PG-13 (for martial arts action, some violence) – 2hr. 35min.
I have just enjoyed watching the Forbidden Kingdom on the weekend, starring martial arts masters Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Many review sites, including Rotten Tomatoes, give the film mixed accolades as it was originally thought to be made as a serious Kung-Fu flick for adults. The truth is, it’s meant to be a family friendly fantasy.
A masterful retelling of the ancient Chinese folktale “Journey to the West” is not the goal of the Forbidden Kingdom, but it is the reproduction of a fanciful “dream” version the main character has of the old story. Of course who can blame the embellishments along the way, as is the norm from both Hollywood and Hong Kong story writers alike? This tall tale of the Monkey King is common among the yarns of the East and it is nearly as impressive as the fight sequences and the vast amounts of “Wire-Fu” that are common in Woo-ping Yuen films (i.e. Crouching Tiger, Matrix, Kill Bill).
But being westernized, the story smacks of a 1980’s “Neverending Story” remake, where a local boy (Michael Angarano) gets roughed up by bullies and forced to do things he wouldn’t normally do. Throw in the fact that he’s a lover of martial arts movies, with the dream of being anything more than the inept wannabe, and there is a new feel to an otherwise over-used main character story.
Of course the mundane becomes fantastic when he finds himself tossed head-long into one of the oldest eastern folktales, as the protagonist on his way to save the Monkey King, the Drunken Master and find his own enlightenment. He even learns his Kung-Fu along the way and finds a sweetheart to boot.
If you like Jackie and Jet, and don’t mind the nuances (or major flaws) of the main character, than you’ll enjoy the Forbidden Kingdom as much as I did and you won’t mind letting the kiddies watch either!
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