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The Forbidden Kingdom
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| Additional DVD options | Edition | Discs | Price | New from | Used from |
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DVD
November 17, 2008 "Please retry" | — | 1 | $6.42 | $5.11 |
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DVD
September 9, 2008 "Please retry" | Special Edition | 2 | $9.99 | $2.27 |
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DVD
January 27, 2009 "Please retry" | — | — |
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| $14.99 | — |
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| Genre | Action |
| Format | Multiple Formats, AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Dolby, Widescreen |
| Contributor | Yifei Liu, Rob Minkoff, Juana Collignon, Morgan Benoit, Mathew Tang, Thomas McDonell, XiaoLi Liu, Michael Angarano, Collin Chou, Bin Jiang, Jet Li, Shen Shou He, Shaohua Yang, Jun Cheng Hong, Jackie Chan, Zhi Ma Gui, Jack Posobiec, Bingbing Li, Yu Yuan Zeng, Xiao Dong Mei, Deshun Wang See more |
| Language | English |
| Runtime | 1 hour and 44 minutes |
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Product Description
Product Description
While hunting down bootleg kung-fu DVDs in a Chinatown pawnshop, Jason Tripitikas makes an extraordinary discovery that sends him hurtling back in time to ancient China. There, Jason is charged with a monumental task: he must free the fabled warrior the Monkey King, who has been imprisoned by the powerful Jade War Lord. Jason is joined in his quest by wise kung fu master Lu Yan and a band of misfit warriors including Silent Monk. But only by learning the true precepts of kung fu can Jason hope to succeed - and find a way to get back home.
Amazon.com
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)
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 1.33:1, 2.40:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
- Product Dimensions : 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 2.72 Ounces
- Audio Description: : English
- Item model number : 031398101093
- Director : Rob Minkoff
- Media Format : Multiple Formats, AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled, Dolby, Widescreen
- Run time : 1 hour and 44 minutes
- Release date : September 9, 2008
- Actors : Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Michael Angarano, Yifei Liu, Juana Collignon
- Dubbed: : French
- Subtitles: : Spanish, English
- Language : Unqualified
- Studio : Lionsgate
- ASIN : B001BEK8HO
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: #24,134 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #456 in Fantasy DVDs
- #2,917 in Action & Adventure DVDs
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonReviewed in the United States on November 26, 2018
Top reviews from the United States
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When I saw this film the first time, I thought it was okay. My preconceived notion of a white protagonist in an essentially all-Chinese cast got the best of my bias leading to me to believe it could've been better. The second time I saw it, I liked it a little more. The subtlety of the story and a few of the themes managed to get a little more empathy out of me. The third time I saw it (as of this review) with all of the extra features and having just been severely disappointed by the big-screen adaptation of The Last Airbender, I now love it. The Forbidden Kingdom is a prime example of how to fuse Eastern atmospherics with Western storytelling, something not easily done in recent memory aside from a handful of titles like Crouching Tiger, Hero, and Huo Yuan Jia (aka Fearless). Granted those are all strictly Chinese productions spoken in Chinese (i.e. more authentic), but what I find so great about Forbidden Kingdom is the degree of detail taken in really capturing the mysticism, fantasy, and martial arts essence of classic Chinese cinema and turning it into an adventurous kind of fairytale that can appeal to both Eastern and Western audiences alike. With people like Peter Pau (Crouching Tiger's photographer), the great Yuen Woo-Ping (choreographer to a lot of great martial arts movies), and two of the biggest Chinese stars in Jackie Chan and Jet Li, it's a grade-A crew. But big props to director Rob Minkoff, producer Casey Silver, and writer Jon Fusco for putting it all together. Thematically, I think the story represents two very important things: the journey West (as in Eastern beliefs and ideals coming to Hollywood), and a little bit of hero/idol-worship (sort of an inverted take on the journey East, since the whole thing was filmed over there and with a Chinese crew). The result was, for me, a very enjoyable film with a little bit of everything (action, adventure, comedy, drama, fantasy). On the downside, the fact that 75% of the movie is in English tends to detract the Chinese actors' performances a little, but I don't think the subtlety would've worked as well without it. But for what it is, I still think it makes for a great kind of escapism compared to another particular movie.
