Forbidden Kingdom, The– 2008

*** Out of ****

The presence of sometimes incorrectly dubbed “Kung Fu” flicks in Hollywood is as much a part of history as Citizen Kane, with a devout following and huge impact on pop culture, the martial arts picture is not usually about violence, but art, tradition, honour and culture. Two stars who epitomize this slice of the movie pie are Jackie Chan and Jet Li and team up for the first time in their long careers in The Forbidden Kingdom. It would have been interesting to see these two perform earlier in their careers, but I suppose the past can’t be changed, and thusly will simply hope for subsequent joint efforts

The Forbidden Kingdom is unlike any martial arts film I have seen. It grasps elements of Chan’s trademark “situational” fighting style with the art direction and whimsy of films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero. It also takes the cliché of the “transported back in time” hero, and puts it to good use. This has a lot to do with the young actor Michael Angarano, who is charming, funny and a makes a very believable hero.

Jason, (Angarano) is a Kung Fu obsessed teenager who spends his time watching corny old martial arts films he gets from the store of a kindly old Chinese man. After a robbery goes awry and the old man is shot, he is thrown back into an ancient kingdom under the rule of The Jade Warlord (Deshun Wang). Only with a magical staff by his side can he restore order by freeing The Monkey King (Li) and bringing the Warlord’s rule to an end. After being aided by a kindly old drunkard (Chan) he, along with The Silent Monk (Also Li) and the beautiful but deadly Golden Sparrow (Yifei Lui) they accompany our young protagonist to the statuesque prison of The Monkey King, and teach him the ways of the warrior as they travel.

His “knowledge” of the subject makes him arrogant when his journey begins, and he learns about the true nature of the art as time progresses. Chan gives his best performance of his career and is very lovable and sympathetic as the wine loving elder. All the fight scenes are well choreographed and Chan and Li can still, pardon my French, kick ass at their respective ages. The true stunts are well hidden and integrated with the special effects and aides and the set pieces and art direction are all top notch for a film of its ilk.

Directed by Rob Minkoff who has directed purely Disney fare previously (which is evident from the bone dry blood quota, and lack of brutal violence) including The Lion King, he obviously has respect and admiration for the genre and the true art form that lies behind the scenes. He also is aware of the miss match of tones and the silliness of the scenario, and his kid friendly directing past works to his advantage. I do not want to turn those who are not interested in this style of film away, as the touches of humour and quirky performances are enough to keep even pessimists entertained. While it may fall between styles for some (that being the epic style and the campy style) sometimes one must take what they can get, because there are few martial art movies releases yearly, and this is certainly one that should not be forbidden.

So, if you are looking for an adventure epic, teaming up two of the most recognized and talented stars in the martial arts film industry, Minkoff`s Forbidden Kingdom is a treat for all ages and with star turns from Chan and Angarano, this is a must add to your summer movie line-up

© 2008 Simon Brookfield