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Movie Review - The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
Rob Minkoff |
| Starring: |
Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Angarano, and Yifei Liu |
| Rated: |
PG-13 (for sequences of martial arts action and some violence) |
| Length: |
113 minutes |
| Genre: |
Adventure/Fantasy/Comedy |
| Tagline: |
The path is unsafe. The place is unknown. The journey is unbelievable. |
| Studio: |
Lions Gate |
| Website: |
The Forbidden Kingdom |
| Release: |
April 18, 2008 |
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PLOT
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While hunting down bootleg kung-fu DVDs in a Chinatown pawnshop, Jason Tripitikas (Michael "Shia LaBeouf Must Have Been Busy" Angarano) is given a magical staff that sends
him back in time to ancient China. Unable to speak the language, and clueless as to what's going on, Jason has the task of returning the staff to its "rightful owner" -
the fabled warrior known as the Monkey King. King Monkey is immortal, but the Jade Warlord has imprisoned him in stone. He's been a stone statue for about 500 years, so
he has a little unfinished bidness to take care of.
Meanwhile, Jason is joined in his quest by winebibbin' kung fu master Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) and a band of misfit warriors including the Silent Monk (Jet Li), whose voice has
a weird guttural tone to it when he decides not to be so silent. But only by turning into the Karate Kid and learning the true precepts of kung fu can Jason hope to succeed,
and find a way to get back home. Non-stop, high-flying martial arts action ensues.
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JOHNNY'S TAKE
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During the course of handing out passes to The Forbidden Kingdom, I realized there were two basic trains of thought. The first, and most common reaction, was, "Oh
cool, Jet Li and Jackie Chan! That should be fun to watch." The second, and more cynical response, was, "Oh great. Jackie Chan. This should be good if you like watching
60-year-old men who can't speak English jump around and do a bunch of karate."
Find the side upon which you like your bread buttered, the side of your bagel upon which you like it cream-cheesed, the preferred half of the biscuit that you love
slathered with gravy, the...
"GET TO THE POINT!"
OK, sorry! Man. The point is pick your train of thought and roll with it. The Forbidden Kingdom delivers exactly what you'd expect from a film pitting
Jackie Chan versus Jet Li - a plethora of really cool fight scenes, buttloads of broken English, and pure, unassuming entertainment that requires just enough brain cells
to keep you engaged for a little under two hours.
As for me, I was entertained. Yes, there are moments of silliness (particularly the facial expressions of the Monkey King), and the characters' superhero-esque powers
and gravity-defying fight sequences sometimes give you the allusion that you're watching a video game. But it plays out like a Chinese kid's fantasy book, landscaping
a perfect backdrop for audiences to buy the circus stunts and acrobatics. Not that I'm an expert on Chinese kids' fantasy books and how they play out, but I can
imagine.
An array of colorful characters and visually appealing set pieces and Chinese cinematography give The Forbidden Kingdom a little something more to offer than
its exciting kung fu ballets, of which there are many.
If you can get past the initial Karate Kid comparisons, Morgan Benoit's horrific acting (which is mercifully limited), and Michael Angarano's Shia LaBeouf impersonation
then you should have a blast. The audience that was fortunate enough to attend the screening with me absolutely loved it. As I was exiting the theater, I saw a
co-worker and his wife. He commented, "Man, that was great! We agreed that we would've gladly paid to see it at the theater." Another co-worker ran up to me, tears in
his eyes, thanking me profusely for the pass, and excitedly commented, "If I had another hand I'd give it THREE thumbs up!" OK, so the "tears in his eyes" crack may be
pushing it a bit, but his comment is legit. It's a crowd pleaser.
If you're looking for a film that's practically non-stop fun and action, with an even blend of thrills and laughs, and will allow you to check out of the real world
for a little under two hours, then The Forbidden Kingdom is worth your time and money. I must stop short of telling you to take the entire family
though. It's not perfect for small children (a couple of "s" bombs are dropped, and Jet Li pees on Jackie Chan), so you might want to leave the 5-year-old with a
babysitter, but overall it's quick, clean fun that you won't regret spending "theater money" on.
