Movie Review of Forbidden Kingdom
The Forbidden Kingdom opens not in some distant land but in the bedroom of Jason (Michael Angarano), a friendless high school boy who loves kung fu movies. His favorite place to go is a pawn shop in Chinatown, where he looks for used genre DVDs that he doesn't already own. One day, a local gang bullies him into forcing the owner of the pawn shop to open late for Jason. In the ensuing struggle, the owner is shot and Jason finds himself in possession of a talisman that transports him to a mystical version of ancient China where characters of myth and legend walk the Earth. It may not be Oz, but Jason sure isn't in Kansas, either.
The Forbidden Kingdom contains plenty of action, including scenes where our heroes must face a seemingly endless stream of soldiers that get punched, kicked, and tossed in all directions. Even the younger actors - Michael Angarano and Yifei Liu - get an opportunity to do some thumping and ass-kicking. In fact, this is very much a coming of age tale for Angarano's Jason, who leaves this world as a shy kid with no self-respect and returns as someone who has found inner strength and peace. Those who enjoyed the fantasy elements of films like Crouching Tiger will appreciate the setting here. The world that Jason visits in The Forbidden Kingdom is a fusion of Middle Earth and feudal China. There's magic and mayhem and CGI to go along with the kung fu.
The filmmakers recognize the preposterousness of the scenario so they avoid the pitfall of keeping the tone too serious. As a result, the movie feels more like one of Chan's pictures than Li's in the way it incorporates comedy, although Li proves to be a good sport and goes along for the ride. Several scenes are played specifically for laughs, including those where Jason undergoes his obligatory kung fu training. There's also a hilarious punch-line to the sequence in which Lu Yan attempts to summon rain. As The Forbidden Kingdom reaches its climax, Minkoff adopts a slightly more staid mood, but it's nothing that diminishes the overall entertainment value. The Forbidden Kingdom is for those who like plenty of kung fu action with an epic fantasy setting and a little humor thrown in. When all is said and done, the dream team combination of Chan and Li is just a nice bonus.
The Forbidden Kingdom opens not in some distant land but in the bedroom of Jason (Michael Angarano), a friendless high school boy who loves kung fu movies. His favorite place to go is a pawn shop in Chinatown, where he looks for used genre DVDs that he doesn't already own. One day, a local gang bullies him into forcing the owner of the pawn shop to open late for Jason. In the ensuing struggle, the owner is shot and Jason finds himself in possession of a talisman that transports him to a mystical version of ancient China where characters of myth and legend walk the Earth. It may not be Oz, but Jason sure isn't in Kansas, either.
The Forbidden Kingdom contains plenty of action, including scenes where our heroes must face a seemingly endless stream of soldiers that get punched, kicked, and tossed in all directions. Even the younger actors - Michael Angarano and Yifei Liu - get an opportunity to do some thumping and ass-kicking. In fact, this is very much a coming of age tale for Angarano's Jason, who leaves this world as a shy kid with no self-respect and returns as someone who has found inner strength and peace. Those who enjoyed the fantasy elements of films like Crouching Tiger will appreciate the setting here. The world that Jason visits in The Forbidden Kingdom is a fusion of Middle Earth and feudal China. There's magic and mayhem and CGI to go along with the kung fu.
The filmmakers recognize the preposterousness of the scenario so they avoid the pitfall of keeping the tone too serious. As a result, the movie feels more like one of Chan's pictures than Li's in the way it incorporates comedy, although Li proves to be a good sport and goes along for the ride. Several scenes are played specifically for laughs, including those where Jason undergoes his obligatory kung fu training. There's also a hilarious punch-line to the sequence in which Lu Yan attempts to summon rain. As The Forbidden Kingdom reaches its climax, Minkoff adopts a slightly more staid mood, but it's nothing that diminishes the overall entertainment value. The Forbidden Kingdom is for those who like plenty of kung fu action with an epic fantasy setting and a little humor thrown in. When all is said and done, the dream team combination of Chan and Li is just a nice bonus.
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