cinemabon
04-22-2008, 09:04 AM
The fact that a fifty-four year old guy is running around, leaping through the air, landing kicks on target, I find amazing. But then, I consider Jackie Chan's entire life amazing. In his latest film, he plays a role that resurrects an old one, the drunken Kung Fu master. He easily demonstrates that Mr. Chan is still here and has what it takes to make us smile and sit in awe of his fast-paced antics.
The plot of "Forbidden Kingdom" is simply the plot of 'The Wizard of Oz.' However, what I found interesting, as I watched the martial arts film with my son (also studying martial arts) is that I realized this could be Jackie Chan's swan song (though he does have three films in the works). He is really 54 years-old. At his age, getting out of bed starts to be trouble, let alone swing off a bridge, land on a rooftop, and roll off to the ground (which he does). While James Bond (as in Roger Moore, who did Bond at 54)had a stunt man doing those things, Chan has always insisted he do his own stunts. I marvel that a man his age can run up the street, let alone jump on a horse and gallop away like a teenager.
After Bruce Lee prematurely left the world of martial arts cinema, it was Jackie Chan who stepped up to the plate and filled the void with his unique brand of humor mixed with pathos. As he says in his autobiography, "I drew my inspiration from Buster Keaton." Chan and Jet Li perform well in this latest tribute to the art of Kung Fu and Tae Kwon Do. The young hero (played by Michael Angarano) doesn't run away from home as Dorothy does. Instead, he is knocked out and wakes up in a fantasyland complete with characters pointing him toward a mysterious city (stop me if you heard the story). Upon completion of his mission to deliver an ancient rod, he wants to go home ("Oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home.") When our hero awakes in this version, he must face reality and deal with the harsh life on the streets of a large city (New York implied). The story has an uplifting end with a nice Chan touch.
However, we did not go to see the young pup strut his stuff or the love story between him and the girl (played well by martial arts actress Yifei Liu). We went to see two great masters, Jet Li and Jackie Chan get it on. The martial arts scenes with Chan and Li are no less brilliant than past flicks that featured their particular styles of fighting. The two titans even square off against one another in what can only be described as martial arts god versus god. These two legendary giants square off in a great scene worth the price of the ticket for those of us who love the genre.
A mix of humor and romance, "Forbidden Kingdom" is a fanciful romp through the world of make-believe with no care for accuracy and a too heavy dollop of CGI effects ladled on. Rob Minkoff handles family fare films with ease. The final product is pleasing if condescendingly considered quaint by critics. However, the cinemaphotography (from Oscar winner Peter Pau) is beautiful to watch and Chan's antics, along with Jet Li, are well worth the price of admission.
The plot of "Forbidden Kingdom" is simply the plot of 'The Wizard of Oz.' However, what I found interesting, as I watched the martial arts film with my son (also studying martial arts) is that I realized this could be Jackie Chan's swan song (though he does have three films in the works). He is really 54 years-old. At his age, getting out of bed starts to be trouble, let alone swing off a bridge, land on a rooftop, and roll off to the ground (which he does). While James Bond (as in Roger Moore, who did Bond at 54)had a stunt man doing those things, Chan has always insisted he do his own stunts. I marvel that a man his age can run up the street, let alone jump on a horse and gallop away like a teenager.
After Bruce Lee prematurely left the world of martial arts cinema, it was Jackie Chan who stepped up to the plate and filled the void with his unique brand of humor mixed with pathos. As he says in his autobiography, "I drew my inspiration from Buster Keaton." Chan and Jet Li perform well in this latest tribute to the art of Kung Fu and Tae Kwon Do. The young hero (played by Michael Angarano) doesn't run away from home as Dorothy does. Instead, he is knocked out and wakes up in a fantasyland complete with characters pointing him toward a mysterious city (stop me if you heard the story). Upon completion of his mission to deliver an ancient rod, he wants to go home ("Oh, Auntie Em, there's no place like home.") When our hero awakes in this version, he must face reality and deal with the harsh life on the streets of a large city (New York implied). The story has an uplifting end with a nice Chan touch.
However, we did not go to see the young pup strut his stuff or the love story between him and the girl (played well by martial arts actress Yifei Liu). We went to see two great masters, Jet Li and Jackie Chan get it on. The martial arts scenes with Chan and Li are no less brilliant than past flicks that featured their particular styles of fighting. The two titans even square off against one another in what can only be described as martial arts god versus god. These two legendary giants square off in a great scene worth the price of the ticket for those of us who love the genre.
A mix of humor and romance, "Forbidden Kingdom" is a fanciful romp through the world of make-believe with no care for accuracy and a too heavy dollop of CGI effects ladled on. Rob Minkoff handles family fare films with ease. The final product is pleasing if condescendingly considered quaint by critics. However, the cinemaphotography (from Oscar winner Peter Pau) is beautiful to watch and Chan's antics, along with Jet Li, are well worth the price of admission.