300 (2006)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 9 out of 10

Director: Zack Snyder

Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham

Rated: R

Genre: Action, History, War

Runtime: 117 minutes

Other Versions: Meet the Spartans (2008)

The ancient world is on the brink of war.  Leonidas, king of Sparta has been confronted with a difficult decision, when a Persian messenger brings news that his "god-king" Xerxes' wishes to rule over Sparta, and requires Leonidas's subordination to him.  But, the Spartans are a strong and proud race; proud of their strengths and most importantly, their freedom.  Leonidas is not ready to just give all that up.  However, both the Spartan council and oracle warn Leonidas that war would be certain death; there is no way the tiny Hellenistic city-state could hope to take on the towering Persian empire.  However, Leonidas has courage and a plan which could easily even the odds, and turn the war in Sparta's favor.  So, gathering together an army of 300 Spartans, he sets off to for freedom, bravery, and honor, no matter what comes their way.

I've been wanting to see this film for a while now.  I'm both a history buff and a Classical Studies minor (focus on Greco-Roman history and literature), so I've had quite a bit of interest in the ancient world.  After learning about the Battle of Thermopylae in my Greek History class, I've had a renewed interest in the topic--and the film.  Now, of course, the film was terribly inaccurate, but after the first ten minutes or so, that didn't really matter anymore.  I was so swept up in the battles, fraternity, and just general fist pumping "yes!" moments, that slight inaccuracies didn't really matter anymore.

I particularly loved the message this movie carried.  It reminds us that what is right is worth fighting for, and that no man should be a slave to another.  Even when all hope is gone, one needs to keep fighting.  For the Spartans, the powerful realization was that it would be better to die as a free man fighting to protect those freedoms than it was to live as a coward, a subordinate, and a slave.

Not only is this a great story with a powerful message, but the CGI for this film was simply amazing. From vast armies to the grotesque "über immortals" of the Persian army, the effects were used perfectly in order to really enhance the atmosphere.  Although there is always that understanding that CGI characters are only just special effects, there comes a point in this film where you just find yourself so drawn into the plot that you don't even think about it--just accept it.

Gerard Butler was wonderful as Leonidas.  He was ripped, he was cocky and confident--and yet still sensitive and emotional.  He really brought the character to life.  He made him three-dimensional and almost real.  Leonidas was an amazing character.  Instead of just making him into a muscle-bound action hero or a cocky bastard, we are given a man who has concerns and fears that genuinely affect him, but is still able to overcome them.  That's a real hero.

All in all, this is a great movie which carries a powerful message.  I recommend this to anyone with an interest in ancient history, as well as those who appreciate a good action film with a powerful, hopeful message.

Taken (2008)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 9 out of 10

Director: Pierre Morel

Starring: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller

Runtime: 93 minutes

Bryan Mills (Neeson) only wants to have a real relationship with his daughter Kim (Grace) again.  But, being a retired CIA agent really makes things difficult for their relationship; he was never there for her as a child, and now, his background makes him constantly paranoid. So, when she asks for his permission to go to France with her friend Amanda (Katie Cassidy), Bryan is naturally cautious.  Both Kim and Bryan's ex-wife Lenore (Janssen) are quick to reassure him, and he allows her to go with some strict conditions.  But, upon his daughter's arrival in France, Bryan's worst fears are realized.  A panicked Kim calls him, telling him that she and her friend are in the process of being kidnapped.  When one of the kidnappers picks up the phone, Bryan tells vows that he will find and kill him if he does not release Kim.  With the kidnapper's final taunting words "Good luck," Bryan sets out to save his daughter, no matter who or what stands in his way.

If there was one thing that this movie really struck home for me, it was to listen to your parents.  They know what they are talking about.  Even when they're cramping your style or taking your fun away.  Oftentimes, they do it because they are speaking from experience, and don't want to have something happen to you.  When you don't listen, things can happen.  I had one of those moments not that long ago, and while I won't go into details, I can safely say two things: 1.) It did not involve the Albanian sex trade in France and 2.) My dad was absolutely right, and I should have listened to him.  So, as I was watching Taken, my dad was constantly on my mind.

