El reino prohibido

A cowardly, kung fu-obsessed teenager is transported to a mystical kingdom in China, where he is destined to return a powerful staff to it's owner, the immortal Monkey King, who was turned to stone 500 years earlier by the evil Jade Warlord.

If you're not particularly a fan of the kung fu genre, couldn't give a monkey's (pun intended) whether the script craps on a few Chinese legends from a great height, and don't care too much that Chan and Li seem to have sold out to the almighty dollar (again), then this big-budget Hollywood martial arts epic for the masses will probably do fine for a Saturday night, along with a takeaway and a few brews.

If, however, like me, you've been patiently waiting for the on-screen pairing of the legendary Jackie Chan and Jet Li for the best part of twenty years, then this plot-hole ridden, formulaic and clichéd effort (did I really just see the American kid learn kung fu within a week?) will definitely prove to be something of a disappointment.

Although Li and Chan do get to show off their impressive fighting skills (even going one-on-one against each other in order to keep fans happy), seeing Hong Kong's greatest kung fu stars of the last three decades playing second fiddle to an obnoxious wimp from New York is really tough to stomach. Jackie and Jet have proved time and time again that they are more than capable leading men and don't need a Caucasian actor centre stage to help boost ticket sales.

Furthermore, having a family-friendly director like Rob Minkoff calling the shots is also pretty galling; I liked Stuart Little—I really did—but is Minkoff really the ideal choice to call the shots on Jackie and Jet's first fight flick together? Not as far as I'm concerned! I wanted to see Li and Chan in something much more hard-edged—something for those fans who've followed the guys' careers since the early days (rather than those who are only familiar with their Hollywood output) and the man who gave us a talking mouse isn't who I would pick to do it.

Still, it's not all gloom and doom: some of the combat scenes are well handled (and they should be, with industry legend Yuen Woo Ping behind the choreography); there is some nifty wire-work; the CGI backdrops are stunning to look at; and there are a couple of pretty gals for us blokes to drool over (Yifei Liu is hubba-hubba delicious, whilst white-haired beauty Bingbing Li makes for a very watchable villainess).

Perhaps now that Chan and Li have made their guaranteed 'blockbuster'together, they might chance their luck next time with something a little grittier for their long-term followers.

We can but hope.

5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6, 'cos Jackie and Jet are cool, whatever the film.

The Forbidden Kingdom strikes me as a Kung-Fu version of the brilliant "The NeverEnding Story" I saw as a kid in the 80's. The parallels are obvious.

Like "NeverEnding Story", it's a fantasy movie that tells the tale of a boy's coming of age journey, from picked-on weakling to warrior and savior. On the way friendships are woven, difficulties are overcome, and lessons are learned. Both films cater to children audiences, but will satisfy grown-ups as well. Both bring to the table a good mixture of fantasy, action, comedy blended with a dash of romance and drama - Baked just right and garnished with magnificent special effects and stunning visuals.

The Kung-Fu battles are dazzling, and having both Jet Li and Jackie Chan sparring in this movie is just the sugar on top of the wholesome family fun.

I have been a big fan of Jet Li/ Jackie Chan since I can remember. All I have to say is that they deserve better. A movie that consists of both these remarkable actors should be incredible and unforgettable, but, in my opinion, this movie can only be remembered probably because it's their first tandem. I don't know what the writers in this movie are thinking. They should have watched the old movies of these two and studied it. They should have written a story that will compliment both their strengths in the screen (not just their martial arts techniques), and the tone of the movie is well-off. Needless to say, if you want to see a feel-good, relatively entertaining then this movie is definitely your cup-of- tea.

The movie was great. Initially, we get to know where the journey will head to. It has lots and lots of Kung Fu, Action. It's filled with beautiful scenes and compelling locations. No doubt, the journey is adventures, with a few drops of comedy. However, considering it's predictable it's kinda boring in the middle with way too much of Action, feels a little sleepy. Overall, it's enjoyment, the characters played it incredibly well. Michael, Jackie and the ones on the positive side of coin were good. Recommended. 6.5/10

I'm writing this review after having read many others at this site and after having seen the film.

It's a blatant tribute to many kung fu movies, and that makes it fun for buffs. However, don't think that it's as deep or serious as "Crouching Tiger," "Hero," or even "Enter the Dragon." It's a coming of age story set in a mythological environment, and so wire-tricks abound.

I enjoyed it though. The fight scenes really are superb and wonderfully choreographed. The scenery is impressive, but at times it feels a bit cliché.

Really, that's what drags the movie down - it's very, very predictable. However, I don't think it was meant to be anything more than a fun pretext for Chan and Li to co-star, and they do a good job. It's worth a watch, or at least a rent.