Cool News
Quint takes a look at THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. Okay, so FORBIDDEN KINGDOM… Jet Li and Jackie Chan together finally and it’s in a Hollywood kid’s film.
Sure, it’s not the dream team-up, but I can’t help but sheepishly admit to liking the flick.
It’s NEVERENDING STORY for the Chop Sockey genre. Literally. And I mean that. Rob Minkoff pretty much films the entire book store moment from NEVERENDING STORY, but instead of Bastian we have Michael Angarano and instead of a book store we have a Chinatown shop filled with bootleg Asian DVDs and imports.
The shop is run by an old man, who I was quite happy to realize was Jackie Chan in old age make-up. This character, I think, was the most interesting character in the movie and I loved seeing Chan play an old man… so, of course he’s in the film for about 4 minutes this way.
Angarano plays a bullied kid who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema. He has martial arts movie posters up all over his room and watches vintage kung fu movies 24/7.
He ends up being bullied into organizing a theft at the old man’s shop and ends up with an antique staff that might be magical. After a chase, he takes a spill off of a roof (staff in hand) and just as he hits the concrete he seems to be transported to Ancient China.
He's the reluctant hero set upon a journey where he has to deliver the one ring... I mean, the magical staff to its rightful owner. He gets help from an at first disinterested immortal (Chan), a young woman seeking revenge and a monk (Li).
I recently talked with Moriarty about this movie in an AIM/iChat conversation and told him that I believe the film will be a gateway movie for many children. He disagreed, but I really do think this will be a great many children’s first exposure to the worlds, fantasy and film-language of Asian cinema.
You have everything from the basic 36 CHAMBERS OF SHAOLIN set-up (weak kid turned martial arts master) and you also have a good look at the fantasy world of Hong Kong cinema. The Monkey God plays a big role in the film, but so does the Animal Style martial arts, but it’s all kid friendly.
Which is why it’s not an easy recommend for many people. Jackie Chan does play a drunken fist fighter, which was a good nod to his early work and he does have a really great fight with Jet Li, but beyond that I think the flick won’t play to those well-versed in martial arts films or those that can’t enjoy it on a basic little boy or girl level.
Fear not, though, moms and dads. There is entertainment to be had with the film, so it shouldn’t be torture to sit through with the little one. And for the dads who harbor a secret yellow fever, this is one of the first films of an absolutely gorgeous new Chinese actress named Yifei Liu.
The action’s fast and fun, the acting’s nothing to get excited about, but aside from some horrible delivery from Jet Li it’s nothing to get upset about either. Chan really does seem to be having a lot of fun and that rubs off.
So there you have it. I don’t know what else I’d have to say about this flick. It’s one that I like in a guilty pleasure sort of way. There are moments that are really strong and there are moments that are really weak. It’s a flawed movie, but I think it’ll be one that’ll be looked back on by today’s youngsters with a good deal of nostalgia and one that I hope will open up many of them to some amazing Hong Kong classics.
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
-
+ Expand All
-
Otherwise it looks like a fun flick for and afternoon.
-
in this movie really bothers me. At last what I've seen from the trailer.
-
is what I meant.
-
I think I'm pregnant with a hairball...
-
...that we finally get Chan and Li in the same film, and it's a fucking Hollywood bastardised kid's movie.
-
ain't that kinda racist?
-
It definitely is the most racist term I have seen frequently used on this site. Wondering when Quint, etc. will begin referring to asian people as Japs and Chinks...
Well, not really, but this term should be put into the deepest desk drawer as soon as possible.
As for the movie, it sadly hasn´t even a release date in Germany yet, but I can only hope it comes out as soon as possible. -
and butt kicking kungfu beauty yifei liu , the fight between two legends is just historical!
-
and butt kicking kungfu beauty yifei liu , then the fight between two legends is just historical! I just hope people who have no idea about kungfu styles could understand this movie.
*correction* -
Who gives a damn? Movie looks like crap...Jackie Chan who? Cant believe people are talking about Kung Fu Panda seriously. It has Jack Black ...kiss of death there.
-
coming from a HEABY background in chinese kung fu cinema, it is hard for me to imagine myself fully enjoying this movie. like anything the 2 have done in the last 10 years it seems fattened up and laiden with a twisting story,somehting i give not the fcuk about in this situation. we have the last 2 martial arts legends of our time in the final film before they get too old and it's a family pic. i am embarrassed.
