Pairing these two martial arts legends in a story that is essentially one long homage to the great Shaw Brothers films of yore allows The Forbidden Kingdom plenty of leeway for comic moments.
Comment
04/17/08
The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
64
%
Tomatometer
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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:09-07-2008
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]
Reviews for The Forbidden Kingdom
If you're in touch with your inner 12-year-old, don't be surprised if you find yourself smiling and cheering during the film's final scenes.
04/17/08
Every fight is more spectacular than the one before, and there's just enough of the playfulness of Chan's best brawls (this is more violent) to keep The Forbidden Kingdom laugh-out-loud light.
04/17/08
A juvenile piece of cultural appropriation, The Forbidden Kingdom doesn't even have the good manners to focus on the two martial-arts masters.
04/17/08
The Forbidden Kingdom may not be the martial arts masterpiece Kung Fu fans have waited two decades for, but the obvious good time shared by Jackie and Jet makes for a fun little action film that's very much worth a look.
04/16/08
Chan plays a drunk again and Li is a gay Hindu monkey king. See "Zombie Strippers" instead.
04/16/08
If this sounds like a knockoff of a million supernatural kung fu costumers ... well, it is. But the important thing is that it's a very good knockoff. Not only do [the filmmakers] clearly love the movies they're plundering, but they've done their homework
04/16/08
What gives this chop-socky journey high marks is its conceptual consistency and honesty toward the premise, elements that are so often substituted in lesser versions of the formula by tasteless exaggeration.
04/16/08
A reasonably entertaining throwback for the younger set, which nostalgic adults can also enjoy if they don't go expecting too much.
04/16/08
The fight scenes are fun, but the filler in between is deadlier than one of Li's lethal kicks.
04/16/08
Top CriticThis is the first collaboration between kung fu's Astaire and Kelly, and, as that, it disappoints.
04/16/08
The Forbidden Kingdom’s high-flying exhilaration strikes the right note for the first onscreen pairing of action-movie legends Jet Li and Jackie Chan.
04/16/08
The Jackie/Jet pairing lives up to the hype, resulting in one of the best family adventure tales of recent memory.
04/15/08
A surprisingly well-paced and satisfying kung-fu adventure that honors its stars and treats their story respectfully.
04/15/08
An incredibly entertaining and satisfying action flick well worth the wait to finally see these two martial arts masters work together.
04/15/08
What promises to be a thrilling Clash of the Titans (due to first teaming of Chan and Li) turns out to be a mildly engaging, formulatic multi-generational saga of West meets East, more in the vein of Karate Kid than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
04/15/08
Once past the clunky prologue, the film is great fun, with a good balance between computer effects and athleticism.
04/14/08
From a philosophical viewpoint it's fitting that the inaugural movie to unite martial arts legends Jackie Chan and Jet Li is a fantasy film for young teenagers. Forbidden Kingdom" may not be "Enter the Dragon," but it's not supposed to be.
04/13/08
Forbidden Kingdom serves up convoluted mythology with mild indifference.
04/13/08
While top-billed duo do indeed occupy plenty of screen time, this is basically the latest version of that post-Star Wars fantasy concept in which only a middle-class white teenage boy can save the universe from, y'know, Evil.
04/10/08
Top CriticLatest 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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May 01, 2008:
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A hero flies into North American multiplexes aiming to kickstart what should be an explosive summer movie season. Paramount's Iron Man is first up to bat this year and is ready... More...
April 24, 2008:
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Two new buddy comedies enter the marketplace during the final weekend of the spring box office hoping to cash in on what business is left in the last week before Iron Man flies... More...
April 20, 2008:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Chan and Li Rule Box Office Kingdom
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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