This really was a great film.  It had everything one would want in an action thriller: there was suspense, awesome fight scenes, not a lot of blood and gore, and a really epic storyline.  I watched this one with my brother, and we were on the edges of our seats from start to finish.  It was GREAT!  And besides just an awesome plot, the audience was presented with a main character we could all love and connect with.  Most of these action films have characters you can't fully understand because they're too hardened, too tough, or too cool.  Bryan was tough, but he also had a softer side which made him easier to understand.  In many ways, he reminded me of my own dad, and personally, that made him even easier to understand.  Liam Neeson played a wonderful father figure, and I loved the thought that even though he was a kick-ass CIA retiree, he was still a sweet, caring, gentle father.

I think what also made this movie so intense for me was that the sex trade is alive in Europe (and all over the world).  Sex trafficking is far scarier than monsters because it's really happening.  And as a woman, it's something that I hear about quite a bit.  Not saying that every time I leave the house, I'm afraid of getting roped into the sex trade, but it is something that you think about from time to time.  And since I've done some research about it for classes and such, I was able to nod my head and say "Yep, that's a huge red flag. Kim, don't listen to him!"

I think another thing I really loved about this film was that it handled its topic in a tasteful manner.  True, it was an action film, and there was a lot of violence.  But, the violence was handled in such a way as to make it bearable.  It wasn't overly violent.  There was not an overabundance of gore.  We got the point without having it shoved down our throats.  Also, this film IS about the sex trade, but I didn't feel that they over-sexualized any of the prostitutes.  I don't think I saw a single exposed breast.  Instead of taking advantage of the topic to make a sexual movie about sex, they kept it in its proper place.  The sex trade was not made glamorous; it was made disgusting.  And I think that was something that must have been difficult to do; it would have been easy to make it overtly sexual.

All in all, an amazing movie.  Liam Neeson was amazing, his co-stars were amazing, and the plot felt real and convincing.  Sure, there were some blips, but for the most part, I was convinced.  If you're a fan of action thrillers, international intrigue, epic fight scenes, or are a father who would anything to help your child in a time of distress (or perhaps the daughter who knows that her father would do anything for her), then you would love this film.  I know I did!

And I know this is not something I'd make a habit of doing on this blog, and I know he might not read this, but I just want to say THANK YOU to my dad....Thank you for being MY hero.

The Green Hornet (2011)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 6 out of 10
Director: Michel Gondry
Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Christoph Waltz
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
Run Time: 119 minutes

When Los Angeles playboy Britt Reid (Rogen), learns about the death of his father, he decides to react with a little friendly vandalism, by beheading his deceased parent’s newly dedicated memorial statue. While on this little misadventure with his estate’s mechanic Kato (Chou), the two witness and stop a mugging in progress, and Reid, hyped on adrenaline and alcohol, decides that he and Kato should become super heroes—but pose as villains in order to blend into the L.A. underworld. And so, after a series of inventions, tricked-out cars, and cool costumes, the vigilante Green Hornet is born. Unfortunately, things are not all sunshine and rainbows, as the Green Hornet’s activities catch the attention of supreme crime lord Chudnofsky, who will stop at nothing to keep this new name in crime from threatening his empire.

Now, I’m really a fan of superheroes, but before this movie, I didn’t know anything about the Green Hornet. Because of this, I’m really unable to connect this to the original series. I guess that means that my opinion of this film was fairly unbiased, at least on that front. My brother and dad, however, were fans of the show, and provided some interesting commentary in comparing the two pieces. For example, their biggest complaint stemmed from the personality of Britt, which they claimed was not very true to the original series.

Seth Rogen was distastefully crude. While in small amounts, sexual innuendo and swearing can be pretty funny, Rogen pushed it to a limit where it was no longer amusing. Instead of assisting the plot or furthering character development, it only made me wish that Britt would just shut the hell up. According to my dad and brother, Britt Reid is supposed to be a professional, collected character, something like a Bruce Wayne. While I would have been fine with a sort of goofy rich boy, I really feel that Rogen pushed it too far. And sadly, one can’t even say that Rogen was just working with what he was given, since he was the actually one of the screenwriters as well. This character is purely Rogen's creation, and I just didn’t like it. However, while there were too many times when you kind of just want to slap Britt, the character wasn’t ALL bad. In fact, there were times when he was actually really funny. But, these times become rarer and rarer as the film progresses.

