The Forbidden Kingdom Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
The path is unsafe. The place is unknown. The journey is unbelievable.
The battle for eternity is the fantasy of a lifetime. (Canadian poster)
An American teenager who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and kung-fu classics makes an extraordinary discovery in a Chinatown pawnshop: the legendary stick weapon of the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King. With the lost relic in hand, the teenager unexpectedly finds himself traveling back to ancient China to join a crew of warriors from martial arts lore on a dangerous quest to free the imprisoned Monkey King.
| Jet Li | The Monkey King, The Silent Monk |
| Michael Angarano | Jason Tripitikas |
| Jackie Chan | Lu Yan, Old Hop |
| Yifei Liu | Golden Sparrow, Chinatown Girl |
| Collin Chou | Jade Warlord |
| Juana Collignon | Southie Girl |
| Morgan Benoit | Lupo |
| Bingbing Li | Ni Chang |
| Jack Posobiec | Southie |
| Thomas McDonell | Young Southie |
| Zhi Ma Gui | Old Woman |
| Shen Shou He | Farmer |
| Rob Minkoff |
6.80 out of 10 (34836 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Jade Warlord - lolz?
posted on 28 Aug 2009Most of you probably don't know this. If you've read the famous book from Qing Dynasty, something like "Journey to the West", you will know more about monkey king. He was born from a rock after absorbing the sunlight and moonlight for X years, blahblahblah. Went to Mountain of Flowers and Fruits and become the king of monkey in that mountain. Sailed oversea and found himself a great teacher and learned 57 changes. Now you know why he can change his hair into anything. He can also change his form into anything. Got his staff from the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea after he returned to the Mountain of Flowers and Fruits. Defies the Heaven Gods. Defeated the heaven army sent by Jade Emperor. Jade Emperor is pretty much self-explanatory, the emperor of the gods. Jade Emperor was not a warlord, there is no one above him in authority! PS Monkey King can change the size of his staff into size of the needle or the size of Mt. Everest! He usually stored his staff in his ear, and in this MOVIE, it was WAY OFF!!!!This movie is purely changed for western entertainment, definitely a nono for any Chinese who doesn't want to see this ridiculous change in the long famous fiction/novel.Other than that, the movie itself was okay. It's pretty bad if it weren't for the sake of Jackie Chan and Jet Li. And white hair witch is pretty cute :D Hope she doesn't turn out into another Zhang ZiYi
The Monkey King
posted on 16 Aug 2009For sure I wanted to watch the movie with Jackie Chan and Jet Li together, for the first time, so I went to the movie theater and now I'm glad I did it. This could not have a better beginning with that wonderful tribute to classic martial arts movies and in the end I was satisfied. Although is a story that ends just like you were imagine it manages to be an extremely enjoyable film that entertains you since the first scene to the last one and that makes homage not only to the old school martial arts movies and to the Chinese literature and mythology, of course, but also to Jackie Chan and Jet Li themselves. They are in the same side however not before we see that fight. Is kind of interesting the concept that The Forbidden Kingdom present to us, we watch two actors doing what they know to do so of course in the movie they are masters. The protagonist is like the ones that are watching the movie in the way that he is a fan of martial arts movies and in the way that he lives in present day Boston so in our time. He is a normal young man who does suffer with the classic bullies, he doesn't know Kung Fu but he does know the name of any Bruce Lee movie and Shaw Brothers movie. He will arrive to ancient China, is like until that moment he entered to the movie. Is funny because the references that the protagonist Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano) has about Kung Fu comes from Bruce Lee and others, he will need someone else to survive. The classic story of someone who can't do something but must do that something for many reasons, Jason is seen as part of a prophecy. So there you have the teachers of Jason in both Jackie Chan and Jet Li and eventually we will have in Golden Sparrow (Liu Yi Fei) the classic person who wants revenge, who is part of the consequences and with that who will be a helper. There is good stuff however nothing impressive with Jackie Chan, Jet Li and the rest involved in the fights. Jackie Chan vs. Jet Li. Talking with some friends about this movie bring for obvious reasons that question, I mean Jackie Chan or Jet Li, and it was interesting and funny to hear the different opinions. One of them said something like "I'm a fan of both. I'm with Jackie Chan no matter his bad Hollywood films since he has never portrayed a retarded". He was referring to Jet Li's performance in Danny the Dog and it was a really funny comment. I'm with Jackie Chan too but not for that reason! (I even found a nice and enjoyable film in Danny the Dog). They are old right now, Jackie Chan is very funny and Jet Li enters to keep that fun but in a more "mature" way. Soon after their characters meet that OBLIGATED fight happens and by the end of it they are friends. That fight is certainly well done but it is not very valuable, I liked other things of this film more. Bruce Lee will not be the master of Jason but he really can't look down on both Chan and Li as his new masters. This was a worth watching film, I liked it a lot certainly. Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li were the biggest inspirations of Tony Jaa. Watch this film to have a fun time, watch The Protector to talk about modern memorable fights.
