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Getting martial-arts superstars Jet Li and Jackie Chan together in the same action film is like a fantasy come true, even if The Forbidden Kingdom is more of a children's movie than an instant kung-fu classic. Yes, Li and Chan square off in a lengthy, acrobatic fight scene that is a lot of fun, though it can't be what such a scene might have been even a decade ago: careful editing now compensates for the 54-year-old Chan's slower moves and reflexes. Still, Chan doesn't disappoint as Lu Yan, a drunken immortal in ancient China who mentors a modern-day American kid, Jason (Michael Angarano), the latter having slipped into the past while in possession of a magical staff that belongs to the imprisoned Monkey King (Li). In order to get back to his own time and help an old friend (also Chan) wounded by thugs, Jason accompanies Lu Yan and a lovely warrior, Golden Sparrow (Liu Yifei), on a journey to return the staff. Along the way, a (mostly) silent monk (Li, again), who has spent his life in search of the staff, joins their mission. He helps Lu Yan train Jason in fighting and adding more muscle to the party as it comes under siege from a violent witch (Li Bing Bing) and pathological warlord (Collin Chou). Screenwriter John Fusco (Hidalgo) and director Rob Minkoff (The Haunted Mansion) have made a slightly chintzy, Western version of a Chinese swords-and-sorcery tale. The gravity-defying, flying-through-the-air-while-fighting choreography looks pretty choppy and graceless compared to, say, the martial arts films of Zhang Yimou. But The Forbidden Kingdom is really aimed at kids, not aficionados of epic fight movies. On that score, the movie aims to please and does so for the right audience. -- Tom Keogh
Beyond The Forbidden Kingdom on DVD
 The Forbidden Kingdom Soundtrack |
Stills from The Forbidden Kingdom (click for larger image)
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Product Description
Individually, they've starred in the most adrenaline-pumping martial-arts adventures ever. Together for the first time, Jet Li and Jackie Chan join forces to create the greates epic of them all- THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. As ancient Chinese warriors, they must train and mentor a 21st century kung-fu fanatic who's been summoned to fight a centuries-old battle and free the imprisoned Monkey King. If you're a fighting fan, the wait is over. The team is ready. The Kingdom has arrived.
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38 of 46 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
3 ˝ - Stars: Entertaining and "Family-Friendly" Action-Fantasy film
June 23, 2008
Format:DVD
Jet Li and Jackie Chan: two of Hong Kong's most renowned superstars. Who would win in a fight? Who's faster and more agile? This question has been in every Martial Arts fans' mind and this project has been a long time in the making, Asian film fans have all but given up on the idea after the little melee in 1995 called "High Risk" wherein Li would play a bodyguard to Chan. It was said that Chan turned down the project because of his character's lack of creative depth, while someone I know who worked with him said it was Li who didn't want to work with Chan. Chan attempted to break into the Hollywood fold via "The Big Brawl" but it wasn`t really until "Rumble in the Bronx" and "Rush Hour" did he really get noticed. Jet Li stole the show in "Lethal Weapon 4" and enjoyed "Kiss of the Dragon`s" box-office success. Those projects were about ten years ago. "FORBIDDEN KINGDOM" may not be the best film to have them show their stuff and the two may have their best roles behind them, but hey, they can still duke it out like no one else.
