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Monday, August 6, 2012

The Forbidden Kingdom Review



Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

Plot Summary: Jason is obsessed with Kung Fu movies and finds himself transported back to a magical version of ancient China where he must free the fabled Monkey King.

Review: This is the first time we see Jackie Chan and Jet Li team up in a movie, and it does not disappoint! First and foremost, this is more of a family movie rather than a hardcore kung fu action film as it might have been advertised. A group of "misfits following a misfit to rescue a misfit" are trying to return a magic staff that will free the Monkey King. The acting is pretty solid considering the majority of actors only knew English as their second language. There are some corny as hell jokes though which did annoy me slightly. A lot of people did not like the idea of the main character being white, but I really like Michael Angarano who plays Jason. But rest assured fanboys, Jackie and Jet get plenty of screen time while having a long-awaited brawl as they come to terms that they must work together to help Jason free the Monkey King; I'm sure for many kung fu fans, this will be the highlight of the film since many have wanted Jackie Chan and Jet Li to be in a movie together forever! The other person joining their quest is Sparrow (played by the lovely Yifei Liu); I enjoyed the addition of Sparrow as she is out for revenge and kind of nuts. Complimenting the "misfits" are the Jade Emperor and the (sexy) white witch as villains who hold the Monkey King imprisoned. The main reason why this movie is so fun is because it combines lots of little plot elements from famous kung fu flicks and Chinese lore while bringing together two titans of film for the first time. The music is good, the fights are sweet, the adventure is enjoyable, and the ending is one of the most satisfying ass-kickings I've ever watched. It's a shame that this movie wasn't more successful considering that it brought Jackie and Jet together, but I highly recommend this film especially if your a fan of Jackie and/or Jet.

Notable Moment: Without a doubt, the final fight against the bullies when Jason returns to the present. I love this fight!

Final Rating: 8/10

Sparrow!

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