Jay Chou, in contrast, played a very likeable character. While Britt Reid was something of a dunce, unable to do anything on his own, always cracking dirty jokes, and pretty much a vaguely likable foul-mouthed flop, Kato was talented, smart, and sweet. And he just had the coolest moves! In my humble opinion, one of the best parts of the film had to be watching Kato kick the tar out of the bad guys. No matter how many times I saw that, it was still cool!

Despite all this, Christoph Waltz stole the show. His someone limited role as the film’s villain was perfect in almost every regard. As this was an action comedy, there is a certain amount of humor to be leant to the role, and Waltz was undeniably perfect for the part. Chudnofsky is not a nice guy; he’s the incredibly unpredictable leader of crime empire in Los Angles, however, he’s incredibly funny. He asks for advice on how to be scary; he’s genuinely hurt when someone tells him his ideas are stupid. And then he says and does stupid things without realizing how it looks. He’s the perfect villain: threatening to the hero and funny for the audience; what more could a moviegoer ask for in an action comedy film? I think what I liked the best about this character had to be the unpredictability. After all, where’s the fun in a villain whose next move is always easy to guess? There is a certain tension that builds from this sort of character, especially when you never quite know what he’s thinking or what he’s going to do. Is he serious? Is he joking? Guess it’s time to thank your lucky stars that you’re not Britt Reid, and YOU don’t have to deal with him.

All in all, The Green Hornet was a decent movie. Not bad, but not great either. Just decent. Sometimes, that’s not a bad thing. Like when you’re just hanging out with people, or when you’re having a beer and movie night. It made for an interesting viewing session, but not something I would recommend or run out and buy on DVD. If you’re a fan of Seth Rogen and his sophomoric humor, then you might like this film. Christoph Waltz fans might enjoy his performance as well. For me personally, he was the highlight of the film.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 8 out of 10

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman

Rated: PG

Genre: Action, Adventure

Runtime: 115 minutes

Sequels: Temple of Doom (1984), The Last Crusade (1989), Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Indiana Jones (Ford), college professor and archaeologist will go to great lengths to obtain rare archaeological finds for museums.  Word of his dedication and bravery has come to the notice of the United States government, who have an important mission for him: to find the legendary Ark of the Covenant, the sacred box claimed to contain the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses.  But this is no ordinary mission.  It's a race against time as Indy struggles to get to the Ark before his rival Dr. Belloq (Freeman) and the Nazis can get their hands on it.  The legends say that if an army carries the Ark into battle, they will be unstoppable.  And Hitler is greatly desirous to obtain such a powerful weapon.

The Indiana Jones movies have been on my "to watch" list for the longest time (just like Star Wars).  I've always been meaning to watch them, but I never got around to doing so.  Now, I'm sure that half of you out there are thinking that I must have spent my childhood living in a cave or something (and the other half really don't care either way).  But, I finally got around to watching Raiders of the Lost Ark, and I'll be honest; I'm really glad I did!  The movie was not only fun, exciting, and engaging, but it had a colorful cast of characters who balanced off each other perfectly.  Personally, my favorite had to be the villain, Dr. Belloq, but of course, our hero Indy came in a very close second.

Harrison Ford was perfect for Indiana Jones.  And I thought that his character was not only amazing, but amusing as well.  I love that Indy is this great, fearless explorer, but when he's back on campus, teaching a class of college students, he becomes meek, awkward, and easily rattled.  It's a very striking contrast.  I especially loved his reaction to one rather amorous young lady who writes "LOVE YOU" on her eyelids.

Dr. Belloq was a very interesting villian.  When we are first introduced to him, he seems to be quite a threat; commanding, calm and collected, and very calculating.  As the film progresses, you start to hate him (after all, he's working for HITLER!) and later, he actually becomes rather amusing.  One of my favorite scenes had to be when he gets totally drunk in his tent in Egypt.  Personally, I thought it was really amusing. :)

The action scenes were gripping and exciting.  I loved all the creative ideas for booby traps set up in all the rooms of the temples Indiana explores.  Of course, the classic giant rock cannot be overlooked, although I did think it was a bit cheesy and rather wtf (what the fudge).  Personally, I really liked the whole booby trap setup in the first temple-- when Indy tries to get the golden relic.  I also loved the fight scenes.  They were exciting, fast-paced, and just the right length.  I was on the edge of my seat for the epic showdown in Marion's (Allen) pub.

