the forbidden kingdom

**Philquad** · 14-05-08, 09:58 PM

jet-li
charlie chang

looks good
pukka subs for those who care

**DND** · 16-05-08, 10:22 PM

I have this but havn't watched it yet

**DND** · 24-05-08, 05:30 PM

I give it 4-10

If you liked the Monkey show that use to be on ABC then you'll like it

ARRR Monkey

**tagg** · 24-05-08, 06:27 PM

Ahhh Monkey Magic, lol that was a cool show lol

Tagg

**astrogal** · 30-05-08, 12:29 PM

I watched this movie.. I thought it was brilliant!! I loved the fact that it talked about Kung Fu principles. I would give it a 9/10...

**myclock** · 30-05-08, 08:25 PM

i really liked this movie i would give it a 8/10... although i would have expected something better being Jackie Chan and Jet Li in the same movie..

**3XX** · 02-07-08, 06:46 PM

Yea i liked this one aswell. Both the plot and acting was similar to monkey magic, i used to watch that yrs ago on tv.

**Trance** · 06-07-08, 12:35 AM

good movie. kids liked it and that what counts!

**rickove** · 06-07-08, 10:14 PM

I kept looking for the bungee straps,an harness? none! bloody good special fx.

**slickstu** · 27-07-08, 02:02 AM

Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano) is a teenage kung fu fan whose martial arts abilities are dwarfed by his enthusiasm. During a robbery of his favourite shop in China Town, a mystical golden staff magically (though inexplicably) transports him through the "Gate of No Gate" to ancient China. It soon transpires that in order to get home he must submit the golden staff to the imprisoned Monkey King thereby setting him free. So with his new found kung fu friends in tow - Silent Monk (Jet Li), Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) and Golden Sparrow (Yifei Liu) - he sets out to fulfill his quest, picking up some kung fu tips from the masters along the way. Naturally, bad guys mean to thwart his attempts.

It's clear that this films sole reason for existence is to team up Jackie Chan with Jet Li and these guys don't disappoint. Despite being visibly slower in their later years their level of agility still impresses. Chan earns a few extra nostalgia points for reprising his comedic drunken kung fu style for which he became famous in his Drunken Master movies. Newcomers, Yifei Liu and Bingbing Li as good-girl Golden Sparrow and bad-girl Ni Chang respectively, hold their own and Ni Chang's prehensile hair attack is a nice touch.

The premise to this film is, of course, patent nonsense ("Gate Of No Gate"??) but in a PG rated film we don't ask too many questions. The movie riffs chiefly off the Chinese Monkey King legend (particularly the TV incarnation - check out our hero's surname) while additionally (and shamelessly) filching elements from the likes of Gremlins, Karate Kid, Last Action Hero, Wizard Of Oz and others. The stuff of kids' dreams, this story about an average boy becoming a kung fu master presents no surprises; everything plays out exactly as you would expect right down to its Karate Kid ending.

One question which does need to be asked however is how this film was granted a PG rating. Like the recent Get Smart before it, the violence quotient here seems remarkably high for a PG movie especially considering that Prince Caspian (appropriately) scored an M rating. There appears to be a lowering of the bar over at the Office of Film and Literature Classification.

Not one to set the world on fire by any stretch but Forbidden Kingdom presents a reliable story coupled with some pleasing action.

6.5 out of 10

**intelliGEORGE** · 03-08-08, 10:18 PM

Best scene is when Jet Li pisses on Jackie Chan in the Desert! Somewhat unexpected! Great watch I give it an 8/10 lost two in my opinion for lack of originality.

**fandtm666** · 03-08-08, 10:24 PM

thoroughly enjoyed the movie

**z1gg33** · 04-08-08, 08:30 AM

sounds like a winner will endeavour to have a look see...

without being a w4nker I know someone that did some work in one of Jackie chans films, and he had nothing but good things to say about him as a totally down to earth guy the story of the movie breakup party where Jackie climbs up onto the roof beams was one to be heard...

**z1gg33** · 06-08-08, 10:37 PM

I watched this one with great interest as it got such good feedback from you guys...

Was not the worst film I have every watched and I really liked the martial arts in it and the scenery, as far as story goes was a little thin, also took me a while to realise that both Jackie and Jet had two roles each (did not confirm this by watching the credits-so might be my dodgy eyes), this sounds so pathetic, but the young guys hairstyle drove me bonkers, I'm sorry it just did! I could see how families/kids (and big kids) could enjoy this one though..

Some of the scenes where over acted, like where the young guy (our hero) falls down the sandhill, gets rescued by the lead girl (female hero - she was strikingly attractive I thought) its all very serious and life threatening then the next shot is them all walking away and the hill has small to zero incline on it. I thought hang on a second he just had a life saving experience right there on that sand dune, how did he fall over on that!!!

worth a watch though..

edit: Just noticed that PhilTHeQuad posted this and saw his location. to prove I'm not the smartest guy, I was up in nelsonbay a couple of months ago (beautiful place really nice) and after my few days there I took off up coast. upon driving out I was reflecting how Nelsonbay covered so much of that coast with various other smaller towns making it rather a large area..

note:you have to take into account I had a hangover on departure!!

driving up north i saw a sign saying "U-turn Bay 200meters" thinking to myself really another bay hmm, driving driving driving another sign saying "u-turn bay", started to think man this must be a massive area might have to pull in on the way back south for a look, anyway thought nothing of it, hours go by, my head was still sore... then I see "U turn bay 100meters". I'm like WTF surely it cant be the same bay.....

yep took me a little while to realise it was not actually a bay as such, but an area designated to pull a u-turn...

yep.... i'm the smartest person alright!