El reino prohibido

I had some pretty high expectations going into this movie. Knowing Jackie Chan and Jet Li were finally going to be going at it together on the big screen was an awesome feeling. The Forbidden Kingdom is really funny. I had no idea it was even going to be a comedy until I saw it. The fight scenes were AMAZING! Jackie and Jet did spectacular acting jobs. Some of the best stuff I've seen in awhile. The worst thing about the movie was the story. It was awful. It was one of the stupidest movies I have ever seen. If it wasn't for the fight scenes and the great acting this would be one of the worst movies ever. If you like kung fu, you should like this film.

I'm writing this review after having read many others at this site and after having seen the film.

It's a blatant tribute to many kung fu movies, and that makes it fun for buffs. However, don't think that it's as deep or serious as "Crouching Tiger," "Hero," or even "Enter the Dragon." It's a coming of age story set in a mythological environment, and so wire-tricks abound.

I enjoyed it though. The fight scenes really are superb and wonderfully choreographed. The scenery is impressive, but at times it feels a bit cliché.

Really, that's what drags the movie down - it's very, very predictable. However, I don't think it was meant to be anything more than a fun pretext for Chan and Li to co-star, and they do a good job. It's worth a watch, or at least a rent.

Watched Forbidden Kingdom yesterday. And I found I really liked it. A lot! I have to admit that I'm a sucker for those zero-to-hero movies and I thought that Michael Angarano did a good job of playing a dorky, wannabe kung-fu fighter. The only thing I thought was dodgy was the fact that the whole movie was in English. It just felt a bit off.

And of course Jackie Chan and Jet Li together on screen? Fantastic. They had one of the greatest choreographed scenes, that were really, really cool. Especially when both of them were fighting together for the staff. I especially like Jet Li's portrayal of Sun Wukong! Jet Li's previous roles were serious warriors, but it was fun to see him act like a cheeky monkey god. And Jackie Chan, he was OK in his own way, but most of the time when he fought he looked sober. Which was odd, considering that he was a master of the drunken kung-fu style.

Jackie Chan has to be one of the more likable actors of his generation, a man who can successfully combine martial arts brutality and humor.....and pull it off, each time. "The Forbidden Kingdom" is another example of his talents, geniality and flair for comedy in addition to the obvious martial arts skills he's shown us all these years.

To make long story very short, this is tale an American teen who finds an ornate bo-staff at a friend's shop in Chinatown and the kid's mission winds up to deliver this age-old weapon to its rightful owner across the world in China and in a different time period. Yeah, I know, the story is ludicrous, but who cares? It's an entertaining film with some great stunts and some good humor. We have young people, old people, amateur fighters and pros, pretty girls with pretty moms, exotic locales and a lot of seriousness mixed with goofiness and Chinese mythology.

This is a not a film for "hard core" martial-arts fans, nor is it an "intelligent" film but if you're looking for a fun two hours of total escapism without the story being too stupid to enjoy, this fits the bill. I mean, you get Chan and Jet Li, in the same movie for the first time, too - not bad!

The Forbidden Kingdom strikes me as a Kung-Fu version of the brilliant "The NeverEnding Story" I saw as a kid in the 80's. The parallels are obvious.

Like "NeverEnding Story", it's a fantasy movie that tells the tale of a boy's coming of age journey, from picked-on weakling to warrior and savior. On the way friendships are woven, difficulties are overcome, and lessons are learned. Both films cater to children audiences, but will satisfy grown-ups as well. Both bring to the table a good mixture of fantasy, action, comedy blended with a dash of romance and drama - Baked just right and garnished with magnificent special effects and stunning visuals.

The Kung-Fu battles are dazzling, and having both Jet Li and Jackie Chan sparring in this movie is just the sugar on top of the wholesome family fun.