Jason is a young man who is very obsessed with Asian Martial arts films. Most of the time, he spends his time in a pawnshop owned by a kindly old man in the hunt for rare Asian Films. One day, he crosses paths with a gang of bullies who intend to rob the old man. The old man asks Jason to take the staff away from all the chaos and as if by some stroke of fate, Jason find himself in another world, another time. A mystical world ruled by the evil Jade warlord (Collin Chou) who wants the very staff given him by the old man in the pawnshop. Supposedly the staff is the key to power in the kingdom and must be returned to its rightful owner; the Monkey King. He meets up with a drunken man named Lu Yan (Jackie Chan), a pretty young woman bent on vengeance named "Golden Sparrow" (Crystal Liu Yifei) and a stoic monk (Jet Li). Together they challenge the forces of the warlord led by a lovely silver-mane woman named Ni Chang ( Li Bing Bing, Dragon Heat) or perish in the attempt--
The film may be America's tribute to Asian cinema and surprisingly, the film is directed by Rob Minkoff; yes, the same director who gave us Disney's "Haunted Mansion". No big-shot Hong Kong director takes the helm but an American director. Don't worry, at least the filmmakers were smart enough to get the services of a legendary Martial Arts director; Yuen Woo-Ping. The film has a lot of references to Asian cinema, quite a lot that would put even Tarantino to shame. Ni Chang is lovely and looks like a tribute to the Wuxia epic; "Bride with White Hair". While Golden Sparrow is a tribute to Cheng Pei Pei's "Golden Swallow"; she even quotes "Come Drink with me", a Cheng Pei Pei film. The bamboo forest looks reminiscent to "A Touch of Zen" and "House of flying Daggers". Scenes of "A Monkey goes West" is even seen in Jason's Television screen. I was ready to bash this film until I saw it for what it was; an American-kid's tribute to Hong Kong cinema. Someone who loves Chan and Li, who would give Asian cinema the respect it deserves. The filmmakers had good intentions and as an Asian film fan, I applaud them for their ambition.
The film's showstopper lies in its hyper-kinetic action sequences. Yuen Woo-Ping (also responsible for Kill Bill, Kung Fu Hustle) knows his stuff and it is no surprise that he is Asia's premier fight choreographer. The fight between Chan and Li was fairly long and the film's main draw. Sure, the intensity isn't as hard-hitting as the climactic battles in "Legend of Drunken Master" and "Fist of Legend" but nonetheless, it was still masterfully done. Use of "wire fu" is obvious and the fight was well-executed and cleverly choreographed. It was very "family-friendly" as was its intention. The battles with Collin Chou (Donnie Yen's opponent in FlashPoint) was more bloody than the other fights but it still maintained its limits. There are quite a decent number of fight sequences that die-hard fans of Martial Arts films will be at home.
The performances are good for the most part; Li's performance isn't on his "The Warlords" caliber but it'll do as the quiet(?) monk. Chan's character is more witty and sharp-tongued. Chan's humorous appeal helps the film's pace and assists the scenes without any exciting action. Collin Chou's Jade warlord seemed a bit too underwhelming as the villain (the mascara has to go). However, his aid, Ni Chang (Played by Li Bing Bing) is so lovely that she eats up the screen with her whip-wielding, white-haired charisma that will undoubtedly strike a familiar image to Asian cinema fan boys. Sparrow may be the epitome of the ultimate Asian-woman; she has that intensity but maintains a girl next door look. Michael Angarano plays Jason; he may look very awkward at first but his character grew on me after awhile.
"Forbidden Kingdom" does have its share of problems but somehow, it overshadows them. The Yuen Woo-Ping directed fight sequences is the film's main strength, along with Jackie Chan's humorous appeal and it doesn't hurt to have Jet Li around either. The film is a bit too family-friendly for my tastes but thankfully, the filmmakers made it work. The plot is a bit too simple but it knew exactly what it wanted to do. Its execution may be lacking at times but the appearance of the classic "Golden Sparrow" and "Ni Chang" characters with Chan's character reminiscent of his "Drunken Master" days and Jet Li as a monk, reminiscent of Shaolin Temple; the film is an enjoyable affair. I give the American filmmakers credit where its due; they managed to get these two superstars together--something HK cinema wasn't really able to do.
RECOMMENDED! [3 ˝ - Stars]
Stallone and Schwarzenegger together?