Great Fun!
posted on 12 Aug 2009If you like Kung Fu movies, this film has something for you. Even if you're Luke-warm, I think you will enjoy it as well. It features a heavy Wizard of Oz flavor but I can't say too much without entering in to spoiler territory. The Kung Fu action is as good as it gets. Would you expect anything less from these two legends of Kung Fu cinema? The first minutes of this movie really had me worried but there is no need to fear. The silly wire-fu mountaintop scene is not indicative of how the rest of the movie plays out. It unfolds remarkably well, especially given the circumstances of the plot. The storyline is fantastical but it's also smart and fun. The characters are instantly likable and probably the greatest strength of the film only behind the amazing Kung Fu action sequences and brawls. One of the few fantasy/action films where the wild action actually makes sense when the final curtain falls.One of the most fun films of the year.
Nothing new, but entertaining nonetheless
posted on 10 Aug 2009I waited a long time to watch this movie because of the -bad- reviews I read. When I did finally decide to watch it my expectations were quite low. To the contrary of what lots of reviews made me believe, the movie is quite entertaining. Not a groundbreaking storyline, no superior acting but in the end it is what I expected of the pairing of Jet Li and Jackie Chan in Hollywood. Both actors clearly had fun making this even though both have expressed their aversion to the silly American martial arts films. The story is captivating enough to keep you interested and some of the jokes put a big grin on my face. Not a movie for the history books but not exactly a total waste of time.
Brilliant martial arts fantasy
posted on 10 Aug 2009The forbidden kingdom stands surely as one of Jet Li's best movies and as a comeback movie for the legendary Jackie Chan.They are both casted right in this charming martial arts fantasy , Jet Li is very believable in his role as a monk and even in that of a monkey fighter and on the other hand Jackie Chan is obviously good as a drunken master in which role we've already seen him twice in both versions of his Drunken master movies.The special effects are pretty good too and the spirit of Bruce Lee is obvious in this movie because his name is mentioned and shown at least four times.Especially for Jackie Chan this movie should revive his career after the mega disaster of Around The World In 80 Days and other failures like The Tuxedo and The Medallion.
