Shanghai Knights is the follow-up film to the quirky and entertaining Shanghai Noon. It is a typical sequel, in that it retreads much familiar ground, so itıs safe to say that if you liked Noon, youıll also like Knights. There it is, quick and concise.

You were hoping for something more substantive? Okay. I can do that, too. This film picks up with John as a very successful lawman in Carson City, while Roy has become a hero in the world of dime novels and lives in New York City. Trouble arises when criminals assassinate Johnıs father and steal the Chinese Imperial Seal. Johnıs sister tracks the murderer to London and sends word for him to follow. So the marshal heads to NYC in order to recover his share of the Emperorıs gold from Roy and catch a ship to England. Once he get there, well, wackiness ensues.

Sequels often have a problem. The filmmakers realize the first film was popular, and so create a duplicate that offers all of the same things. The problem is, itıs no longer new, and therefore almost invariably lacks that spark of excitement. And so, in order to spice things up and make it new again, the script introduces a new character. Sadly, this rarely grants a sequel the magic its predecessor possessed.

Shanghai Knights does, in fact, serve up more of the same. John still has a large number of physical gags; Roy is still the blathering boob. There are still dramatically ironic references to the future, and the number of seemingly incidental characters who turn out to be famous has grown exponentially. And thereıs the additional character in order to shake things up, too: Johnıs sister, Lee.

However, Shanghai Knights deftly avoids turning itself into a bigger, louder, brighter, but ultimately inferior, film by not allowing the extras to muddle the originalıs true strengths. Despite the expanded cast, it is the relationship between John and Roy that still takes center stage, and the comedy of both Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson is delivered with enough charm and panache to remain just (or maybe almost) as funny as it was the first time. Perhaps some of the shticks established in the first film were overdone this time, but such quibbles are really just that: quibbles. I said it at the beginning of the review, and Iıll say it again. If you liked Shanghai Noon, you will find plenty to enjoy in Shanghai Knights.

Where this film truly shines, however, is the action. Shanghai Noon tops this film ever so slightly in comedic elements, but Knights truly pulls ahead with the action and fight scenes. Yes, theyıre faster, longer, and much more involved, but that doesnıt say the most important thing: theyıre better. The two fights of the finale are nothing short of amazing. They werenıt examples of wild, frenetic flailing. These physical confrontations were truly awesome displays of skill that were as interesting to watch as they were exciting. Any action film would be truly blessed to receive choreography and performance of this caliber.

Shanghai Knights is perhaps one of the best sequels Iıve seen in a long time. It was familiar enough that expectations I took away from the first film were met perfectly in this next installment, yet it was much more than a droll rehashing of something Iıd already seen. This movie stayed true to the spirit of the original, while being willing to deviate in actual content more than many #2 films do. There are a scant few moments when it does ring hollow like many other sequels, but thankfully these times are few and short-lived. Itıs not quite the original, but itıs damn close.

RATING: 3.5/5 Stars

- Clifford Horowitz