The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Rob Minkoff

Writer (WGA):

John Fusco (written by)

Release Date:

18 April 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

The path is unsafe. The place is unknown. The journey is unbelievable.

Plot:

A discovery made by a kung fu obsessed American teen sends him on an adventure to China, where he joins up with a band of martial arts warriors in order to free the imprisoned Monkey King.

Plot Keywords:

Staff | Martial Arts | Warrior | China | Kung Fu

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Jet Li	...	The Monkey King / The Silent Monk
Michael Angarano	...	Jason Tripitikas
Jackie Chan	...	Lu Yan / Old Hop
Yifei Liu	...	Golden Sparrow / Chinatown Girl
Collin Chou	...	Jade Warlord
Juana Collignon	...	Southie Girl
Morgan Benoit	...	Lupo
Bingbing Li	...	Ni Chang
Jack Posobiec	...	Southie
Thomas McDonell	...	Young Southie
Zhi Ma Gui	...	Old Woman
Shen Shou He	...	Farmer
Bin Jiang	...	Young Village Man
Shaohua Yang	...	Jade Soldier
Yu Yuan Zeng	...	Inn Keeper

Also Known As:

Gong fu zhi wang (China: Mandarin title)
Gong fu zi wong (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)
Jackie Chan/Jet Li Project (USA) (working title)
King of Kung Fu (Hong Kong: English title) (literal title)
Untitled J&J Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sequences of martial arts action and some violence.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA | China

Language:

English | Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Malaysia:U | Hong Kong:IIA | USA:PG-13 (certificate #44223) | Philippines:G (MTRCB) | UK:12A | Ireland:12A | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-13 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Iceland:12 | Brazil:12

Filming Locations:

Anji bamboo forest, Jiangsu, China

Company:

Casey Silver Productions

Trivia:

In addition to Bruce Lee, the opening credits also features photographs of famous martial arts actors from the famous Shaw Brothers film studio during the 1970's and 1980's. Among the actors shown are Kara Hui Ying-Hung, Ti Lung, David Chiang, Lau Kar-Leung, Gordon Liu (Lau Ka-Fai), Kuan Tai Chen and The Venom Mob.

Goofs:

Continuity: Before Jason, Lu Yan, Golden Sparrow and the Silent Monk enter the desert, they were riding horses. As they enter the desert they are suddenly on foot. When Lu Yan wants to make water with magic and the Silent Monk starts urinating on his head from a rock, the Silent Monk tells them there is a body of water and as they run towards the sight they see at the foot of the dark clouded Five Element Mountain. A moment later we see Jason getting trained in a bamboo forest by the Silent Monk and Lu Yan. After those shots Jason walks up to Golden Sparrow playing a snared instrument between blossom trees and he forgets to kiss the fabulous lips of Golden Sparrow. Then suddenly the White Haired Witch comes running over the pink blossomed trees and after a fight with her and her ever oncoming hordes of soldiers, our heroes decide to flee, jump on the suddenly reappeared ready horses and gallop off.

Quotes:

Jason Tripitikas: I'll never forget you.
Lu Yan: I guess that's what being immortal truly means.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Monkey King and the Eight Immortals: The Ancient Roots of Kung Fu (2008) (V)

A Nice Martial Arts Fantasy Story

Jackie Chan returns in a Drunken Master (1978) role along with Jet Li in a more mysterious but delightful twisting role in this fantasy martial arts film that requires a leap of faith into myths, legends, and magic. In doing so, this adventure tale is compelling from the very beginning with a quick, fast martial art scene followed by some amazing opening credits. The martial art fights are prolonged and exciting and the storyline is although predictable, entertaining and worthy of an evening storytale. Not a classic, nor epic, not heavy, and never managing to enter into serious realm of award-winning, this movie is nevertheless a summer, adolescent family movie that is worth its admission price and both Jackie Chan and Jet Li offer up some good performances in a movie without any real failings. Eight out of Ten Stars.