Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson team up again in Shanghai Knights. In this sequel to 2000’s Shanghai Noon, Chan and Wilson reprise the characters of Chon Wang and Ray O’Bannon, respectively.

This time, the two join up to go to London in order to avenge the death of Wang’s father and save the Imperial Seal of the Emperor of China. Wang’s younger sister Chon Lin (played by Fann Wong) joins the pair in their quest. O’Bannon subsequently falls for her. Wang objects and tries to separate the two.

However, ending the relationship is not his main objective. He and O’Bannon must fight two villains: the Lord Rathbone of London (Aidan Gillen) and the bastard brother of the Emperor of China, Wu Chan (Donnie Yen). In the ensuing adventures, Wang and O’Bannon meet a ten-year old street urchin (Aaron Johnson) and a bumbling Scotland Yard inspector (Thomas Fisher) and visit many of the prime sites of London in the 1800’s.

The movie lasts a little less than two hours, unusually long for a frivolous action film. The serious parts tend to drag, but the movie picks up when it stays within the realm of comedy. The dialogue is filled with funny riffs and Wilson is deft at comedic timing. Chan too, does a good job in his acrobatic fighting with various props, using his body as a way to convey humor.

Unfortunately, the plot is weak, the serious moments are tedious and the villains lack proper depth. Lin proves to be nothing more than a two-dimensional sketch of a rebellious woman. Wilson and Chan don’t demonstrate any camaraderie, either. Chan solitarily fights and does the stunts that are his trademark. Wilson performs the major gag scenes and delivers the punch lines. There are redeeming performances by the two supporting actors, Johnson and Fisher, who exercise skillful comedic talent in their respective roles.

Shanghai Knights has good moments where you can laugh out loud. Yet a clumsy plot and drawn-out attempts at seriousness mar it. If you really enjoy Jackie Chan and want nothing more than pure escapism, go see Shanghai Knights. Or better yetwait ’til it comes out on video.