This film was primarily produced by Westerners such as Harvey Weinstein and others, and, as such, have some benefits of Western filmmaking of big pictures. However, despite an absolutely gorgeous set of Shanghai and detailed costumes and smaller sets, the film is only passable as entertainment. The casting was almost catastrophic for this film. John Cusack, a B American actor, has no business being in this role. His boss was excellent casting, but not Cusack. This is like casting Rodney Dangerfield as James Bond. Cusack is good in light comedies and such; not this kind of stuff. I was especially disappointed with Gong Li, who was fabulous in a dozen straight films before this turkey, but the role was not for her, either. There was zero chemistry (understandable) between her and Cusack. Gong is great at anything she tackles, but this role was almost impossible for any actress to succeed with. Because of the excellent action sequences and other very well-directed scenes, the film is passable entertainment, but not much more.
Review of Shanghai
