I only recently had the opportunity to watch "The Forbidden Kingdom," the 2008 movie that featuring the dream team-up for many kung-fu movie fans: Jackie Chan and Jet Li.
I must admit that I had very mixed feelings about this production from the outset, which is one reason I didn't plunk down any money to catch it in the theaters. On one hand, in addition to Chan and Li appearing onscreen for the first time, the film's other pluses included fight choreography by the legendary Yuen Woo-Ping ("The Matrix," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), cinematography by Peter Pau ("The Killer," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") and authentic Chinese locales. The negatives: this being an American movie and not a Chinese one. Although I've been generally entertained by the Hollywood films Chan and Li have made (including the "Rush Hour" films), like many Hong Kong films fans I also find them very disappointing. For some reason, Hollywood has insisted on watering down the very qualities that made Chan and Li such legends in the first place: Chan's extreme stunts and slapstick comedy, Li's extreme wirework and violent intensity. Not to mention the fact that I always feel that American writers and directors simply have no idea how to handle either star, often unintentionally placing them in situations that make them appear unnecessarily foolish or clueless. Personally, Chan's best U.S. film to date is "Shanghai Knights" (2003) which is the only Stateside film I think featured the sort of extended fight sequences, stunts and slapstick that made Chan famous (Plus Owen Wilson makes a fantastic comic foil), while Jet Li's is probably a toss-up between "The One" (2001) and "Unleashed" (2005) which had great fight scenes, but were still saddled with some awkward dialogue for Li and strained drama.
The other trepidation I had about "The Forbidden Kingdom" was the ages of the stars. Though still in great shape, Chan was already way into his 50s and Li in his 40s when the film was made. Chan had already slowed down considerably even in his Hong Kong films, and Jet Li had even talked about retiring from kung-fu films altogether. Teaming them up, I thought, would have been great in 1991, at the height of their careers and physical abilities, but now might feel like watching old rockers struggling to complete a set.
That all being said, "Kingdom" turned out to be much, much more enjoyable than I ever could have expected. The plot is nothing special: an American teenager (Michael Angarano) with a love of kung-fu movies but with a tendency to get picked upon is (apparently) transported back through time with a magical Chinese staff that must be returned to it's rightful owner. In a sort of kung-fu "Wizard of Oz," he ends up teaming up with a drunken immortal (Chan) and a silent monk (Li), as well as a female warrior named Golden Sparrow (Yifei Liu). Their main enemy is the Jade Warlord (Collin Chou) who wants the staff for his own purposes. In their quest to restore the staff, the teenager masters kung-fu, earns the respect of Chan and Li (who act as his teachers) and even encounter the Monkey King (Li also) of legend.
What surprised me about "Kingdom" is that the film is clearly made by people who are die-hard kung-fu fans. The opening titles are a terrific mash-up of classic kung-fu movie posters from the 60s-70s featuring everyone from Chan to Bruce Lee (of course). The characters chosen for Chan and Li are absolutely perfect: Chan playing a variation of the drunken kung-fu master from his own "Drunken Master" films and Li playing his umpteenth version of the stoic monk/master teacher that he perfected in period films like "Once Upon a Time in China" (1991).
The side characters too are a real delight if you're a fan. The Golden Sparrow is a play on the female warrior Golden Swallow from the classic kung-fu films "Come Drink with Me" (1966) and "Golden Swallow" (1968). In fact, the character even utters the line 'Come drink with me' at a critical plot point. The Jade Warlord is supported by a white-haired witch (Bingbing Li) who can use her magical hair as a weapon, clearly based on the title character from the classic film "The Bride with White Hair" (1993).
And the see that all fans really want to see? The famed Jet Li versus Jackie Chan fight. Well, it's definitely not as dynamic as it might have been when they were both in their physical prime. Plus, I always find it odd watching Jackie Chan employing wire-work, since his films always emphasized real stunts, while it was Li's films that often bordered on the supernatural. But it does deliver the goods, plus makes for a great showcase/tribute to both stars' contributions to the martial arts film genre.
"The Forbidden Kingdom" might not be classic, but it delivers the goods, and wouldn't make a bad bookend for Chan and Li's long careers.
The Forbidden Kingdom trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e66Og0lOCcE
Jackie Chan versus Jet Li fight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcPJ5qSnrEI
White Haired Witch fight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2obZpdkneSk&feature=fvw
And as a bonus, some of the movies that inspired "The Forbidden Kingdom"
Jackie Chan in "Drunken Master II": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vhhvCEfmxw
Jet Li in "Shaolin Temple": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cReBHSmWAmo
"The Bride with White Hair" trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfeSngO2s7I
No comments:
Post a Comment