The Forbidden Kingdom

Featuring a mystical story that seems to be derived partly from ancient Chinese legend and partly from The Lord of the Rings, this epic adventure is primarily notable for the teaming of martial-arts superstars Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Both are pressed into the service of South Boston teenager Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano), who is transported back in time to China by a magical staff once owned by a warrior known as the Monkey King. Initially frightened and unsure of his own abilities, Jason is mentored by a drunken peasant (Chan) and a taciturn monk (Li), who teach him the time-honored techniques of kung fu. Together, the trio storm the palace of the evil Jade Emperor (Deshun Wang) in an attempt to revive and free the long-imprisoned Monkey King, which is the only way Jason can earn return passage to his home. Predictably, the film's highlights are its martial-arts sequences, boldly choreographed by Woo-Ping Yuen (The Matrix) and flamboyantly executed by Chan and Li, whose eventual toe-to-toe clash is a real spellbinder. Director Rob Minkoff's The Forbidden Kingdom looks wonderful (with bold saturated colors), and boasts numerous verbal and visual references to classics of Hong Kong cinema—though it's equally evident that the movie is geared towards a teenage audience, with none of the lyricism of, say, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Still, this will definitely appeal to action fans, so consider it a strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras on this two-disc set include audio commentary with director Rob Minkoff and writer John Fusco, “The Kung-Fu Dream Team” featurette (11 min.), a “Monkey King and the Eight Immortals” story featurette (9 min.), six deleted scenes w/optional commentary (9 min.), a “Discovering China” location featurette (8 min.), an eight-minute blooper reel, a “Filming in Chinawood” behind-the-scenes featurette (8 min.), a “Dangerous Beauty” featurette (6 min.), a “Storyboard and Previz: The Movie Before the Movie” pre-visualization featurette (6 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a fun if unexceptional martial arts flick.] (E. Hulse)