Video - 4.5
As mentioned above, the photography for the movie was done by Oscar-winner Peter Pau of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. And with that said, the video quality of Forbidden Kingdom has a very vibrant and lush presentation. Colors are bold, putting audiences right in the middle of some very beautiful locations around China. As most people probably know from his highly-acclaimed work in Crouching Tiger, the presence of deep green bamboo forests are present yet again in this movie, providing a lot of the same visual nuance and elegance seen there. Image detail is also excellent showing a lot of the fine textures and facial features in the backgrounds, costumes, and actors. Black levels have a nice inky quality to them as well and help in balancing out a lot of the subtle colors in the set design. Contrast is fine, and overall image quality rarely falters throughout the film's run. There were a few times where the image appeared a little softer, though it's never a major distraction. All in all, a great job by the crew, and kudos to Lionsgate for the excellent transfer.
Audio - 5.0
While the picture quality is just short of perfect for me, the 7.1 DTS-HD track delivers on all aspects. High and low ends are reproduced perfectly. Every nuance in the sound effects ranging from forest noise to wind blowing to water dropping is flawless. Dialogue stays clear and understandable (despite some thick accents) through the center channel with no dropout or quality issues. Separation is by far the most crucial factor dividing all sorts of noise throughout the front, sides, and rears. Pay especially close attention during any of the big battle sequences either one-on-one or group-versus-group. No matter how many people there are or how big the stage is, every single voice, sound effect, and chord of music come through clear and sharp. But my favorite scene is the fight between Jackie and Jet. A good deal of LFEs will literally roar your room when Jackie starts fighting in Tiger stance. There are also many other instances within the movie when a lot of body hits make for a nice bassy oomph as well. Outstanding effort by the people at Lionsgate.
Extras - 4.0
For what little there is quantitatively, there's actually a surprising amount of depth in the extras. The most riveting of them is in the P-i-P commentary which takes most of the other behind-the-scenes stuff, dices them into the movie, and adds a little more length to their overall importance. Mind you, the standalone extras are still good in their own right and worth watching (all in HD, too), but fans of the movie should definitely give each of these a watch. Topics discussed cover a lot of ground ranging from production, logistics, shooting, general perspective on both Chinese filming and overall culture and how it's perceived in the West, the conditions in which the film came to be written and cast, and much more. I found all of them to be quite informative and hope that in seeing this movie, more audiences (myself included) will find something to explore and discover beyond just Hollywood.
Overall - 4.5
To this day, I consider The Forbidden Kingdom to be amongst my favorite martial arts fantasy epics. It does an excellent job of blending East and West and makes for a very fun adventure movie. It's something of an oddity in that I feel it's geared more towards the kung fu fanboy in all of us, but at the same time it somehow manages to stand on its own as a kind of fairytale story as well. With some of the top of the top in production crew and cast, the film is a wonderful experience in discovery and movie-watching and is presented with excellence in another great effort by Lionsgate. Highly recommended for martial arts and fantasy fans.
I had a sinking feeling a while ago, when I saw that this movie was being promoted with the youngsters in mind. Turns out, THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM is good enough that I'm glad I got the chance to see it, and to enjoy it for what it is, which is a decent but routine and defanged martial arts picture aimed at kids. But should fans of Jet Li and Jackie Chan feel cheated? Maybe. Probably.
The premise revolves around Jason Tripitkas (Michael Angarano), a bullied Boston teenager who is geeked about all things wushu, to the extent that he hangs out a lot at a shabby Chinese shop in search of bootleg kung fu movies. An unconvincing chain of events transports this kid back in time to an enchanted ancient China, during the reign of heavenly emperors, mighty warlords and the legendary Monkey King. Jason ends up with the Monkey King's staff and unwillingly sets off on a quest to free the trapped Monkey King, who had been transformed into stone. It's the only way Jason can get home.
The kid meets and is taken under the wing of the tatterred, boozy Lu Yan (Chan), one of the eight Immortals, with this particular Immortal's powers stemming from a constant intake of wine (those who've already seen Drunken Master will get a refresher course on drunken-fist kung fu). Some time in the movie, Jet Li's white-robed Silent Monk shows up and, along with Lu Yan, strives to mentor the kid (cue in flashes of THE KARATE KID). And naturally there's also a beautiful but troubled orphan girl named Golden Sparrow, who's out to revenge her murdered parents. And Sparrow touts a mean martial arts skill set. These four end up challenging the fearsome Jade Warlord, who rules ancient China with an iron fist and who can magically influence earth (he was the one who transformed the Monkey King into a stone statue). The Jade Warlord right away shows the potential to be a pretty formidable big bad, but in the end the predictable storyline renders him mediocre.
