The Forbidden Kingdom (12a)

Jul 15 2008 By Roz Laws

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AMERICAN teenager Jason (Michael Angarano) is a huge fan of kung fu films. He loves hanging out at the pawn shop in Chinatown, where he finds an ancient staff.

When bullies force him to help them rob the shop, the owner gets shot. As he lies wounded, he urges Jason to take the staff and return it to its rightful owner.

Next thing he knows, he’s waking up in olden rural China.

Drunken Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) tells the owner of the staff is the Monkey King (Jet Li), who’s been turned to stone by the evil Jade warlord and it is Jason’s task to free him after 500 years. Can he learn kung fu for real when he’s only seen it in films?

It looks pretty good, and full credit for showing a clip of that brilliant 1970s series Monkey. Perhaps Chan’s biggest achievement is keeping his very bad wig on throughout the fighting.

It’s a old-fashioned colourful fantasy adventure which you’ll enjoy if you like kung fu movies, and you’re able to appreciate the significance of Jackie and Jet on screen together for the first time. Otherwise you may well lose interest pretty quickly.