Film Review: Forbidden Kingdom

Liverpool Daily Post

FORBIDDEN KINGDOM (Cert. 12A, 113 mins)
Stars: Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Michael Angarano, Collin Chou, Crystal Liu Yi Fei, Li Bing Bing
Directed by Rob Minkoff

MARTIAL arts titans Jet Li and Jackie Chan share the screen for the first time in a lively East meets West smackdown filmed on location in China.

After a prologue to explain the mythology of The Monkey King (Jet Li), the film begins in Chinatown, New York, where Kung Fu crazy misfit Jason (Michael Angarano) goes to rifle through DVDs at a pawn shop run by doddering Old Hop (Chan).

Unfortunately, weakling Jason is a target for bullies who use him as bait to force their way into the shop, fatally wounding the owner. With his dying breath, Old Hop asks Jason to return a golden staff to its owner, the legendary Monkey King.

The boy flees with the staff and in the ensuing chase is transported to ancient China where the Jade Warlord seeks the talisman in the boy’s possession.

Thankfully, drunken master Lu Yan (Chan again) rescues Jason and begins to tutor the schoolboy in the art of fighting so he can deliver the staff to Five Elements Mountain.

The unlikely friends are joined by the dart- wielding Golden Sparrow and the Silent Monk, who hope to release The Monkey King from incarceration.

The Forbidden Kingdom is a rollicking romp for the whole family, playing Jason’s Rocky-style training under Lu Yan and the Silent Monk for laughs.

Director Minkoff barely pauses for breath between fights, building to a spectacular final showdown awash with clashing swords, gravity-defying acrobatics and explosive effects.