Synopsis
An American teenager who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and kung-fu classics makes an extraordinary discovery in a Chinatown pawnshop: the legendary stick weapon of the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King. With the lost relic in hand, the teenager unexpectedly finds himself travelling back to ancient China to join a crew of warriors from martial arts lore on a dangerous quest to free the imprisoned Monkey King.
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Cast
- Jackie ChanOld Hop / Lu Yan
- Jet LiThe Silent Monk / The Monkey King
- Michael AngaranoJason Tripitikas
- Liu YifeiGolden Sparrow / Chinatown Girl
- Li BingbingNi Chang a.k.a White-Haired Witch
- Collin ChouJade Warlord
- Morgan BenoitLupo
- Jack PosobiecSouthie
- Thomas McDonellYoung Southie
- Juana CollignonSouthie Girl
Recommendations
- 75
ReelViews
For martial arts action fans, The Forbidden Kingdom may be the best fantasy story since the genre was opened to a wider audience by "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." - 70
New York Magazine (Vulture)
Once past the clunky prologue, the film is great fun, with a good balance between computer effects and athleticism. - 67
Austin Chronicle
The plot is negligible, but that's fine since it's really only a way to get from one set-piece to another. - 63
Philadelphia Inquirer
The special effects are effective, though not terribly special. While director Minkoff pays homage to past masters of the genre, the past masters were better at this game than he. - 60
Village Voice
Taken as a whole, though, it's an amiable lost-and-found of epic-adventure tropes. As I still illogically treasure "Willow," many a 10-year-old who sees Forbidden Kingdom will remember it fondly in spite of its flaws. - 50
Variety
On its own terms, it's a handsome albeit unexceptional juvenile adventure shot on some magnificent Chinese locations. - 50
The Hollywood Reporter
Will please its core audience but won't enthrall anyone over the age of 16. (Even that might be stretching the point.) - 50
Chicago Tribune
It's perhaps best suited for genre vets who can be satisfied with spot-the-reference games and Chan and Li's chemistry, or for undiscriminating kids who'll enjoy the "Karate Kid" vibe. But it's less a culmination of Li and Chan's careers than a passable footnote to better things.
