The Forbidden Kingdom

Warning: This review may be bias

The Forbidden Kingdom is an action adventure film that follows two monks, an orphan, and a traveler from the present on their quest. Set in middle-age China The Forbidden Kingdom stars Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Micheal Angarano. Written by John Fusco, and directed by Rob Minkoff, the film is shot on location in the beautiful Chinese countryside.

As the film opens we learn that The Monkey King, armed with his golden staff, is as the most skilled and powerful warrior in middle earth. The Jade Warlord is then presented as the antagonist, who after challenging the Monkey King to a martial battle tricks him and turns him into a statue of stone. Jason Tripitikas, a young Kung Fu obsessed teenager, then is taken back in time after finding the golden staff of the monkey king and is told that he must free him from the self appointed Jade Emperor.

The film itself is visually stunning. The back-"scapes" are all green mountainous Chinese countrysides, bamboo forests, or ornate castles/fortresses; which are all very pleasing on the eyes. The fight sequences are some of the best ever filmed. Many styles of kung fu, from tiger to praying mantis to crane, are used by the two monk characters as they battle each other and armies of semi-capable soldiers. To watch Jet Li and Jackie Chan fight in more than one scene is to witnesses something amazing... just putting that out there.

If you analyze the film/plot and how they are developed there are two avenues of approach. You can analyze wither it is or is not a quality film according to mode of presentation and technique. The other analization method is to realize that this is a kung fu movie and that you should compare it against similar ones. When using the first method you quickly realize a few things. The first being that the subplots could have been set up better. The second being that, the begining of the movie traveled quickly and left the auditor assuming that the characters felt the certain ways for actual reasons. And, the third thing of consideration is that this movie was meant to focus on visual and martial elements, not soley on the dramatic ones. So, considering it this way I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Now, if we back this up to the second means of consideration we can say that all things considered the plot lines are all brought to fruition in interesting ways, they (the plot lines) are semi-intelligent, and the actors represent the characters well. So, considered the film this way I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars, maybe a 4.5 if I watched it again; maybe... just maybe. I would suggest that everyone see this movie just because Jet Li and Jackie Chan kick a@! and take names.

until next time...