Reviewed by Michael Edwards
Stars Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Michael Angarano, Yifei Liu,
Colin Chou, Juana Collingnon, Morgan Benoit, Bingbing Li,
Jack Posobiec, Thomas McDonell
Written by John Fusco
Certification UK PG | US PG-13
Runtime 113 minutes
Directed by Rob Minkoff
Jackie Chan and Jet Li together in a Hollywood martial arts movie. It sounds so natural, doesn't it? It just seems like a completely logical, sensible and entertaining casting move. So why hasn't it happened before? This is a question I can't answer, but what I can tell you is that now it's finally happened the results are as good as you'd expect them to be. The two actors deliver predictably high-quality performances in great roles which pander to and play on the standard parts these two legends of kung fu films are usually cast in. The only problem is that, as a whole, the film is a little bit too formulaic.
The premise is an interesting one. In true Karate Kid style we begin with a young high school kid who is getting bullied and, in keeping with his obsession with martial arts movies, dreams of learning kung fu. Then one fateful day some thugs from his school follow him to the antique shop where he rents these movies, where they try to rob the elderly Chinese man (Chan) who runs the place. The old gent is shot and the young hero Jason (even the name is 80s, isn't it?) flees, carrying with him a golden staff he was using to defend himself. This ends pretty badly; in fact, so badly that he is somehow transported back to medieval China, along with the staff which he must return to its rightful owner to restore peace to the kingdom.
It's cheesy, it's silly and it's predictable. But it's a heck of a lot of fun, too! The fight scenes are great, each one exhibiting another of Chan and Li's ample talents as the bash their way through a series of foes, and the screen is completely set alight when the two titans finally lock horns. Things go a little odd when a kung fu witch appears and the film music goes a bit Tarantino, while the visuals rob the vaults of the old Sin City set — but all it all it looks completely stunning. That goes for the scenery too, with its colourful greenery, rich gamut of extras and other such supplementary side orders of eye candy.
The core of The Forbidden Kingdom ultimately lies in the crafting of Chan's and Li's onscreen personas (they're both treated to two). Casting Chan as a drunken immortal taps into his comedic side, as well as providing an new fighting style for him to play with — and boy does he step up to the plate! Likewise, Li, in addition to his silent monk character, inspired grins across the audience with his performance as the monkey king, whose appearance and fighting style harked back to the old Monkey (Magic) TV series which even received a brief cameo within. Orbiting this high octane, high calibre, and high profile performances are the ingredients of a movie that manages to rise above its lack of originality and create something that is not just a fun couple of hours but also a memorable piece of cinema. Go forth, watch and enjoy!