The Forbidden Kingdom Movie Review by The Massie Twins
posted on 06 Aug 2009How long have we waited to see Jackie Chan and Jet Li finally get pitted against one another on the big screen? How could their long-awaited collaboration be anything but smashingly sensational? The only way to embarrassingly shatter our images of Jackie Chan and Jet Li finally dueling (with a wide array of masterfully choreographed fight sequences) would be to put them in a fantastical Tolkienesque world, brimming with immortals, prophecies, CG-laden magic and time travel. So that's what The Forbidden Kingdom does.Kung fu consumed American teen Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano) must travel back in time to reunite a golden staff with its rightful owner - the Monkey King. In his quest to bring order back to the ancient Chinese world he has teleported to, he is aided by Lu Yan (Jackie Chan), an immortal who uses wine and drunken fighting to gain the upper hand; Sparrow (Yifei Liu), a young female warrior whose parents were killed by the injurious ruler known as the Jade Warlord; and Silent Munk (Jet Li), a guardian who is also on a mission to retrieve the staff.The Monkey King has been imprisoned in stone for 500 years, and his only hope of restoring peace to ancient China is to regain his legendary weapon. Jason undergoes numerous adventures during his journey to the Temple of the 5 Elements, where the immortal Jade Warlord resides with his massive army, including fighting off hundreds of soldiers, and a white-haired demoness with a deadly whip.All of the colorful and chaotic characters in the film are based on Chinese mythology, adventure pulps, and classic kung fu movies, but the average viewer isn't going to notice. You would have to be as obsessed as the ambivalent main character to recognize the borrowed concepts from ancient Chinese legend and lore. What the average viewer will undoubtedly notice is the extreme goofiness of the story, all of the plot holes that typically accompany such fantasy fare, and the many quick zooms on ominous faces and statuesque martial arts stances. And perhaps question why Jason already knows how to ride a horse, or why a Jet Li/Jackie Chan movie actually stars a scrawny American boy.Drenched in eye-rolling fantasy jargon (such as chi magic) and grossly stereotypical characters, the plot is somewhat reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz or Black Knight (the Martin Lawrence film) insomuch as the lead character journeys to a fantasy world designed to match an overactive imagination. Fueled by fanciful yearnings for adventure and excitement, Jason explores lavish settings, including a merciless desert, luscious rainforests, and humongous stone temples, where Woo-Ping Yuen's stunning fight choreography can look very impressive. In an unbelievable world, the fighting gets equally far-fetched, and so wire-fu sequences tend to overtake realistic brawling, constantly breaking up the marvel of watching two legendary martial arts masters finally square off.The costumes are divine, the snowy-haired Asian-Jessica-Alba demoness is an interesting nemesis, and comedic training montages are abundant, but The Forbidden Kingdom forgets to show us entertainment. Lu Yan remarks that to be remembered is true immortality – which makes it a crying shame that this pitiable film will probably be the only thing to remind us of Jackie Chan and Jet Li's only movie collaboration.- The Massie Twins
A kung-fu adventure fantasy.
posted on 06 Aug 2009Decent martial arts fantasy adventure movie about a spineless American kid charged with returning a magical staff to it's rightful owner, the "Monkey King" who, thru deceit has been turned into stone. Joining the kid on his quest are 3 fighters: a slovenly drunk who does drunken-style kung-fu, a monk skilled in other forms of kung-fu, and a very feminine and beautiful girl whose specialty is sticking it to you. -That is to say, she's the mistress of sharp pointy things. So there you have it. Now if you have nothing better to do and want to indulge me, read on.The movie looks like it had a healthy budget. By that, I simply mean that it didn't look low-budget. We've all seen our share of low-budget movies (some of them pretty good, actually). Anyway, you know what they look like. -More to the point, you know what the make-up looks like. Which brings me back to this movie: In it Jackie Chan had long scruffy black hair that was "very obviously" a wig. It was the only thing in the movie that looked cheap. He wasn't alone wearing an obvious wig; there was a witch (Only by profession fellas, not by looks. Woof!) who had on a platinum one. But at least hers was neat and clean and possibly less noticeable for that reason. Jackie Chan's wig, on the other hand, looked like something that when not on his head, occupied the end of a stick dusting and cleaning.So I'm thinking: Couldn't they have spent a little more time and/or money in make-up to make it look more believable? It's a small thing, I know. But in a movie that overall doesn't look cheap, it couldn't help but stand out --well, to me, anyway. For some quirky reason my mind periodically kept wandering back to Jackie Chan's head and asking: What's holding that thing on?Over and over again, especially during the fight scenes. Eventually a more reasonably part of my mind responded with: It doesn't matter. It's a small thing. Enjoy the kung-fu.This seemed to assuage Quirky (me) for a while, but then some minutes later: Pins, tape, glue, weave, what?!! --For god's sake, help me out here!!!So needless to say it was a bit of a distraction -and an unnecessary one- if a bit more time and/or money was spent in make-up. What could I do but play along with that quirky part of my mind and answer: It's probably "super glue".Quirky: Yeah? You really think so?Me: Something like that, anyway.Quirky: Sheesh! You're probably right. Looks god-awful, though.Me: Yes, it does.Love, Boloxxxi.
