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List Price: $19.98 | | Label: Lions Gate
Salesrank: 4642
Released: September 9, 2008 |
| Our Price: $2.90 |
| Used Price: $1.93 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Individually, they've starred in the most adrenaline-pumping martial-arts adventures ever. Together for the first time, Jet Li and Jackie Chan join forces to create the greates epic of them all- THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. As ancient Chinese warriors, they must train and mentor a 21st century kung-fu fanatic who's been summoned to fight a centuries-old battle and free the imprisoned Monkey King. If you're a fighting fan, the wait is over. The team is ready. The Kingdom has arrived.
Description of The Forbidden Kingdom:
Getting martial-arts superstars Jet Li and Jackie Chan together in the same action film is like a fantasy come true, even if The Forbidden Kingdom is more of a children's movie than an instant kung-fu classic. Yes, Li and Chan square off in a lengthy, acrobatic fight scene that is a lot of fun, though it can't be what such a scene might have been even a decade ago: careful editing now compensates for the 54-year-old Chan's slower moves and reflexes. Still, Chan doesn't disappoint as Lu Yan, a drunken immortal in ancient China who mentors a modern-day American kid, Jason (Michael Angarano), the latter having slipped into the past while in possession of a magical staff that belongs to the imprisoned Monkey King (Li). In order to get back to his own time and help an old friend (also Chan) wounded by thugs, Jason accompanies Lu Yan and a lovely warrior, Golden Sparrow (Liu Yifei), on a journey to return the staff. Along the way, a (mostly) silent monk (Li, again), who has spent his life in search of the staff, joins their mission. He helps Lu Yan train Jason in fighting and adding more muscle to the party as it comes under siege from a violent witch (Li Bing Bing) and pathological warlord (Collin Chou). Screenwriter John Fusco (Hidalgo) and director Rob Minkoff (The Haunted Mansion) have made a slightly chintzy, Western version of a Chinese swords-and-sorcery tale. The gravity-defying, flying-through-the-air-while-fighting choreography looks pretty choppy and graceless compared to, say, the martial arts films of Zhang Yimou. But The Forbidden Kingdom is really aimed at kids, not aficionados of epic fight movies. On that score, the movie aims to please and does so for the right audience. -- Tom Keogh
Beyond The Forbidden Kingdom on DVD
The Forbidden Kingdom Soundtrack |
Stills from The Forbidden Kingdom (click for larger image)
The Forbidden Kingdom Reviews:
Hideously Bad 
2009-10-30 - I am a fan of HK cinema and wuxia films, but this movie made me want to tear my eyeballs out. And ram pencils through my eardrums. The acting, dialogue, and plot of the movie are hideously bad, and I would be tempted to say that any of the positive reviews on here must be astroturfers for the movie studios, except I am open to the notion that some people could actually enjoy this movie. After all, someone has to watch all of those hideous reality TV shows, right?
I'm trying to search for anything positive to say about the movie... even the lauded team-up between Jackie Chan and Jet Li didn't pan out in the movie. There were so many things they could have done, but all the opportunities were wasted, such as when JC and JL were arguing over how to best train the clueless white guy - that could have been a great scene! But it wasn't.
And if the idiot white guy was such a big fan of martial arts movies, why didn't he understand he'd have to go through a tough training montage sequence like everyone else? The guy is a hate-able moron.
The cute Chinese girl utters her dialogue like she's a wooden robot.
And yeah, that about covers it.
Jackie Chan & Jet Li, a great combination 
2009-09-25 - This is a really good fantasy adventure movie with two of my favorite actors (Jackie Chan and Jet Li). A boy finds himself in a different world and becomes the key to the future of that world.
Great product, mildly damaged package
2009-08-31 - The movie itself is a great buy if you are looking for an excellent copy of the movie with all the goodies such as blooper reels and so forth that we come to expect. However, my case had been punctured by something, though the outer packaging was fine, so I don't believe it was damaged in shipping. Otherwise, excellent buy for the money.
The Battle of the Century! 
2009-08-30 - Okay, given that the century is still fairly young, and given that Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee had their fights ALL THE WAY back in the late-1900's, this is still a very worthwhile movie to watch.
The storyline is a bit tacky with a white kid going into this parallel/past universe/timeline, but the fighting sequences definitely carry this movie. The acting, when compared to old Chinese fighting movies, is pretty on-par, and the always-humorous Chan paired with the statuesque Li (and his hyperactive jovial monkey alter-ego) makes for a very entertaining movie throughout.
This is the first Blu-ray movie that I have viewed (decided to give my PS3 a healthy workout), and the detail and sharpness of everything is extraordinary. The fighting scenes defnitely come alive. I am still trying to figure out how to fully utilize the Blu-ray's functionalities (like the RGBY buttons?), but not a whole lot of different menu options than a normal DVD.
The only detractor from watching this in Blu-ray is that the display is so detailed that you see the aging wrinkles of two great martial artists. =/
Great Martial Arts Movie J&J one of my favs
2009-08-03 - First of all, I'm surprised this didn't do better in the box office. It is the first pairing of the 2 legends Jackie Chan and Jet Li in the same movie. I did go to the theaters and see it. It has special meaning since it was the last movie I saw with my mother before she died. Jackie Chan is my favorite actor though and the fight scene between them was worth the price. I thought adding the kid would make it lamer but it didn't bother me too much. If next time J&J do a movie it should just focus on them. I was impressed with Jackie's fighting in the movie considering his age. It has a good story and sort of reminded me of The Wizard of Oz, but the foreign version. I pretty much knew I would have to own this movie even before I actually saw it. If your into martial arts and think Jackie or Jet rock you have to own it. It is one of my favorite movies of all time!!
