345 - The Forbidden Kingdom review

Ever see “Sidekicks?” It was a harmless little 1992 film that saw a loser teen immersed in fantasy, eventually getting to meet Chuck Norris, his hero.

“The Forbidden Kingdom” reminded me of that, only instead of one martial arts icon, you have the martial arts movie icons, and instead of the teen imagining his adventures, the kid really experiences in them. Those icons are Jackie Chan and Jet Li, of course, teaming up in a way that suggests Chinese action stars suffer less hubris than their American counterparts. One big difference from “Sidekicks:” apparently, Chan and Li don’t exist in this teen’s universe, prompting us to wonder what got him into martial arts flicks in the first place (and don’t say Bruce Lee).

The plot: Jason (Michael Angarano) is a Boston teen obsessed with kung-fu flicks. He visits a shop run by Jackie Chan in old man makeup, only end up falling through a portal into some magical word populated by Chinese emperors and magic. Once there, Jason runs into Jackie Chan again, this time looking like an old man on his own and playing an immortal kung-fu master. They soon thereafter run into Jet Li, playing yet another kung-fu master. They both teach Jason to Be A Man and Seize His Destiny, and though it’s routine stuff, I found myself caring about the result.

The paper would have to double my salary to inspire me to write much more about the plot. There are magic powers, lots of potions and things with the word “jade” in front of it, and villains who kill their own henchmen for delivering bad news. There are training montages and battles where two men butcher a battalion of soldiers with their hands and feet. It’s one of those films where despite a dense plot, the whole story could be adequately summarized on a postage stamp.

But it’s a sweet film in a way, unfailingly corny but in a good-hearted way that suggests the key players were at least as interested in making good entertainment as they were about raking in money. Chan and Li participate in some great fight scenes that don’t end several minutes too soon like those in several of their more recent efforts.

The film’s kind spirit and impressive action overrode my cynicism about formula, and even though the dimmest moviegoers should be able to accurately calculate the ending within the first five minutes, I suppose that’s okay. After all, what person goes to a Jackie Chan or a Jet Li movie looking for something new? That the film provides what we want and a little extra makes it worth our time.

Apparently, Gene Siskel to used to ask if a movie was as good as a documentary of the cast members having lunch. When the question first crossed my mind about “The Forbidden Kingdom,” I was tempted to say no, but then had second thoughts. When you’re a screen icon famous for your kung-fu stunts, and you meet your greatest contemporary, what better way to bond than to stage a fight together onscreen?

3 out of 5