Cast Member: Jackie Chan

For the first and last 30 minutes I was truly impressed, and loved every minute although there was a short sag in the middle.

‘Rush Hour 3’ barely even passes as a competent movie and I think that it’s about time that Tucker (who never really had much talent in the first place) and Chan moved onto other things.

After my thoughts that he might well be resigned to uninspiring Hollywood fodder, I’m glad to eat humble pie and say that ‘Shanghai Knights’ contains some of his best action in recent years.

‘Shanghai Noon’ is not as action packed or original as some of Chan’s early efforts, but it is still one of his best American outings to date.

The dramatic framework is sturdy enough to make ‘Shaolin’ emotionally engaging, while the Yuen Kwai-orchestrated action is a delightful throwback to the Golden Age.

It’s certainly not perfect and not among Jackie Chan’s best films, but there is ample entertainment value.

There’s some very powerful visual displays of violence that pepper the film throughout, showing us that if you turn to the dark side you really will become slave to its master.

It’s almost as if the makers watched ‘Rush Hour’, ‘Shanghai Noon’ and even ‘Around The World In Eighty Days’ and thought how utilitarian it might be just to throw various elements from these into one puzzling lump.

‘Snake And Crane Arts Of Shaolin’ starts with a stunning martial arts display by Jackie Chan and ends with one of the most complicated pieces of choreography ever seen on screen.

‘Snake In The Eagle’s Shadow’ gave Jackie his first chance to shine outside the reigns of Lo Wei, and under the expert guidance of Woo Ping and Ng See Yuen delivers a classic of the genre.

Of course, it is far from perfect and lacks the polish that was applied to Chan’s later vehicles, but it’s still a solid effort that has a distinctly old school charm.

If you are a big Chan fan, then you will undoubtedly want to own this movie, as will anyone who wants more than just action.