To say it's a letdown is a gross understatement
posted on 06 Aug 2009Anyone knows that the kings of martial arts are Jet Li and Jackie Chan. So, like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in "Heat" and the upcoming "Righteous Kill" would be a big box-office draw based just upon that. Usually in movies like that the star power is really the biggest selling point, but here not even that can save this movie."The Forbidden Kingdom" is bad right from the getgo. At first, it appears that John Fusco's script is trying to be a mix of "The Karate Kid"-esquire movies and a homage to Asian martial arts movies, except that director Rob Minkoff doesn't get this (everyone else seems to understand this, though). But then about halfway through EVERYTHING falls apart.The acting is almost all around awful. It's no wonder why everyone thinks of martial arts instead of acting ability when Jet Li is brought up, because he doesn't have any of the latter. Whenever he's on screen, it's clear that he has no idea what he's supposed to be doing (an exception is when he's on screen as The Monkey King, but even that's not especially noteworthy). The best thing that I can say about Jackie Chan is that he looks ridiculous in dreadlocks. I think it's time for him to say goodbye to martial arts, because he's getting too old to do what he used to, and the stuff that he still can do is an insult to what he used to be able to do. Nearly everyone else is either unmemorable, or so bad that I don't want to bother mentioning them.I said "nearly everyone else" because there is an exception: Michael Angarano. Angarano is a very talented young man, and he's the only one who keeps this movie watchable. Hopefully his exposure in a mainstream movie will get his name out to big producers.I was wondering how two big names like Jackie Chan and Jet Li could allow themselves to be seen in a movie this awful. The reason (I hope) is that they were probably paid a huge amount of the film's budget, because everything else is lackluster.If you're going to showcase two actors together, at least give the audience a payoff.
A Fun Movie That's Worth Looking Past Its Many Flaws.
posted on 04 Aug 2009The marketing for this movie basically wrote itself. Martial arts superstars Jackie Chan and Jet Li starring in a movie together at last! The movie poster caught my attention as a kung fu lover straight away. I love Jackie Chan! Have since I was a kid. Admittedly, I didn't know much about Jet Li yet, but I knew he was good. But when I watched the movie, I realised that it wasn't exactly what I expected. Li and Chan's roles were basically as supporting characters, albeit extremely important ones, to the fairly unlikeable character of Jason (Michael Angarano, of Sky High fame), a martial arts movie loving American teenager who has been transported to this ancient world, where he must return an ancient staff to the Monkey King, Son Wukong (Jet Li), who is the hero of the old tale Journey to the West. He does this with the help of and old immortal (Jackie Chan), a Monk (also played by Jet Li) and a young girl (Liu Yifei) out for revenge against the villain of the movie, the Jade Warlord (Collin Chou) and his gang. That's all I'm really going to say about the plot.Now, the problem I have with the character of Jason is not so much that he's some American kid who seems too out of place in the movie, it's more that the character is very flat and uninteresting. There is nothing that really sets him apart from most other teenage movie heroes (including his own character from Sky High). A lot of his scenes in the movie are cringe worthy, and he brings the movie down a little. Although, it's not all bad, he does actually have some pretty cool action scenes of his own, so he's almost made worthwhile there. It's kind of hard to tell how well he was acted, since it seems he doesn't have much to work with. Now, Jackie Chan was awesome as always. His character was a lot of fun to watch on screen, and he brought the same charm he always seems to bring to his movies. Jet Li did a great job as well, both as the Silent Monk and the Monkey King. Chan and Li worked really well together, and had great on screen chemistry. I hope to see them re-teaming for more movies in the future. Liu Yifei didn't really do a bad job playing her character, it's just that the character wasn't really necessary, and only seemed to be there so the group would have a female. Collin Chou played the "paint by numbers" villain decently, as well.Now, the action scenes are what really bring the movie up to a good level. The great Yuen Woo-ping choreographed the action sequences, which is a big plus, as he was the director of one of my favourite martial arts movies, Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, as well as the fantastic Drunken Master. Those are definitely some to check out, if you haven't already. Back to the movie at hand, it had some great fights. The highlight of the movie was easily the long fight between Li and Chan, which made my heart cry out in joy. It was easily my favourite fight scene of 2008. A lot of the action was different to many other martial arts movies, with characters using magic and Chi and such to attack, which I really dug.All in all, it's not exactly a great movie, and there are a few scenes that may make you groan, but there is a lot of great action, as well as a lot of the typical Jackie Chan style humour throughout the movie, with Li showing a more comedic side as well, making the movie a lot of fun. If martial arts and such aren't really your thing, than I can safely say you should give this a miss, but if you're into it, then there is a good chance that this movie is worth a watch, if only for watching two kung fu geniuses duke it out.
