The Forbidden Kingdom

Directed by: Rob Minkoff
Written by: John Fusco
Produced By: Casey Silver
Starring: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Collin Chou, Liu Yifei, Li Bingbing, Michael Angarano
Music By: David Buckley
Production Company: Casey Silver Productions, Huayi Brothers, Relativity Media
Release dates: April 18, 2008 (United States), April 24, 2008 (China)

Plot: South Boston teenager, Jason Tripitikas, is a fan of martial arts films. He dreams of a battle between Sun Wukong and celestial soldiers in the clouds. In fact he's infatuated with martial arts. When he visits a pawn shop in Chinatown to buy wuxia DVDs he discovers a golden staff. On his way home, Jason is harassed by some hooligans, whose leader Lupo attempts to use him to help them rob the shop-owner Hop, who is shot by Lupo. Hop tells Jason to deliver the staff to its rightful owner. Jason flees with the staff but is cornered on a rooftop before being pulled off the roof by the staff.

When Jason regains consciousness, he finds himself in a village in ancient China under attack by soldiers. When the soldiers attempt to seize his staff Jason is rescued by an inebriated ravelling scholar Lu Yan, a supposed "immortal," who remains alert and agile even when drunk. Later Lu begins to tell Jason the story of the rivalry between the Monkey King and the Jade Warlord. The Warlord tricked the King into setting aside his magic staff, Ruyi Jingu Bang, and transformed the immortal into a stone statue, but the King cast his staff far away before the transformation. Lu ends the tale with a prophecy about a "Seeker" who will find the staff and free the King. Just then, they are attacked by the Warlord's men again, but manage to escape with the help of Golden Sparrow, a young woman whose family was murdered by the Warlord.

Review: The story involves a range of smaller quests. In each Jason learns more about himself and what it takes to truly understand and use martial arts. As both a way of self defence and inner balance. Jason will travel across China, meeting both friends and foes and even falling in love. While there are multiple moral lessons that can be learned throughout the film.

A movie great for popcorn and and a fun Saturday night.

M J Flack