Release Date: April 18, 2008
Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of martial arts action and some violence)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Run Time: 113 minutes
Director: Rob Minkoff
Actors: Michael Angarano, Morgan Benoit, Jackie Chan, Collin Chou, Bingbing Li, Jet Li, Yifei Liu
Karate kicks … stick fights … slo-mo flips through the air … breathtaking costumes … dramatic jumps between the modern-day city of Boston and the countryside of ancient China.
Such is the imagery in the high-budget, star-studded new kung fu movie that brings together for the first time ever, Jackie Chan (Rush Hour 3) and Jet Li (Fearless). Despite a storyline that’s about 20 percent plot and 80 percent fighting, kung fu movies have proven to be hits in America, and The Forbidden Kingdom should be no exception.
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Similar to The Karate Kid, the protagonist in The Forbidden Kingdom must study and learn under the “greats,” enduring constant life-and-death opposition if he is to end up a well-trained fighting hero. American teenager Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano, Snow Angels) is consumed with Hong Kong cinema and kung fu classics. When a group of Boston thugs finds out that Jason has been stealing away to spend time with an old karate master, they force him to take them to the master’s apartment, where they rob and shoot him. Before he passes out, the master challenges Jason to return a certain kung fu fighting stick to its rightful owner.
In a Chinatown pawnshop, Jason finds the legendary stick weapon, rumored to have once belonged to the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King (Jet Li). With the lost relic in hand, Jason is shocked to find himself traveling back to ancient China where he connects with a crew of misfit warriors from martial arts lore, including Lu Yan (Jackie Chan), whose elixir (and downfall) is wine, the “silent monk” (also Jet Li), and the beautiful but fierce Golden Sparrow (Yifei Liu) whose quest for revenge ties her to the team. Together they undertake a perilous journey to free the imprisoned Monkey King from his 500-year captivity by the powerful Jade War Lord (Collin Chau) and restore to him his magical weapon and rightful position in the empire. Only through great discipline in assimilating the ancient kung fu concepts can Jason hope to prevail in his quest and find his way back to Boston.
Shot on location in China,
The Forbidden Kingdom takes your breath away with its captivating settings (parched deserts, luscious rainforests, vast stone temples) and exquisite costumes. It’s definitely Oscar worthy, in regards to costuming and choreography (
Wing Pin Yuen’s masterful touch). In spots, the movie feels like a Tolkein epic as it spotlights a world of immortals, prophecies, time-and-space travel, exotic locations, and a valiant quest to protect a sacred object.