ScreenWize

With the Olympics a mere stones throw away, the propaganda machine pervading Chinese culture is in full swing. It isn’t just coincidence that we have Kung Fu Panda in cinemas right now. The next wave of the kung fu assault is another children’s action adventure set in China, featuring its two biggest (film) exports, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, together for the first time.

Like Kung Fu Panda, The Forbidden Kingdom is a sweet, light-hearted look at all that is fun and highly marketable about Chinese culture, and an homage to great Hong Kong cinema. No Hong Kong filmmaker ever let comprehensibility or credibility get in the way of a good plot, and neither does screenwriter John Fusco. He and director Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, The Lion King) obviously have a love for Chinese martial arts cinema – the film is thick with references and in-jokes. Those who grew up on the 1970s TV show Monkey will appreciate the plot, and even the name of the protagonist.

Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano from Sky High) is a loner who spends all his time in the Chinatown store of an old pawnbroker (Jackie Chan in the first of two roles). In an opening that plagiarises heavily from The Never Ending Story, Jason comes up against some local toughs until a major plot device sees him magically transported back in time to ancient China where everybody speaks perfect American English.
Tasked to return a fighting staff to its rightful owner, the Monkey King (Jet Li, in the first of three roles) and out of the hands of the Jade War Lord (Collin Chou), Jason teams up with Lu Yan (Jackie Chan again, doing his best Drunken Master style), a serious Monk (Jet Li, again), and Golden Sparrow (Liu Yifei).

Will Jason save both the Monkey King, and get home in time to teach the local bullys a thoroughly deserved lesson? Duh! While the story is fun fairy floss, what makes the film worth your time are the terrific fighting sequences, orchestrated by master fight choreographer Woo-Ping Yuen (The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Kill Bill). Just like Pierce Brosnan was never made for singing, Jet Li was never made for comedy. He feels wrong in the film’s lighter moments, while Jackie Chan is right at home.

As a child, I used to love the fantastic and colourful tales screened on Sunday Night Disney. The Forbidden Kingdom captures that same feeling – a childish sense of fun for those not expecting much from their entertainment.

CK

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Filed Under: Reviews by Simon