The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)

This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Good concept, poorly executed.

A Disappointing Continuation

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

A discovery made by a kung fu obsessed American teen sends him on an adventure to China, where he joins up with a band of martial arts warriors in order to free the imprisoned Monkey King. Having Jet Li and Jackie Chan in the same screen fighting each other and then becoming friends to fight evil is enough for me to give this film a straight 10 out of 10 sure it has a lot of magic and legends alongside fairy tails but it's a very enjoyable adventure and i was surprised by how both actors do multiple things for example we have an old Jackie Chan and a young Jackie chan playing the same character and then Jet Li plays The Monkey King and The Silent Monk also Michael Angarano did a pretty good job as well you won't be disappointed.

I'm a huge fan of martial arts flicks. Anything from Hero to Shaolin Soccer to 3 Ninjas to Ninja Scroll - they are all right up my alley. Add my love of these kinds of movies to the fact that The Forbidden Kingdom has both Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and it should be one of my favorite chop-socky films of all-time, right? Not so fast.While watching The Forbidden Kingdom, I just could not shake the idea that the makers of the movie were convinced that the fans of Jackie Chan and Jet Li were going to automatically flock to their film, so a lot of effort in order to make the movie actually good just wasn't necessary. Even though it is rated PG-13, it seems like it was made with a younger audience in mind. There is none of the cinematic complexity of Hero, none of the breathtaking fight sequences of Crouching Tiger, and none of the brutal violence of Ong-Bak. It all is just so safe and standard. I do not really even get where the PG-13 rating comes from, it could have been rated G, without the alcohol references and gun scene.I was disappointed with nearly every element of this movie, and a few very pretty female actresses are not even enough to make me give it a higher score. It is cool to see Jackie Chan and Jet Li fight with and beside each other, but that should have only been the starting point to a much more complete project. There have been some simply epic martial arts movies in the last 10 years, and they leave no reason to recommend a by-the-numbers, fantasy-tinged flick like The Forbidden Kingdom.

(58%) In 2012 "Man with the iron fists" hit cinema screens, and then really quickly afterwards it hit the inside of a DVD case where it has, from now until the end of time, been totally forgotten about. Most copies lie as abandoned trade-ins gathering dust inside bargain bins in second-hand shops covered in "reduced 25p" stickers. Forbidden kingdom on the other hand is a little different. This pays homage to old kung fu movies such as the Shaw brothers movies, Bruce Lee, and to a certain extent old Jackie Chan movies. But the writing here wasn't partly done by Eli Roth, so the plot makes at least some sort of sense and can be followed without ever wanting to stick a kabab skewer through your own hand to distract from the sheer awfulness. There are actual characters that have at least some substance, and it runs along at a fair old rate. The plot here is more or less a cross between "The never ending story" with action scenes very similar to those that take place in "Mortal Kombat" (more so the games than the so-so film), only much less violent. The action is maybe a bit too CGI heavy at times, but Jackie Chan and Jet Li do have a decent fight with each other, which is well worth a look for their many fans. This overall is a quality product, with good production values, and clearly a large budget backing it up every step. And even though it won't ever become a classic must-watch, it is still worth a look.

Visually beautiful and well-placed touches of humor in this fun fantasy adventure quest. The main characters are charming and the action sequences are stunning. The face-off between Jackie Chan and Jet Li doesn't disappoint. Can't take your eyes off of these two titans doing what they do best. Thoroughly gripping. Jackie Chan fans will enjoy a few nods to his classic "Drunken Master," now as the teacher himself who enjoys a little too much wine. A few drunken boxing maneuvers even show up in his fight with Jet Li. Great stuff.Very pleased to see strong female characters. Women in martial arts films tend to be in subordinate roles or complaining harpies. These women have wills of their own.My only reason for giving this a 9 rather than 10 is some continuity stuff that always bugs me in any movie. Even in a fantasy I like to see certain things make sense. Like before they embark on Jason's (Michael Angarano) quest to return the staff, Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) is not interested in going because he doesn't have enough wine. But on the journey he seems to have an endless supply. When they need to escape, suddenly there are three horses. Little things like that make me nuts, when things are too convenient. Certainly nothing that ruins the enjoyment of the movie. This one is a lot of fun.