One last thing I would like to add....I know this film is only rated PG, but I would like to remind everyone that there is some things that might be a bit frightening for children, namely the unveiling of the ark toward the end.  If you don't know what happens, I don't want to spoil it for you, but it would most likely be a bit too intense for younger viewers.

The Minority Report (2002)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Action, Crime, Mystery

Runtime: 145 minutes

In the year 2054, there is no murder.  At least not in the United States capital, Washington D.C.  This is thanks to a anti-crime initiative called Precrime, which predicts a murder before it happens, so that the "murderer" can be arrested and put away before he or she has the chance to actually commit the crime.  Crime rates have never been lower, and things are starting to look great.  That is, until FBI agent Danny Witwer (Farrell) starts nosing around, asking too many questions.  He asks to see the "Precogs," the beings whose premonitions inform Precrime of all impending murders.  John Anderton (Cruise) is leery to admit him, since any contact with the Precogs is looked at as an unwelcome influence on their visions.  Not long after Witwer's visit, the Precogs have a startling new premonition: John is supposed to murder a man he has never met before.  And all at once, his life is flipped upside down, as he runs from the law he swore to protect, and to try and prove his innocence.

Normally, as I'm sure many of you know, I'm not really a fan of action films.  In fact, I don't really watch them much at all.  Mostly, I reserve those for the times when I'm with my brother or my guy friends.  When I sat down to watch Minority Report, not only was I the only lady in a group of guys, but also, I had no idea what this movie was going to be about!  But, after two plus hours, I was not bored, as I feared, but really impressed.  It was quite simply just a good movie!

The futuristic technology was quite impressive.  Computers full of information that move at the slightest gesture of your fingertips, sweet-looking futuristic cars, iris scans, and all kinds of other gadgets populated this film.  Besides being cool to watch, it also tied in an awesome crime/drama plot that was super-engaging.  I was pulled right in!  The only downside was that there was quite simply so much information that sometimes, it was hard to process it all.  However, even with one of my best friends constantly distracting me throughout the entire movie, I was still able to follow the plot line rather well.  So, it probably shouldn't be much of an issue.  There were a couple scenes that were pretty gross, so do be warned.  However, all in all, it was a dramatic, exciting two hours of crime drama, mystery, and suspense!

If you're interested in crime films, like a lot of action, and are looking for a good film for a group of guys to enjoy, then this is a great film to check out!  If you would prefer something a bit more tame and calm, then I would recommend checking something else out.  Still, on a Friday night, with a group of friends and a bowl of popcorn, this is a really good choice.

Batman Begins (2005)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 9 out of 10

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Action, Drama, Crime

Runtime: 140 minutes

Sequel: The Dark Knight (2008)

There is nothing like a good superhero action movie!  And as a Marvel girl, I would normally satisfy my superhero fascinations with Spider-Man or the Fantastic Four.  DC Comics and Batman?  Not really my cup of tea.  Well, that’s what I thought until the Esteemed Film Critic loaned me his copy of Batman Begins and suggested I check it out.  Would it betray my Marvel sympathies to say that I absolutely loved it?  Batman Begins is a wonderful introduction into the world of Bruce Wayne, the dark avenger who cleans up the street by turning criminals’ fear against them.

After witnessing the death of his parents and seeing their killer released from prison, Bruce Wayne (Bale) travels to Asia and falls in with the lowest of the low in an attempt to figure out what it takes to drive a man to crime.  While there, he becomes the pupil of Henri Ducard (Neeson) and Ra’s Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe), members of a dark organization bent on wiping out evil and corruption by any means necessary; and their next target is Gotham.  As his image of his mentors is shattered, Bruce finds himself in direct conflict with those who once trained him.  While trying to overcome his own demons, Bruce Wayne takes on the identity of the Batman, and sets out to turn the fear that criminals inflict on others back on themselves; fighting fear with fear.  Meanwhile, in Gotham, a new villain is on the rise: the Scarecrow, who uses a panic-inducing neurotoxin and a burlap scarecrow mask to strike terror into the hearts of his victims.  Will Batman be able to stop him?

