a cowboy.”) He’s a member of the Chinese Imperial Guard and when the princess comes up missing, Chon feels responsible, so he sets out to rescue her from the kidnappers who had taken her to Carson City, Nevada. On the train, robbers kill his uncle and Chon ends up on his own in a strange land with a stranger partner—Roy O’Bannon, the leader of the outlaws that caused the ruckus on the train in the first place.

A fun part of the movie’s script is how they use anachronistic language.

Chon Wang: I got an idea: why don’t I pretend I’m sick, and then you can attack the guard when they come in?

Roy O’Bannon: Oh, you mean the sick prisoner routine? Does that still work in China? ’Cause here it’s sorta been done to death.

I love the bar fight—it’s clever, funny (the moose antlers are the perfect touch), and a thrill a second with ZZ Top playing in the the background.

And one of the most unique jail-escape scenes ever:

This movie is pure braincandy, and it did well enough that they made a sequel, Shanghai Knights, where Chon Wang and Roy O’Bannon head to London. Yes, I enjoyed that one, too.

There’s no comparison with my exchange son’s movie, Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist, other than asian actors and martial arts. This is a gritty action/adventure film (or series, depending on how they choose to show it), full of martial arts and angst—and it's Japanese, not Chinese. Shogen plays Young Gouken and he appears at about 58 seconds in:

Here’s a picture of Shogen:

Since I don’t know the whats and wherefores about indie films, I copied a quote about SF:AF’s release.

“Machinima.com will first release it as a 12-part web series at 11–12 minutes each. The 12 episodes will then be combined into 6 episodes at 21–22 minutes each for a TV mini-series on a currently undisclosed network. Afterwards, it will release as an edited 105-minute TV movie for syndicated television, and finally as the full 2+ hour uncut feature film as it was originally shot for release on DVD/Blu-ray. The series will first be released via Machinima.com on May 23, 2014, followed by the release in other formats at later dates.”

And there you have it—a plug from a proud momma.  Indulge me. And now I have to get the beer-butt chicken ready to grill because he said he might show up sometime around the premier.  Hope so!  

Jacquie's Prairie Rose Publications stories

Jacquie's Hearts of Owyhee series

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