Cinefantastique Online

THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM is a fantasy martial arts film (or wuxia, to the initiated) that features the long-awaited team-up between modern cinema’s two greatest kung fu stars, Jackie Chan and Jet Li. The Evening Class blog gives us their take on the film:

There’s no doubt about it. The Forbidden Kingdomis as sweet as a fortune cookie and its “wisdom” commensurate to whatever you’ll find when that cookie’s cracked open. Other than for the fun worthwhile fight sequence between Chan and Li, diehard fans will most likely be antsy during the rest of the film’s fantasy tale, which unabashedly caters to youthful audiences wanting to identify with the film’s non-Asian male protagonist Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano). This is wuxiatwice, maybe even thrice, removed from its golden age predecessors, respectfully leaning on those genre influences even while mixing them up into a recognizably monomythic Western hybrid.

That being said, the film succeeds at its formulaic entertainment—sporting some breathtaking landscape photography, colorful costumes, energetic wire-fu, and clear-cut good guys and bad guys. No thinking allowed. The Forbidden Kingdom might just possibly do well at the box office, precisely because it’s not really trying to pretend it’s anything other than what we know it is. Even if it all falls somewhat short of what we all might have imagined it could or should be.

Personally, I really hope this movie turns out to be uber-cool because I love this kind of film. Long before CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON introduced Western audiences to the form, I loved sitting through astounding fantasy flicks like ZU, WARRIORS OF THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN; A CHINESE GHOST STORY, and THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR.

And I am curious to see what happens when Chan and Li face off, because despite their status as martial arts actors, the two could not be more different. Li is lean and serious, but Chan has always struck me as the modern equivalent of silent film stars like Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd; of course, Chan has his own persona, but he recycles and magnifies the magnificent sight gags and outrageous action of early silent comedies. The contrast between the two conflicting styles, Li’s and Chan’s, could result in something extraordinary.