As I said before, I’m normally not a DC Comics fan.  More often than not, I find the plots and characters to be too dark for my tastes.  While it is true that Batman Begins is a very dark film, I would have to say that I had no real qualms about it.  In fact, I enjoyed it tremendously.  Christian Bale brought so many dimensions to the role!  Bruce Wayne was a wonderful character; dark, troubled, and although rich, influential, handsome, and strong, also so very, very human. 

Not going to lie: I was surprised to hear Batman speak.  I had been expecting the guttural, almost animalistic grunting that has come to be associated with Christian Bale’s interpretation of the character from The Dark Knight.  Not to say that I was disappointed, of course, just surprised.

A couple other things caught my attention.  First, I was thrilled with the cast!  Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman are three actors I have loved in every movie I’ve seen them in; and while I’ve not seen enough of their movies to say that they are my favorite actors, I’ve always loved them.  So, of course, having all three in one movie was awesome!  Gary Oldman surprised me the most, though.  My usual image of him is the innocent and adorable Rosencrantz in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.  Seeing Oldman as an American Officer Gordon was a surprise to be sure!  But, I believe this just goes to show his versatility as an actor.

This is a film I would recommend very strongly, but only if you were interested in the action/drama/superhero genres.  If you are opposed to violence and intense action scenes, than this is not the film for you.  However, if you enjoy a good superhero film or are a Batman fan, then you must check this out!  This has most definitely propelled me to look more into the Batman series, although, not going to lie: at heart, I’ll always be a Spider-Man fan-girl :P

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 9 out of 10

Director: Edgar Wright

Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieren Culkin

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy, Romance

Run Time: 112 minutes

Scott Pilgrim's (Cera) life is great: he's 23, dating a cute little highschooler named Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), mooches off his gay roommate Wallace (Culkin), is part of the awesome band Sex Bob-Omb, and has just met the girl of his dreams--literally!  He first sees Ramona Flowers (Winstead) as she skates through his dreams, and when he sees her at a party (confirming her existence) he decides he needs to go out with her.  There are just a few issues.  The first is Knives, who has just pronounced her love for him.  The second is Ramona.  To date her, he first must defeat her seven evil exes.

This is a fun-filled action movie that's great for gamers.  Besides being filled with video game references, sound effects, and soundtracks, all of Scott's battles are choreographed as though he were in a video game, with really cool attacks and tough boss levels (ie. the exes).  The whole movie almost seems to flow like a comic book, with various sound effects such as doorbells not only sounding but flashing across the screen (ie. DINGDONG).

The evil exes were incredibly creative, from Matthew Patel who has magic powers, Todd Ingram the psychic-powered vegan, and the Katayanagi twins with their almost "other-worldly" musical talent.  Must be seen to be believed!

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a movie with a little bit of everything.  Like action?  The fight scenes are definitely action-packed.  Like drama?  How about Scott having to juggle two girls because he can't just tell the one "no"?  Romance?  This guy like a girl so much he will fight her seven evil exes just to go out with her!  Sounds good to me :)  There is also a ton of comedy (more visual than anything else, so a little hard to describe and still sound funny), and the premise is totally fantasy genre.  Basically, if you like action, romance, fantasy, drama......well, then you might just enjoy Scott Pilgrim vs. the World :)

My Brother's official rating is a 12 out of 10 ^_^

Rooster Cogburn (1975)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 10 out of 10

Director: Stuart Millar

Starring: John Wayne, Katharine Hepburn, Anthony Zerbe

Rated: PG

Genre: Western, Action, Drama, Comedy

Runtime: 108 minutes

Prequal: True Grit (1969)

John Wayne stars once again as one of his most memorable characters: the drunken, smart-mouthed, one-eyed marshal Rooster Cogburn.  When outlaws ransack a small mission set up in the Indian territory, killing the minster Rev. Goodnight, his daughter Eula (Hepburn), the mission's teacher accompanies Rooster Cogburn to track them down.  The marshal, however, is reluctant to be tailed by a quick-witted preacher woman and her Indian friend Wolf (Richard Romancito)  To make matters worse, if Rooster does not bring the criminals--who not only killed Eula's father, but also stole a shipment of nitroglycerin-- back alive, he'll lose his job.