Campy, but it works.
posted on 02 Aug 2009Think action, think campy, think chipper with the slightest underlining drama. That is basically what you get here with The Forbidden Kingdom.Most films with that genetic Hollywood make-up stumble into a overly sappy, buddy-picture lameness, but instead The Forbidden Kingdom stands strong actually. See where other films lay the campy-ness on thick, TFK makes sure it doesn't go too far, and of course it has that Chinese, Hong Kong trademarked action fight scenes that are fun to watch.Although this isn't the Jet Li, Jackie Chan movie we were expecting, TFK is sure to please and surprise most movie-goer's.8 out of 10
story is nothing special but these stars are such fun to watch it ceases to matter
posted on 27 Jul 2009The highly anticipated pairing of martial arts masters Jackie Chan and Jet Li comes to a head in this entertaining (if shallow) fantasy-adventure. Formulaic but engaging tale centers around a callow American youngster and avid kung fu lover who's transported to ancient China where under the tutelage of a boozing immortal (Chan) he goes on a perilous mission to return a mystical staff to its rightful owner: the one and only Monkey King (Li). Slim story ingredients are mostly just a ploy to put Li and Chan in the same film, fortunately they're both in great form (Li with his quickness and agility, Chan with his irrepressible charm and energy) delivering dazzling, one of a kind fight scenes, aided by a script that doesn't require lots of thinking but does have a wonderfully silly sense of humor. Swift, flashy, and full of action it never reaches the level of awe-inspiring, but still delivers the goods thanks to its two formidable stars. ***
Monkey King!
posted on 19 Jul 2009If you are familiar with the TV series about the Monkey King (which is the one that plays on Jason's TV when he wakes up in his room at the very beginning of the movie), you'll understand more details that are helpful to understand The Forbidden Kingdom.I love the humorous scenes and lines every now and then more than the plot itself. It was nice how the movie made the transition between Chinese and English just with one line by Jackie Chan - I absolutely loved it. It kept you away from the annoyed thought, "How do everyone including ancient Chinese people, monsters, aliens, or even animals speak English in movies?" Of course you already assumed so the moment you bought the ticket, but hey, it's nice to have an explanation somehow. I also loved the scene when Jet Li and Jackie Chan actually spoke to each other the first time after fighting in Chinese with English subtitle. My friends and I don't understand a word in Chinese, so we could feel the frustration of the poor kid who is thrown into the kung-fu world all the way from South Boston! Of course none of the Boston Chinatown I've seen on movies look like the actual one, but I guess it's OK... as soon as you see Chinese people, Chinese signs, Chinese-looking stores... oh well.Liu Yi Fei has a long way to prove herself in Hollywood. She's the girl who plays the traditional musical instrument for no martial arts purpose which disappointed me... Bingbing Li is, IMO, actually better in this movie. One big reason is probably because Bingbing Li's eyes and facial expressions are more sensational than those of Liu Yi Fei. I watched her before in the Chinese TV drama series "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" and felt the same way about her lack of emotional expressions -- for this series was done in Chinese then translated to other languages, language is definitely not an excuse here for Liu Yi Fei. This is her first footstep inside the door of Hollywood movies though, so we'll see.Overall I think it's a nice movie with strong casting, but Jet Li and Jackie Chan can definitely do better than this, together. At least they're bringing the American audience to the kungfu that is very familiar with Asian audience, not just Bruce Lee's kungfu. (We can see lots of Bruce Lee's photos at the beginning of the movie.) The Forbidden Kingdom should show you that kungfu in movies could date way back into history with its moves, rules, and meanings that are strongly related to the traditional Chinese/martial arts values such as patience, loyalty, and willpower.
