From The Lion King to the Monkey King director Rob Minkoff goes and along with him goes the reverse evolution of the American martial arts epic.
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04/17/08
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The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
64
%
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Reviews Counted:123
Fresh:79
Rotten:44
Average Rating:6.1/10
Consensus: This hotly-anticipated pairing of martial arts legends Jackie Chan and Jet Li features dazzling fight scenes but is weighed down by too much filler.
Theatrical Release:2008
Box Office: $25,040,293
Synopsis: East meets West and kung-fu legends collide as Jackie Chan and Jet Li square off in the fists-a-flying, family-friendly FORBIDDEN KINGDOM. Based on the classical Chinese novel JOURNEY TO THE WEST,... [More]
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Reviews for The Forbidden Kingdom
Is it possible to recommend a movie based on a single scene alone? If it's The Forbidden Kingdom, the answer is an obvious "Yes."
04/17/08
Part of the charm, yes, is the goofiness of it all -- but the film would have been better if it were more cohesive, streamlined, and focused.
04/17/08
Top CriticIf it was a disjointed abomination of a film it would still be worth seeing for the epic clash between Jet Li and Jackie Chan. Fortunately the rest of it's pretty good too.
04/17/08
[Chan and Li] punch, kick, jump, and fall all over in an extended sequence that never feels too long.
04/17/08
The Forbidden Kingdom may lack the grace of Crouching Tiger or the grandeur of Hero, but [Rob] Minkoff's affection and respect for the film culture is genuine.
04/17/08
Ignore puff and nonsense about kung fu philosophy...and enjoy 'The Forbidden Kingdom' for the youth-oriented wish fulfillment that it is.
04/17/08
Chan is terrific in a familiar role and Li is right at home in the role of the warrior monk, though less so as the Monkey King; cheeky humor isn't his forte. But to see the two of them on screen together, even past their primes, is a delight
04/17/08
There's not much to get psyched about.
04/17/08
A drab exercise in poor storytelling, empty-headed characters, low-grade aesthetics, and forgettable action sequences. This isn't 'so-bad-it's-good' we're talking about; it's 'so-bad-it's-bad.'
04/17/08
While some of this material was drawn from Chinese legends, it still feels a bit half-hearted and as if it was cobbled together from bits of other movies.
04/17/08
At best, The Forbidden Kingdom counts as an amiable time-waster for kids, but much more should be expected from the momentous union of two kung-fu titans.
04/17/08
If it were executed with more energy or panache, it could have been something special, and that makes the disappointment that much harder to take.
04/17/08
Silly and satisfying, The Forbidden Kingdom is a juggernaut of beloved movie tropes complete with pumping-up montage of knuckle pushups.
04/17/08
For their first co-headlining film, Jackie Chan and Jet Li have chosen a rote piece of chop-socky that's liable to please only their most devoted fans. And even them, not so much.
04/17/08
The Forbidden Kingdom is for those who like plenty of kung fu action with an epic fantasy setting and a little humor thrown in. When all is said and done, the dream team combination of Chan and Li is just a nice bonus.
04/17/08
Top CriticYou know you're in a fantasy movie when the central character has to traverse time in search of the 'Monkey King.' If only you were in a good movie.
04/17/08
Top CriticHilarious... And cheeky and cheery and so popcorn-a-licious a fantasy historical action comedy that you want to stand up and cheer.
04/17/08
Finally, the pairing of Jackie Chan and Jet Li--in a story about someone else.
04/17/08
The worst part of the martial-arts epic The Forbidden Kingdom [is] a moment near the halfway mark when there arrives a gag that involves Chan getting a face full of urine. This kingdom really should be forbidden.
04/17/08
Latest News for The Forbidden Kingdom
September 09, 2008:
Kung fu fever and fluff mix it up with hordes of floating knights in shining armor with bad attitude, and just a little heavy on the dressing, courtesy of the costume department. 
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April 20, 2008:
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Audiences were fired up for the first-ever showdown between martial arts legends Jackie Chan and Jet Li as their new fantasy actioner The Forbidden Kingdom opened at number one... More...
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