Shanghai, 1938: A missionary woman hires a fortune hunter to help her find 1100 lbs. opium lost, as wounded need the morphine. Adventure and romance follows.Shanghai, 1938: A missionary woman hires a fortune hunter to help her find 1100 lbs. opium lost, as wounded need the morphine. Adventure and romance follows.Shanghai, 1938: A missionary woman hires a fortune hunter to help her find 1100 lbs. opium lost, as wounded need the morphine. Adventure and romance follows.
- Awards
- 1 win & 6 nominations
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaApparently, after principal photography wrapped, executive producer George Harrison allegedly said of the movie's two lead stars Madonna and Sean Penn: "Penn is a pain in the arse . . . [while] she has to realize that you can be a fabulous person and be humble as well". Harrison also said there was so much stress on the movie that he began smoking again - something which may have contributed to his death from cancer at only 58 years of age.
- GoofsDuring the bathhouse scene Justin tells Glendon that the Chinese use tomato juice to remove the stench of skunks. Of course there are no skunks in China. Skunks live only in North America.
- Quotes
Ho Chong: And you, Reverend Lady, would care for protection for treasured parts?
Gloria Tatlock: No, thank you.
Ho Chong: Your lips and ears, perhaps?
Gloria Tatlock: Thank you, I said no.
Ho Chong: Your twin pagodas, maybe?
Gloria Tatlock: Definitely not!
Ho Chong: Surely, you want to protect your haven of celestial bliss?
Gloria Tatlock: How dare you!
Glendon Wasey: I don't think the haven's in much danger.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Siskel & Ebert: Matinee/Alive/Body of Evidence/Sniper (1993)
- SoundtracksShanghai Surprise
Music & Lyrics by George Harrison
Performed by George Harrison with Vicki Brown
Courtesy of Dark Horse Records & Warner Bros. Records, Inc.
Madonna, playing a missionary (!) nurse (!!) for a Shanghai mission, is in search of opium (!!!) for medicinal purposes (!!?!!) approaches Sean Penn, an American soldier-of-fortune type who happens to speak Chinese. Penn and Madonna, who were married at the time this film were made, are obviously uncomfortable with the material and do little to justify the film's existence. Penn mugs his way through and attempts to crach a few weak jokes, while Madonna stamps her foot and places her hands on her hips as she squeaks (yes, she squeaks, and you must hear it to believe it) in frustration.
The plot is absolutely ridiculous -- Madonna and Sean Penn chasing after a mysterious cargo of opium known as "Faraday's Flowers" (incidentally, the name of the book this movie is based on) must run from a Chinese gangster with porcelain hands, have a romantic interlude with an Imperial concubine, teach baseball skills to another Chinese gangster, and (boy, aren't we surprised) sleep together to seal a deal.
This movie, like "Mommie Dearest" or "Plan Nine From Outer Space" has immense camp value because it's so deliciously awful. Utterly predictable, insipid, and full of instantly forgettable lines, this movie is the equivalent of the yellow stuff they stick on your nachos at the movie theatres -- it's not really good enough to be real cheese, but it's much cheaper and tastes pretty much the same anyway. This movie isn't even cheesy enough to be cheesy.
Avoid "Shanghai Surprise" unless, like me, you like Madonna WAY too much or if you're just a fan of bad movies.
- GrammarCub
- May 25, 1999
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Шанхайський сюрприз
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $17,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,315,683
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $729,885
- Sep 1, 1986
- Gross worldwide
- $2,315,683