I own the 2-disc HK release from JoySales. (same transfer should be utilized)
VIDEO/AUDIO: 2.40 anamorphic widescreen. The picture is amazing. Sharp, very detailed and clean with radiant colors. If the U.S. release sports the same transfer, it would look very impressive. I also hope that it would include the 6.1 DTS-ES audio as well as the 5.1 Dolby Digital track.
Features: Trailers--Cast/Crew interviews--Premier--Behind the scenes--Photo Gallery
The U.S. release should have a Digital copy.
Jason is a young man who is very obsessed with Asian Martial arts films. Most of the time, he spends his time in a pawnshop owned by a kindly old man in the hunt for rare Asian Films. One day, he crosses paths with a gang of bullies who intend to rob the old man. The old man asks Jason to take the staff away from all the chaos and as if by some stroke of fate, Jason find himself in another world, another time. A mystical world ruled by the evil Jade warlord (Collin Chou) who wants the very staff given him by the old man in the pawnshop. Supposedly the staff is the key to power in the kingdom and must be returned to its rightful owner; the Monkey King. He meets up with a drunken man named Lu Yan (Jackie Chan), a pretty young woman bent on vengeance named "Golden Sparrow" (Crystal Liu Yifei) and a stoic monk (Jet Li). Together they challenge the forces of the warlord led by a lovely silver-mane woman named Ni Chang ( Li Bing Bing, Dragon Heat) or perish in the attempt--
The film may be America's tribute to Asian cinema and surprisingly, the film is directed by Rob Minkoff; yes, the same director who gave us Disney's "Haunted Mansion". No big-shot Hong Kong director takes the helm but an American director. Don't worry, at least the filmmakers were smart enough to get the services of a legendary Martial Arts director; Yuen Woo-Ping. The film has a lot of references to Asian cinema, quite a lot that would put even Tarantino to shame. Ni Chang is lovely and looks like a tribute to the Wuxia epic; "Bride with White Hair". While Golden Sparrow is a tribute to Cheng Pei Pei's "Golden Swallow"; she even quotes "Come Drink with me", a Cheng Pei Pei film. The bamboo forest looks reminiscent to "A Touch of Zen" and "House of flying Daggers". Scenes of "A Monkey goes West" is even seen in Jason's Television screen. I was ready to bash this film until I saw it for what it was; an American-kid's tribute to Hong Kong cinema. Someone who loves Chan and Li, who would give Asian cinema the respect it deserves. The filmmakers had good intentions and as an Asian film fan, I applaud them for their ambition.
The film's showstopper lies in its hyper-kinetic action sequences. Yuen Woo-Ping (also responsible for Kill Bill, Kung Fu Hustle) knows his stuff and it is no surprise that he is Asia's premier fight choreographer. The fight between Chan and Li was fairly long and the film's main draw. Sure, the intensity isn't as hard-hitting as the climactic battles in "Legend of Drunken Master" and "Fist of Legend" but nonetheless, it was still masterfully done. Use of "wire fu" is obvious and the fight was well-executed and cleverly choreographed. It was very "family-friendly" as was its intention. The battles with Collin Chou (Donnie Yen's opponent in FlashPoint) was more bloody than the other fights but it still maintained its limits. There are quite a decent number of fight sequences that die-hard fans of Martial Arts films will be at home.
The performances are good for the most part; Li's performance isn't on his "The Warlords" caliber but it'll do as the quiet(?) monk. Chan's character is more witty and sharp-tongued. Chan's humorous appeal helps the film's pace and assists the scenes without any exciting action. Collin Chou's Jade warlord seemed a bit too underwhelming as the villain (the mascara has to go). However, his aid, Ni Chang (Played by Li Bing Bing) is so lovely that she eats up the screen with her whip-wielding, white-haired charisma that will undoubtedly strike a familiar image to Asian cinema fan boys. Sparrow may be the epitome of the ultimate Asian-woman; she has that intensity but maintains a girl next door look. Michael Angarano plays Jason; he may look very awkward at first but his character grew on me after awhile.