Unless you just absolutely refuse to go see 60-year-old men who can't speak English "jump around and do a bunch of karate." But in all fairness, Chan's only 54,
and I sure hope I have that much energy when I'm that age. Which is a long, long time from now...
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ODDS & ENDS
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- While both Jet Li and Jackie Chan, who are close friends, have long expressed a mutual desire to work together, it wasn't until THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM that either had
found an appropriate project that featured two strong roles and memorable fight sequences. But when Li read screenwriter John Fusco's script for THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM,
he knew the time had finally come.
- "I was immediately impressed by the extensive knowledge of various ancient Chinese legends," says Li. "Stories like the Monkey King, which THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM is
based on, are completely unknown to most Western audiences. But the script got so many details right, and it created this great fusion of Eastern and Western sensibilities.
It seemed like the perfect way to bring this character to an international audience."
- Jackie Chan readily admits that his attraction to THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM hinged on Li's involvement. "I have always hoped to make movies with some people whom I really
admire, like Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro, before I retire from this business," he says. "Jet Li is someone with whom I have wanted to work for more than ten
years."
- Rumor has it that both Li and Chan were happy that they were working with someone else on set whose English was as bad as the other's.
- When the momentous day finally came for Chan and Li to shoot their first fight sequence together, the chemistry was palpable. "It was seamless," avows Chan. "With most
people, you have to practice. But with Jet, I don't know why, we both looked at each other and we just said, 'Let's just do it, yeah.' And we did it. The first two takes
were so fast that everybody had to tell us to slow down or they'd have to use slow motion."
- According to Chan, most fight sequences require about ten to fifteen takes per segment; but his sequences with Li required only three to five. "All I did was tell Jet
I'd do these few strokes and let him know my rhythm. He would pick up my rhythm and just react with his strokes. That kind of chemistry is rare."
- Action superstar Jet Li, who has two young daughters, sees the wide appeal of the film as an advantage. "Having made so many violent movies in my career to date, I
thought it was about time I made a film that families with children will be able to enjoy together. This is the film that I am making for my two girls."
- Some of screenwriter John Fusco's characters are drawn from Taoist cosmology and are allegorical founders of certain kung fu systems; others are inspired by characters
from the classic Wu Xia or swordplay novels, which, in turn, were inspired by a mix of history and martial arts lore; still others, like the White-Haired Demoness, come
from vintage kung fu movies that were inspired by the Wu Xia novels.
- When it came time to find an action choreographer, the filmmakers agreed there was only one choice: Woo-Ping Yuen. As Producer Casey Silver says, "The only choreographer
who could truly stand in the middle between these two giants, Jackie and Jet, and serve each of them was Woo-Ping Yuen."
An action-film director and star in China, with an avid cult following in the United States, Woo-Ping catapulted onto the world stage in the 1990s with his action choreography
for such seminal films as the Wachowski Brother's THE MATRIX trilogy, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, and Quentin Tarantino's KILL BILL, VOL. I and II.
- Filmed entirely in China.
- This review was written entirely in Memphis.
- Jackie Chan was in The Medallion with Claire Forlani who was in Meet Joe Black with Brad Pitt who was in A River Runs Through It with Craig
Sheffer who was in Road Killers with Josh Brolin who was in Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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Aside from a couple of unnecessary and surprisingly included "s" bombs, a scene with Jet Li peeing on Jackie Chan's face (played for comedic effect), and some minimal
violence, this one is pretty safe for mama and most ages.
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TRAILER COMPARISON
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The trailer is a pretty accurate representation of what you can expect.
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THE GIST
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Typically, even if I think a movie is pretty good, I'll recommend saving it for a rental. The Forbidden Kingdom, however, is worth seeing on the big screen if you're
really interested in it. Make it a matinee if spending the three extra bucks for a night showing would weigh too heavily on your conscience.
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