I like martial arts movies. Wait, scratch that... I like good martial arts movies. Granted, the word "good" is highly subjective and what one individual describes as good, another might see a steaming pile of cow turds.
In the case of The Forbidden Kingdom, I'm leaning more toward the steaming pile of poo. But at least it's shiny. Jackie Chan and Jet Li are both masters at what they do, and in Forbidden Kingdom it looks like they are having the fun they've spent their careers trying to achieve. Chan re-assumes his Drunken Master style, and Li carries a devious silence like one who possesses a secret knowledge. The fighting choreography is on par with what their respective fans have come to expect. The scenes where the two icons of Americanized Kung Fu argue over how to teach their arts to a hapless teen are priceless. However, the movie itself is as forgettable as... well... I don't remember.
The story follows a clumsy American teenager - fanatically obsessed with kung fu movies - who discovers an inner power and learns to kick butt with some epic fighting skills. It's like the Karate Kid without Mr. Miyagi. (Ironically, Chan is taking the roll of Mr. Miyagi in the upcoming Karate Kid remake.)
The teen (played by Michael Angarano) is mystically transported to an ancient and scenic world filled with magic and pseudo-Chinese mythology. He is the assumed fulfilment of a prophesy set to restore the Monkey King. Yet all he wants to do is go home (even though he is a picked on loser there... but he's got a crush on some girl so it balances out).
The finished film is a convoluted plot with some fantastic fight scenes, utter predictability, and a thick layer of cheese. It's good enough to watch once. But only once. After that it's a slightly stale pile of shiny cow dung.
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