The Forbidden Kingdom (Two-Disc Special Edition + Digital Copy)

Very good!   November 23, 2008
I enjoyed seeing Jackie Chan and Jet Li on screen at the same time. The movie is very engaging, and the martial arts are top rate.
If I had any complaint it would be that it was just too short.

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Fun & silly Kung Fu fantasy (1 of 1 Found this Helpful)   November 21, 2008
Jackie Chan makes a great drunken mystic, and Jet Li is as good as ever in this very entertaining film. The setpieces are great and there are quite a few good laughs involved in this movie. It is aimed at kids, but it's still good fun and well worth watching.

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Definitely for a younger audience ...   November 17, 2008
I love me some Crouching Tiger-ish Kung Fu movies. I've had my eye on The Forbidden Kingdom since it came out, considering the film teamed up Jet Li AND Jackie Chan- two favs for me!- in a fantasy type period piece.

I, for one, wasn't disappointed although, because it seems to be targeting a younger audience doesn't hit the caliber of some other recent martial arts films to hit the theaters.

The story begins with a young boy named Jason who dreams of Kung Fu epic battles every night. He's even befriended an old Chinese man he calls Pop who runs a pawn shop in Boston's Chinatown. When a bunch of bully's force him to get Pop to open the door for them, he ends up running for his life. But during the fray, Jason picks up a magical bo staff that Pop had been holding onto till the one who is supposed to return it to it's proper owner arrives.

To Jason's horror, the Bully's end up shooting Pop, and just when they have Jason cornered as well, the bo staff transports Jason to an ancient Chinese kingdom, where an evil war lord rules and the noble Monkey King has been turned to stone, awaiting the return of his magical staff.

Which of course becomes Jason's mission!

Along the way, he meets a constantly inebriated immortal named Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) who reluctantly agrees to mentor Jason in the martial arts. He also befriends a beautiful young woman named Sparrow, who's family was murdered by the nut case warlord as well as a mysterious monk (Jet Li) who has dedicated his life to finding the Monkey King's staff.

Stunningly beautiful scenery populates the film and crazy acrobatic battles between Li & Chan ensue- as well as between these two and the big bads! The movie even made me chuckle from time to time, thanks to the always enthusiastic, though admittedly getting-too-old-for-this, Jackie Chan.

In the end, The Forbidden Kingdom felt a bit like The Karate Kid for 2008. A cool little fable with plenty of action too boot! (I certainly would recommend it for a younger audience then Jet Li usually draws!)

4 out of 5 from me

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The Forbidden Kingdom   November 17, 2008
A nice light fantasy adventure movie with some Kung Fu fighting thrown in as well. This is not meant to be a serious kick tail Kung Fu movie. If you thought that you will be disappointed. It is much more serious than "Karate Kid", but it has a fair amount of humor thrown in initially. It is meant to be a movie the family can enjoy and they will. A nice mix of modern and ancient with East meets West. Good casting with Michael Angarano as the Jersey American thrown into the past, where he meets three masters of Kung Fu in Ancient China played by Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Yifei Liu. He must take a special staff that was given to him by a dying Chinese Pawn Shop owner, played by Chan, to the Monkey King, played by Li. Chan reuses his role as a drunken master in the Ancient China role as he has done well before in other movies. Although this movie is more adventure than huge Kung Fu choregraphed fights, there are still plenty of those in the movie. Chan and Li both played two parts adeptly, and I recommend it. I give it three and a half stars. Great quality DVD with extras and good replayability. If you enjoyed this catch "Kung Fu Hustle".

CA Luster

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Below Average Kung Fu Movie!   November 16, 2008
I saw this movie couple times and both DVD and in the theatre. On average, this movie is below any kung Fu Movie either from China, Hong Kong or even Kung Fu Panda! Let me explain.
1. The main character Jason - the American kid he might be a teen ager, neither he is cute or handsome. I don;t why the director chose this guy, from the beginning to the end of the movie, I didn't see anything sparkling about him.
2. The basic color or tone of this movie looks like a old 60's or 70's style. From the beginning in Chinatown, ( any costume in the movie) to the end,... It's all very dark, old, looks really strange and like a batman movie, even the characters - forgot the name of the bad guy - his mandarin is very strange and his make up is too much.....
3. This might be a movie for families, but I think from beginning it;s still too vilentcy. It's not good for kid,
4. The two girls in the Movie- White hair girl and Golden Swallow, they're both very good actors from China, and from this movie, it's a waste for their talent.
5. Like what I said before, the basic tone of this movie is very dark, looks more like a animation and the scenery is very fake....

If you want to see real Ku fu movie- go to search any other Jet Li or Jacky Chan's movie, will be better than this one.

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