The NeverEnding Kung-Fu story
posted on 19 Jul 2009The 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.
A film for the kids, but even they might not be impressed.
posted on 19 Jul 2009The Forbidden Kingdom tells the story of an American kid in a mythical Chinese land.The plot is ludicrously clichéd, and many of the opening characters are as well.Grandiose over the top Chinese style orchestral music floods every moment of the movie, adding a particular corniness which really ruins any seriousness in the film. A few random moments of humour cannot the redeem the cheesy acting and ridiculous predictability.Rob Minkoff should stick to doing classics like his brilliant kids films, the lion king and Stuart little. If your interested in Chinese mythology, I am sure there are better movies than this.The action scenes are not even that good, the fighting is repetitive and most of the moves are seen in the first couple of fights, with no imaginative situations and too much wire work (a gross understatement).This movie is awful, and probably too violent to take small children, who would have the least chance of hating it (although that chance still very much exists).Don't waste your cash on this, go see the dark knight again, or take the kids to wall-e (if it is out in your country).
Jackie and Jet together is the only reason why you should watch it.
posted on 19 Jul 2009Jackie Chan and Jet Li in one movie. 'Nuff said.Sad to say this is the only reason why you should watch this movie. The plot is formulaic and predictable. There is absolutely no depth to the story and it will feel like watching an old Saturday morning cartoon.It's just your garden variety "unwitting hero finds magic staff, gets transported to an ancient, mythical China and has to save the world" plot.The characters are all too one dimensional. A great example would be the generic evil warlord that wants to control the world (with a penchant for eyeshadow) that our heroes have to face.However, I can't say that the flick isn't entertaining. Seeing Jackie Chan and Jet Li fighting was simply priceless and I don't think it'll happen again anytime soon. It's just too bad that for a movie like this, they could have invested a bit more on better writing.
A good action movie but only a good action movie
posted on 17 Jul 2009It's a true history that a monk named Xuan Zang go to India for Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty（AD618-907). It's had been more than 20 years when he got back.He is a legend.As his brilliant life and great achievements,a novelist adapted his story for a mythology novel.It's ridiculous to say that the film is a Chinese Mythology.It's have no relationship between the history and movie.And it only copy the names from the novel，such as Monkey King. As a Chinese,I have no interest in the story that the movie tells,but feel exiting about Jet Li and Jackie Chen's first time.It's very attractive.I have been to the cinema twice but still haven't saw the film.The tickets always sold out.Everyone gets crazy.What I know about the film all comes from the introduction and the trailer. It's a Commeredia film, a good action and comedy film,and it's all.
A Martial Arts fan dream come true of the teaming of Jackie Chan and Jet Li.
posted on 11 Jul 2009Jackie Chan and Jet Li are awesome in this entertaining flick. Watching this looked like it was fun to make,as it was fun to watch. It was an awesome blend of comedy and action. Jackie Chan and Jet Li are like the martial arts odd couple. Not to mention the scenery is also good, that also takes on a character itself.The story begins with Jason(Michael Angarano, who is best known from Lords Of Dogtown and Sky High) is a kung fu film nut, one day finds a staff, and it pulls him into another dimension, where he teams up with two awesome kung fu fighters(Jackie Chan and Jet Li) in hopes to return the staff to the imprisoned warrior named The Monkey King(Jet Li). But will they make it before it is too late? The fight scenes where awesome. For martial arts fans, please see it, you won't be disappointed.
