Simply Perfect

Simply A Masterpiece

From my favorite movies..

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Other reviewers have covered the fact that you have two of the top martial artists of all time in this extraordinary film, and that's fine, bit OMG what a story! You will have to look very long and very hard to find another script this well structured -- from the opening where the bullying is established in present time; to the introduction of the mysterious artifact; to the time travel; ancient grudge; aligning of the good vs bad forces; subplot on the immortals; subplot on hero learning to fight, taught by the best; possible romantic arc but with impediment -- well,you get the point, this story keeps you glued to the screen for its entire length and not even LORD OF THE RINGS could pull that off. I especially love the ending, because, against all odds it ties together a bunch of loose ends that seemed impossible to clean up (return to the present time; dealing with the bullies; the "impossible" romance that may not actually be impossible). IMDb tells me that Fusco was a high school dropout. If so, this raises series doubts about the value of high school? I looked at his other work trying to see anything that came close to this, and all I found was CROSSROADS (1986) which had some really nice elements but nothing as powerful as this script. WOW. Nothing less than a 10 and you can find another film like it anywhere I will eat the DVD cover.

Sometimes it's just great to see two actors sharing a screen together. Sometimes entire films are built around this concept. Like so with this film, I believe, as it is the first film to start both Jackie Chan and Jet Li, who are both amazing martial art actors. And, for what it is, it really works. Forget the lame protagonist, played by Michael Angarano. Forget the silly, yet admittedly entertaining, storyline about a monkey king. If you're going to see this film, see it for these two and for the scenes they share together.That being said, while I do think that this film is way too silly to be taken seriously, I also think that it's that way on purpose. I do wish that they had left out the banal protagonist hailing from our reality, because while usually a decent storytelling device and a way to insert in an audience surrogate, in this case it drags, a lot. Not only has Angarano almost no screen presence whatsoever, he's also stealing the spotlight from the main attractions of this particular film, Chan and Li. Give me a movie with just them, and perhaps that chick sidekick, anytime over this film.Still, if you're able to deal with the fact that you won't get as much Chan and Li as you probably would like to have, it's a fun film to watch. The fight scenes are entertaining, the cinematography and art design are colourful and fit the tone, and all in all it's a good way to spend a couple of hours. Could it have been better? Easily. But it could have a been a lot worse as well. Now it's "merely" a fun kind of average.

'The Forbidden Kingdom' is an excellent martial arts fantasy that entertains from start to finish.Based on ancient Chinese literature, folklore, and religion, the story and script for this movie are well-constructed. Flowing seamlessly from scene to scene, they keep it easy to follow, giving the audience plenty of time to sit back and enjoy a feast of action sprinkled with a good dose of light-hearted humour.Alongside more well-known actors like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Collin Chou, a host of perhaps lesser-known (to Hollywood audiences if not Asian), yet none-the-less talented cast members (including Michael Angarano, Li Bing Bing and Liu Yifei) gives rise to a delightful array of authentic, colourful, and highly-varied characters.The action in this movie is a joy to watch. Boasting excellent work from the talented Yuen Wu Ping (he worked on stuff like 'The Matrix' and 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'), every fight scene is not only filmed really well but feels fresh, fast, furious, and keeps you wanting more. Even the 7-foot leaps don't seem ridiculous or out of place.The locations are superb too -- alive and gritty, bold and colourful, or grand and palatial, each one is beautifully atmospheric and perfectly suited to its scene.This movie is definitely an excellent addition to anyone's collection and even my one tiny criticism (that ending was just ever-so-slightly vomit-inducingly corny, but, hey, come on, they had to put it in) can't stop me from giving it top marks. A thoroughly well-deserved 9/10 for 'The Forbidden Kingdom'.

The Forbidden Kingdom is like a Cheesy-Chan version of "The Neverending Story". The plot is predictable and the action is so cheesy that it is hard to watch. I think I actually nodded off once or twice while watching it.I will say that the antics of Jackie Chan and the strong silent monk style of Jet Li actually complimented each other quite well. I was just disappointed in the choreography and the way the camera angles highlighted them. Many of the fight scenes drag on too long and are simply too complicated.Overall, I would say that it is worth seeing if you have younger teen boys and you want a clean movie for them to watch.