"Forbidden Kingdom" does have its share of problems but somehow, it overshadows them. The Yuen Woo-Ping directed fight sequences is the film's main strength, along with Jackie Chan's humorous appeal and it doesn't hurt to have Jet Li around either. The film is a bit too family-friendly for my tastes but thankfully, the filmmakers made it work. The plot is a bit too simple but it knew exactly what it wanted to do. Its execution may be lacking at times but the appearance of the classic "Golden Sparrow" and "Ni Chang" characters with Chan's character reminiscent of his "Drunken Master" days and Jet Li as a monk, reminiscent of Shaolin Temple; the film is an enjoyable affair. I give the American filmmakers credit where its due; they managed to get these two superstars together--something HK cinema wasn't really able to do.
RECOMMENDED! [3 ˝ - Stars]
Stallone and Schwarzenegger together?
I own the 2-disc HK release from JoySales. (same transfer should be utilized)
VIDEO/AUDIO: 2.40 anamorphic widescreen. The picture is amazing. Sharp, very detailed and clean with radiant colors. If the U.S. release sports the same transfer, it would look very impressive. I also hope that it would include the 6.1 DTS-ES audio as well as the 5.1 Dolby Digital track.
Features: Trailers--Cast/Crew interviews--Premier--Behind the scenes--Photo Gallery
The U.S. release should have a Digital copy.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
2008's "The Forbidden Kingdom," written by John Fusco and directed by Rob Minkoff, plays almost like a dry-run for the remake of "The Karate Kid" that was to be released two years later.
In this earlier film, Michael Angarano plays a martial arts movie geek who finds himself magically transported back to war torn Medieval China after he picks up a mysterious staff in a local porn shop. Jackie Chan stars as a supposed "Daoist immortal" who teaches the transplanted teen the ins and outs of martial arts - and who, apparently, has no trouble comprehending modern American English as spoken by a boy from South Boston. Jet Li portrays The Monkey King, an immortal who was turned into stone by the evil Jade Warlord and must now be freed with the help of the magic staff now in the boy's possession.
The major selling point of "The Forbidden Kingdom" is, of course, that it offers fans the rare opportunity of watching the two greatest icons of modern kung fu cinema doing what they do best in a single film.
Thus, while the script - filled as it is with action movie clichés, cheap sentimentality, two-bit philosophizing and anachronistic one-liners and quips - is certainly nothing to write home about, the production design and karate chop spectacle make the movie at least watchable for the martial arts movie geek in all of us.
In this earlier film, Michael Angarano plays a martial arts movie geek who finds himself magically transported back to war torn Medieval China after he picks up a mysterious staff in a local porn shop. Jackie Chan stars as a supposed "Daoist immortal" who teaches the transplanted teen the ins and outs of martial arts - and who, apparently, has no trouble comprehending modern American English as spoken by a boy from South Boston. Jet Li portrays The Monkey King, an immortal who was turned into stone by the evil Jade Warlord and must now be freed with the help of the magic staff now in the boy's possession.
The major selling point of "The Forbidden Kingdom" is, of course, that it offers fans the rare opportunity of watching the two greatest icons of modern kung fu cinema doing what they do best in a single film.
Thus, while the script - filled as it is with action movie clichés, cheap sentimentality, two-bit philosophizing and anachronistic one-liners and quips - is certainly nothing to write home about, the production design and karate chop spectacle make the movie at least watchable for the martial arts movie geek in all of us.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Mantis
Format:DVD
The long-awaited collaboration between Jackie Chan and Jet Li may have worked better 10 years ago, when the actors were still in their prime. When you consider the ages of the two (Chan at about 53, and Li at about 44, when this was filmed) they did do an amazing job. I'll be lucky if I can operate my TV remote by the end of this year. This is the most enjoyable work I've seen from Chan since "Who Am I" or "Gorgeous" in the late 90's. Li still looks good in performance (he does some fantastic stick-fighting), and we might still have a little while with him.