Thing is, THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM is much less than what I expected from a first teaming up of Jet Li and Jackie Chan. These two icons deserve more. It would've been wicked cool if they'd landed a richer, more ambitious, more epic story. Something with a more emotional and philosophical core. An R Rating also would've elevated this film, possibly have made it darker and more intense in tone. Instead of this lightweight product, which is entertaining, but is still fluff. The movie also instantly lost credibility points with me when the main protagonist turned out to be this American kid, and that the bookend scenes took place in the U.S. No knock on the kid, 'cause he was okay, but I can't help but feel that this collaboration would've been better served - would've resonated more - if filmed in the East and in Chan and Li's native tongue. Because then they would've been fully in their element. In this movie, Jackie Chan's accent is thick enough that, most times, I couldn't understand his lines; I was craving sub-titles so bad. By doing it the way they did, the film certainly takes advantage of the two stars' crossover appeal. But a measure of integrity and street cred slips away. Was I expecting too much, hoping for a meaningful movie?
The very best parts, it shouldn't be a surprise, are the action sequences, with the riveting one-on-one tussle between Jackie and Jet shaming the other fight scenes (although Jackie's tavern brawl is also nice). It does shock me a bit that both of these guys are still so limber and athletic; I believe Jackie was 54 years old at the time and Jet, 45. But then, with action choreographer Woo-Ping Yuen in charge, we're talking first rate wire-fu stuff here. Jet is quite good as the Silent Monk (he scatters a few words here and there) and also as the cheeky, mystical Monkey King. Note that Jackie also plays two roles, although his old shopkeeper isn't really a very sexy part. However, his inebriated Immortal is certainly showy enough. Jackie and Jet's moments together make for intriguing viewing, not so much because they're tearing up the scenery or anything, but more because of the historical significance. Throughout the watching of the film, I couldn't quite believe that someone had finally managed to get these two together.
Yifei Liu plays Golden Sparrow, who annoyingly refers to herself in the third person. Bingbing Li is the Jade Warlord's accomplice Ni Chang, who will remind old-schoolers of the classic The Bride With White Hair . I read that these two girls, who are big names in the East, didn't have an extensive background in the martial arts, but that they trained their you-know-whats off and, on screen, they end up looking like they know what they're doing. They're quite graceful.
There are bits of humor present, mostly provided by Jackie Chan's Lu Yan. The funniest bit takes place when Lu Yan, in the scorching desert, prays for water and then kind of has his wish granted. In a way, what happens to Lu Yan in that scene is kind of how I feel the hardcore martial arts fans were treated.
The visuals are very good, but don't quite achieve the spectacular poetry of HERO or HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS or CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. The CGI stuff here is okay, but, honestly, I would've bartered the computer effects for more of Jackie and Jet in action. They may now be older and greyer and less spry, but you won't convince me that they can't still qualify as walking, breathing, kicking, punching, flippin' human highlights.
If you're craving family film fluff, then THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM is made to order. But if you're a diehard fan of Jet Li and Jackie Chan, you might not help but feel a bit cheated.
Top reviews from other countries
This movies combines the greatness of the original story "Journey to the West" and both elements that Chan and Li bring to the movie. I would have given this 5 stars if it wasnt for the terrible american actors in the beginning who really fails as the "Bully".
The american kid who is there throughout the film is good and is good for the western audiance but the one thing that keeps me from watching this over and over is that I dont like the opening with the cringe worthy over the top acting of the bully.
This had girls I watched it with crying and I really liked the action and the adaption li gives to the Monkey character making this good for the kids and the fans of the old tv series "Monkey".
Well worth the watch and a great addition to any blu-ray collection.
Is it one of the greatest Martial Arts or chop-socky movies ever? No.
The american protagonist is not as engaging as he should be. I can't help but maybe at least partially agree with another reviewer that less western and more eastern influence would have helped this movie some.
Blu-ray wise, the film is okay. Picture is up to nominal Blu-ray levels, though I am not 100% sure about the sound (which is still good enough either way).
However, for those who have been entertained by both Jackie Chan and Jet Li for many years, this film is still a good tip-of-the-hat. In fact, the fight between the two is especially good.
While the combination of Jet Li and Jackie Chan, along with some of the biggest names in martial arts films working behinds the scenes, all makes for fantastic and flowing fight scenes, the producers and directors have gone to obvious lengths to ensure that the film has more depth than a straight martial arts film.
The other characters are shown to have depths and their own stories within the film, while the spectacular scenery shows "The Forbidden Kingdom" at its best.
All in all, an excellent film, and definately worth watching.



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