What the Heck Happened?
posted on 09 Jul 2009So I went into this movie expecting it to blow me away. I mean, Jet Li...AND Jackie Chan?? I figured they couldn't go wrong with a cast like that. But unfortunately, I was wrong. First of all: why do we even bother with the scenes in America. Or better yet, why does the teenage boy even exist? I feel like this would have been much more successful had it been taken seriously by the American filmmakers who created it. The kid, quite frankly, cannot act, be funny, punch, or kick...so...why not delete him entirely. Set the film in China or wherever it was supposed to take place. Have Jackie in possession of the staff. Have Jet Li be the Monkey King...except he should probably take on a more sinister role rather than a hoppity little man. And let it roll from there. Wow, I should be a director. Cause if I were given two huge stars like Jet and Jackie, I would not have made a complete mess of this amazing opportunity. By all means though, see it if you want to see aesthetically pleasing fight scenes. This is, of course why we go to see these movies. I was just befuddled when the opening scene of Jet Li fighting on the mountain tops quickly switched to some nobody American teen actor who had no right to ruin a perfectly good film. Thanks for reading. 5/10 -aws
An American boy gets into an ancient Kung Fu fantasy.
posted on 07 Jul 2009This is a very attractive movie, filmed mostly in China. It starts in Boston, where Michael Angarano as Jason Tripitikas is friends with an old Chinese man, Old Hop, played by Jackie Chan in old man makeup. Some thugs beat on Jason and make him take them to the old man's place of business to rob him. In the process Jason gets an ancient staff that Old Hop tells him has to be delivered to its owner, a Chinese warrior who owned it 500 years earlier. As Jason runs from the thugs and ends up on a high rooftop, the staff literally takes him over the edge and when he wakes up finds himself in an ancient Chinese fantasy world.In that world he meets up with Jackie Chan as Lu Yan, who many years later would become Old Hop. Lu Yan is one of those immortal warriors of Chinese legend, and his "elixir" is wine. As long as he has a steady supply of it he is fine.Lu Yan relates the story of Jet Li as The Monkey King, who was tricked and turned to stone. Only if his staff is given back to him can he resume his normal life. Jet Li also plays the The Silent Monk who goes along with Lu Yan and Jason to complete the mission.There is of course a love interest for Jason, pretty Yifei Liu as Golden Sparrow. When he completes his mission and gets back to Boston, he encounters her as a Chinatown Girl who catches his eye.The movie is done in mainly a comic fantasy adventure style. We enjoyed it. SPOILERS: When Jason gets back to himself in Boston, he gets picked on again by the thugs, the leader of which knows some martial arts fighting skills. But Jason with his newly learned technique from Lu Yan and The Silent Monk, whips up on the thug and has the rest of the guys run away. He is a new person!!
Kung Fu Fan's ENJOY!
posted on 30 Aug 2009Watching a movie with either Jackie Chan or Jet Li would be exciting enough, but to watch a movie featuring both of these legends is like a double feature in one! Every Kung Fu lover will adore this movie, and I being one of them am looking forward to adding this treasure to my video collection! The story is pretty fair Chinese folklore and such, but what is riveting is the drop-dead gorgeous Chinese scenery, as well as the martial arts throughout that really delivers. There's even a pretty decent fight scene between Jason and the thugs at the end! The best part of the movie for me was the "Jackie Chan vs Jet Li" fight in the middle. That scene alone was worth seeing by itself. These two masters are a sight to behold, and I for one am hoping to see more of their collaboration. For those in doubt, Jackie still has the moves! As with most martial arts films, there are some scenes that may be too intense for the 10 and below crowd, but teens and up should really love to see this one; maybe even twice!