The plot is a cross between "The Never Ending Story" and "The Wizard of Oz", with a dash of "The Karate Kid" and "Highlander" thrown in. Point being: It's silly. Bearing that in mind, it's very well executed and visually stunning. Plus it contains a crapload of references to various Shaw Bros and Wuxia films. HERE GOES: A young martial-arts-movie-enthusiast named Jason (Michael Angarano) dreams about the Monkey King (Li) at night before entering an old store in Chinatown run by the elderly Hop (Chan), who sells bootleg DVDs. Some bullies then use Jason to break into Hop's, since he knows the owner. During the chaos, Hop is shot by the gang leader. Despite his injury, Hop gives Jason an old staff and tells him it must be returned to its rightful owner. Jason runs away from the gang to a nearby rooftop, where he is magically whisked away to ancient China! Having no idea how he got there, he wanders around until he is attacked by soldiers, who are looking for the staff. He is helped by a wandering drunk named Lu Yan (Chan, again), who tells him that the staff belongs to the Monkey King, and must be returned to him, and kept out of the clutches of the evil Jade Warlord (Collin Chou, "Flash Point", "Fearless") who imprisoned the Monkey King in the first place. Joining them along the way are Golden Sparrow (Yifei Liu), a young girl whose parents were killed by the Jade Warlord, and a monk (Li, again), whose vested interest is also to return the staff to the Monkey King.
The fights are done by Yuen Woo Ping, and while pretty good, could have been better. I know that he's the man when it comes to martial arts choreography, but I've grown tired of his style, especially concerning wires. He just doesn't seem to know when to say when. Luckily, this is the type of movie where it's more in keeping with the story. After all, this is a fantasy movie with plenty of magic. Hell; the Monkey King, the Jade Warrior, and Lu Yan are all immortals. In fact, Lu Yan is one of the 8 Drunken Immortals, referenced in a style during Chan and Woo Ping's 1978 classic "Drunken Master". One thing I will say about the fights is that there are quite a few of them, so I shouldn't gripe too much. There are some pretty sweet (and very creative) moments during the action, the highlight of which is the fight between Chan and Li. Their fight could never live up to its expectations, but it's still a lot of fun, much like the rest of the film. Even the character of Jason does some cool stuff in the last act. I rented this, and am considering purchase, so I musta liked it quite a bit. At the very least, this is the best martial arts fantasy aimed at kids since "Surf Ninjas".
Upon its initial release, there were already 3 versions of the disc, including Blu Ray. This DVD is in widescreen with fantastic picture quality. The xtras are plentiful, but I was hoping for some interviews with the two leads, whose behind-the-scenes antics are barely glimpsed during the other features. It's in English and some Cantonese with subtitles available in Spanish. This also has running commentary by director Rob Minkoff and screenwriter John Fusco. Fusco's script is based on the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West". I would love to see a serious movie about the legend of the Monkey King. He is the trickster of Chinese mythology, and I'm fascinated by his folklore. 3.5/5
2008
The plot is a cross between "The Never Ending Story" and "The Wizard of Oz", with a dash of "The Karate Kid" and "Highlander" thrown in. Point being: It's silly. Bearing that in mind, it's very well executed and visually stunning. Plus it contains a crapload of references to various Shaw Bros and Wuxia films. HERE GOES: A young martial-arts-movie-enthusiast named Jason (Michael Angarano) dreams about the Monkey King (Li) at night before entering an old store in Chinatown run by the elderly Hop (Chan), who sells bootleg DVDs. Some bullies then use Jason to break into Hop's, since he knows the owner. During the chaos, Hop is shot by the gang leader. Despite his injury, Hop gives Jason an old staff and tells him it must be returned to its rightful owner. Jason runs away from the gang to a nearby rooftop, where he is magically whisked away to ancient China! Having no idea how he got there, he wanders around until he is attacked by soldiers, who are looking for the staff. He is helped by a wandering drunk named Lu Yan (Chan, again), who tells him that the staff belongs to the Monkey King, and must be returned to him, and kept out of the clutches of the evil Jade Warlord (Collin Chou, "Flash Point", "Fearless") who imprisoned the Monkey King in the first place. Joining them along the way are Golden Sparrow (Yifei Liu), a young girl whose parents were killed by the Jade Warlord, and a monk (Li, again), whose vested interest is also to return the staff to the Monkey King.