-
Posting Chan's muppety advert again.
http://tinyurl.com/67hfwj -
Quality assessment has been achieved. BRING FORTH KUNG-FU PANDA! (Btw, does anyone else recall a Miziyaki-ish theatrical film from back in the 70s featuring a kung-fu panda and a beautiful white snake??)
-
angle.
Still, it's cool to see more Eastern myth and folklore on the screen. Let's get stuff from countries other than Japan and China. The woman who fights with her hair is a rip-off from "The Kouga Ninja Scrolls," though. And the concept of this movie is a lot like Inu-Yasha. -
I enjoyed it for what it was. Quint's pretty dead on with his review. The movie's story is silly fun. The fight between Chan and Li is awesome. (And almost worth the price of admission just for this scene.) Truly they are both masters of their craft. The kid constantly made me think "They wanted Shia Laboef but he's probably too old and can't fight." The audience laughed a lot at various nods to other Martial Arts flicks too. And finally, both girls that they used in this movie... are HOOOOOTTTTT! (And also worth the price of admission).
-
Wow. Truly, wow. Way to go, Imus.
-
These are terms my friends and people around (of many backgrounds)have casually used since we were kids. There must be like, a super PC universe out there or something where nothings allowed to be said and everything's offensive. I'm never moving there.
-
Jackie Chan is making ads for Woolworths now in the UK with a puppet sheep! First Rush Hour then Shanghai Noon, then Around the World in 80 Days and now Woolworths ads. Jackie there was a time i loved ya, now i just assume anything you're associated with will be drivel. Shame.
-
its just a shortened version of the real word. but it is interesting that white people never get offended at the slang/insulting terms aimed at them. granted most of them are retarded and dont make sense so nobody takes em seriously but yeah.
-
I paid to see crazy kung fu and i got my money's worth. Plus Liu Yifei is hot hot hot. Not bad for a 3rd world girl.
-
A lot like "Bulletproof Monk."
-
...when it was called "The Lost Empire" on NBC (aka "The Monkey King" on Sci-Fi Channel.)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0198779/
...Actually, I didn't like it that much. -
I just watched Forbidden Kingdom and you know what? It wasn't that bad. It has some cool fights and its finally great to see Jackie and Jet working together. You can tell that Minkoff and Fusco are fans, I just wished someone with more of a cinematic flair would have directed.
-
Ok, Forbidden Kingdom has some cool effect and fights, but have you guys seen some of these:
1. Stomriders
2. Legend Of Zu
3. The Restless (Restless sword)
4. Chinese Tall Story
5. Bride With White Hair
6. Bichunmoo
7. Zu Warriors Of The Magic Mountain
8. Dororo (Based on Manga)
9. A Man Called Hero
10. Chinese Oddysey 1 & 2 (Legend Of Munky King, with Stephen Chow, Kung Fu Hustle)
Everyone here would enjoy these if you haven't seen them yet, def check them out. I found all of these films at www.cine-east.com, the price were good.
-
ain't that kinda racist too?
-
Hell it's meant to be an ironic jokey thing. Gay guys who like Asians are apparently Rice Queens (ala that Family Guy episode with Brians cousin)... it's very different from using racist terms directed at an ethnicity. I had an Indian girlfreind and a mate of mine called me a Curry Muncher, it wasn't about racism it was about teasing me if she was white he would of found something else to tease me about.
-
The movie's gimmick was "The Wizard of Oz". You didn't catch that? Did the boy really go to the "Forbidden Kingdom" or was it all a dream while knocked out from the fall? Come on Quint...
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 209 total posts 207 posts
- AVENGERS enemy revealed as pink boardgame pieces... You might suffer some form of elation... SPOILERS!!! -- 160 total posts 97 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 144 total posts 77 posts
- Here's The Red Band Trailer For Drafthouse Films' THE FP! -- 68 total posts 68 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 67 total posts 67 posts
- Does ‘SNL’ Rhyme With ‘Deschanel’?? Learn Which SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Vet Hosts After Sexy Zooey!! -- 64 total posts 60 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 480 total posts 55 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 53 total posts 50 posts
- Friday Brings SWEEPS DAY NINE!! Gab Here About Tonight’s FRINGE!! Plus Einstein on TIM, Wiig On PORTLANDIA, MAHER, CLONE, GIFTED, GRIMM, SPARTACUS, SUPERNATURAL, GOLD RUSH And More!! -- 118 total posts 32 posts
- SPACE 2099!! -- 182 total posts 27 posts