Shanghai Surprise
1,174
Adventure. Romance
Year 1937. Glendon Wasey is a sleazy, down-on-his-luck con man struggling to sell glow-in-the-dark neckties in Shanghai. When he encounters the lovely Gloria Tatlock, a missionary nurse who wants to obtain a supply of opium to ease the suffering of her patients, he decides to help her get hold of a stolen supply of the valuable drug. The only problem is that a lot of other people want to secure the stolen opium as well—gangsters, ... [+]
Author | Review | ||
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United States | TV Guide | "There's nothing to create outrage, and there's nothing to stimulate excitement, which is probably why there was no substantial interest" | NEU |
United States | Entertainment Weekly | "Some bad films become kitschy-cool with age, but Shanghai Surprise continues to rot" | NEG |
United States | AV Club | "Limply, tardily trying to cash in on the success of the Indiana Jones movies." | NEG |
United States | Miami Herald | "The film was conceived and executed as a star vehicle. Wrong stars, wrong roles, not much happening here. And for George Harrison and his Handmade Films, the first big bust." | NEG |
United States | Chicago Tribune | "The main problem here is less a lack of competence than a lack of conviction. No one involved in the film believes for a second in the story that's being told" | NEU |
United States | Chicago Tribune | "A shockingly bad film because of its total misuse of two talented performers, Sean Penn and Madonna" | NEG |
United Kingdom | Empire | "A hopelessly inane romantic comedy set in 1937 (...) Really, really bad." (...) Rating: ★ (out of 5)" | NEG |
United States | The New York Times | "One of the few things this listless bore of a film makes clear is that Mr. Penn, ever since his hilarious performance as a stoned surfer in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, has been greatly overrated." | NEG |
United States | Los Angeles Times | "Even better than opium for avoiding pain is avoiding Shanghai Surprise itself, a movie of jaw-dropping, high-water mark dreadfulness." | NEG |
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