I think what I liked best about this movie was how much it had to provide.  Besides having a wonderful trio of heroes in Cogburn, Eula Goodnight, and Wolf, there was a great set of horrible villains.  Richard Jordan plays Hawk, the leader of the outlaws; a ruthless, cruel man who will do anything he has to in order to get the payoff.  Jordan's performance was deliciously vile.  His Hawk was both hated and feared; this is not some push-over baddie.  Anthony Zerbe also played an amazing character as Hawk's man Breed.  Zerbe brings another level of danger to the plot; because he once rode with Cogburn, he understands him better than any of the others in Hawk's employment.

The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful.  The water, crystal clear; the mountains, majestic; the trees and cliffs, rugged but awe-inspiring.  It makes you wish that you were there with them; riding horseback across the fields and through the woods.

Even though I loved the scenery and the characters, I think my favorite part had to be the wonderful chemistry between John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn.  The plot combines two rough and stubborn characters, and despite their hard-headed nature, it soon becomes apparent that Rooster has a little thing for Ms. Goodnight, and she likes him as well.  It was a wonderful little romance; not too overpowering, and a perfect supplement to the rest of the film.  Apparently even someone as mean as old Rooster Cogburn has a soft spot in his heart.

If you enjoyed  True Grit, either the original or the recent remake, then you need to see this movie.  Granted, John Wayne's Cogburn is a bit gentler than Jeff Bridges's, but that doesn't mean he's any less of a fighter.  And he's an amazing actor at that!

Inception (2010)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 7 out of 10

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring:Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levit, Ellen Page

Rated: PG-13

Genre:Action, Crime, Thriller, Sci-Fi

Run Time:148 minutes

Dom Cobb (DiCaprio) can go into your dreams.  As a highly skilled thief, Cobb and his team enter the dreams of others as well as bringing them into their own dreams to extract information from them.  However, this line of work is slowly tearing his life apart.  Kept away from his family, and harboring a dark secret, he grasps the only redemption he has left: perform the most intense dream invasion possible: 5th level inception.  This involves going into a dream within a dream and planting an idea in the subconsciousness of a person, in the hopes that they will accept it as their own upon waking.  However, as he dives deeper and deeper into the dream layers, will Cobb be able to come back out?  Or will he be consumed by the darkness hidden away in his deepest subconsciousness?

Before I say anything more, I'd just like to admit that action films are really not my thing.  I just don't really like them.  However, Inception was amazing.  I saw it with a group of friends, and was blown away by the amazing plot, acting, and special effects that the film contained.  DiCaprio and Page were both amazing, but DiCaprio really stole the show. The intensity of his performance was thrilling.

Although the plot of this movie sounds a bit complex, its really easy to pick up on.  This is totally a group film, and I highly recommend checking it out.  You won't be disappointed.  There is something for everyone, with lots of action and suspense, drama, romance, and redemption.  And as I've said before, the special effects are to die for!

Shanghai Noon (2000)

Cinema Sweetheart's Rating: 8 out of 10

Director: Tom Dey

Starring: Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, and Lucy Liu

Rated:PG-13

Genre: Comedy, Western, Action

Run Time: 110 minutes

Sequel: Shanghai Knights (2003)

When a Chinese princess is kidnapped and held for ransom in the Wild West United States, the emperor sends the three greatest of his imperial guards to bring her back.  Imperial guard Chon Wang (Chan) saw the princess leave but failed to protect her, and now feels that its his duty to accompany the others, even if its just to carry their bags.  Meanwhile, wild west outlaw and ladies man Roy O'Bannon (Wilson) is double crossed by his own bandits.  A freak accident that involves the death of Chon's uncle bring the two men together, first as enemies, and then as reluctant allies.

It was wonderful to finally see Shanghai Noon from start to finish.  Bad timing in the past has always ended with me seeing the movie in chunks.  I've seen the beginning and end, but missed most of the middle of the film.  So, it wasn't an entirely new film to me (as many of these are) since I've seen most of it, just not all at once.  Ironically, I've actually seen the sequel to the movie before I saw the actual movie itself.  (But enough about Shanghai Knights--I'll talk about that film in another post).

I really think this film has a little something for everyone.  Action, comedy, romance...It's a western, its a martial arts movie, its a historic film...And of course, Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan are just an amazing team!  The two of them had me laughing until I cried, and the drinking games scene is not one to be missed!  I love both of these actors on their own, but putting both together is simply a stroke of genius!

Another fun little tidbit...this movie is full of historical jokes and ironic references (although not as many as in the sequel).  Be sure to look for them all! ;)