The Forbidden Kingdom

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.

This movie will be enjoyed by any Jet Li or Jackie Chan fans, certainly. The cinematography is wonderful, with stunning views, excellent use of CGI without overdoing it, and decent acting. Jet Li plays his role marvelously, and the continuity of the various plot themes is fantastic. There are subtleties to this movie that will require multiple viewings to catch! Pros include the acting and scenery, and the way language is dealt with. The only con is that the viewing I attended was a bit rough around the edges, with a couple of minor bobbles in editing and film quality. I'm sure this will be corrected in the final production for the theaters, though! Overall, this is a good action/fantasy movie. For those who like the "chop suey" kung fu flicks, this will be a blast from the past. Jackie Chan shows off his unique style of martial arts, while keeping the laughs rolling. Jet Li is NOT playing the 'baddie' for a change, and has a surprisingly entertaining role in this film. There isn't a lot of wire work in this film, and what is done on wires is done judiciously.

A must-see film for this summer!

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.

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.

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!