But "Shanghai Noon" is, after all, Chan's movie. The stunts here aren't bigger or better than anything he has ever done, but that doesn't make them any less impressive, or any less pleasurable. Chan isn't exactly low-key in "Shanghai Noon," but I do get the sense that he's working more on showing us how refined his movements are, rather than just performing feats of derring-do. That's exactly as it should be: Chan has already proved himself as a fearless performer. That kind of precision can be put to use for the rest of his life in gentler, but no less entertaining, types of physical comedy.

It's simply a pleasure to watch Chan move. I winced in a sequence where he falls down the shaft of a tall bell tower, getting bumped and bruised along the way, because although I recognize that kind of exploit as a symbol of his deep commitment to what he does (not to mention his tolerance for pain), I think he's cut out for much finer work. His physical grace never ceases to amaze me: One segment of the movie's climactic fight scene, featuring a combination of hand-to-hand combat, spears and nunchuks, is choreographed as beautifully as anything in an old MGM musical. (Again, the movie's visual noise is a distraction, but the bare perfection is there in the movement nonetheless.) In another sequence, Chan fastens a rope to a horseshoe, which he then proceeds to use as a weapon against assorted baddies. But he doesn't just swing it -- he whirls it around his own body at lightning speed, and then twirls himself around to send it flying. Another of his neat tricks involves removing articles of clothing from his opponents with lightning-fast sleight of hand. (And all you hear is a gentle whoosh.)

Those sequences are inventive and arresting pieces of work, but they're also relatively subtle ones. As much as I've thrilled to some of Chan's spectacular feats in the past, it's a relief to see him doing more with less. Even in a world where great-looking middle-aged actors are the norm, he looks spectacular here, with his long, leonine hair. His English is still far from perfect, but his timing and judgment are good. When he was younger, his grin often struck me as a little forced, but now his smile, a perfect half-moon, has a natural radiance instead of an electrocharge.

And there's more dignity in the way he moves than ever before. "Shanghai Noon" hints that Chan is poised to become an even better physical comic than he is now, as long as his fans are willing to accept less flash from him. Older bones are so unforgiving. Let's hope movie audiences are more flexible.

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