The fights are done by Yuen Woo Ping, and while pretty good, could have been better. I know that he's the man when it comes to martial arts choreography, but I've grown tired of his style, especially concerning wires. He just doesn't seem to know when to say when. Luckily, this is the type of movie where it's more in keeping with the story. After all, this is a fantasy movie with plenty of magic. Hell; the Monkey King, the Jade Warrior, and Lu Yan are all immortals. In fact, Lu Yan is one of the 8 Drunken Immortals, referenced in a style during Chan and Woo Ping's 1978 classic "Drunken Master". One thing I will say about the fights is that there are quite a few of them, so I shouldn't gripe too much. There are some pretty sweet (and very creative) moments during the action, the highlight of which is the fight between Chan and Li. Their fight could never live up to its expectations, but it's still a lot of fun, much like the rest of the film. Even the character of Jason does some cool stuff in the last act. I rented this, and am considering purchase, so I musta liked it quite a bit. At the very least, this is the best martial arts fantasy aimed at kids since "Surf Ninjas".
Upon its initial release, there were already 3 versions of the disc, including Blu Ray. This DVD is in widescreen with fantastic picture quality. The xtras are plentiful, but I was hoping for some interviews with the two leads, whose behind-the-scenes antics are barely glimpsed during the other features. It's in English and some Cantonese with subtitles available in Spanish. This also has running commentary by director Rob Minkoff and screenwriter John Fusco. Fusco's script is based on the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West". I would love to see a serious movie about the legend of the Monkey King. He is the trickster of Chinese mythology, and I'm fascinated by his folklore. 3.5/5
2008
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
awesome movie
i had already seen this movie.i love jackie chan and jet li.they are awesome together.i had to have this movie
Published 15 days ago by MARLA RITCH
4.0 out of 5 stars
good
like martial arts and funny, this gives you that and a message. it enjoyed this movie very much, good family movie
Published 20 days ago by Kimberly Marshall
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Movie
Love this movie, it really is very entertaining. I love the comedic and dramatic mix. The movie is great for the entire family.
Published 20 days ago by Frequent_Buyer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jackie Cehan
I love all of Jackie Chan movies he always has a lot of action. Why is Jet Li given top billing?
Published 23 days ago by claude m. guptill
1.0 out of 5 stars
The forbidden kingdom
So this is what we have to watch now instead of American movies. China never had superheroes. For centuries they feared everybody and were unbelievably poor. Things change. Read more
Published 27 days ago by Michael
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Movie
I enjoyed this movie a lot. Good acting and the action was especially good. I would recommend this movie to everybody.
Published 1 month ago by Elizabeth Neale
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
We bought this to add to the video library and it has been a pretty popular item since purchased. Great!
Published 1 month ago by Jolene Esterline
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie
A must see if you like Jackie Chan and Jet Lee you love this movie too both martial arts masters in one movie really a must see
Published 1 month ago by Havocman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Martial arts goodness!
Jackie Chan AND Jet Li!!! Gotta love a movie with two of the greatest together. It is a favorite of my kiddos.
Published 1 month ago by C. Clark
5.0 out of 5 stars
grandson loves it
This is a book my grandson wanted and he read it cover to cover which he usually doesn't do since he gets bored easily.
Published 1 month ago by Ellen Baillargeon
