Watch Forbidden Kingdom It’s Insane!

“How good is your Kung Fu?” I am a huge fan of Jackie Chan movies and Hong Kong martial arts comedy movies in the late 70’s – 80s, I wasn’t sure though that Jet Li was in one of those movies I watched as a kid, hmmm come to think of it I think he was the Shaolin master on the Shaolin Temple.

When I was a kid in grade school, there are a couple of shows on TV that I like to watch, among them are Jackie Chan movies probably made in the 1960’s, but I was watching the re-runs in black and white (or maybe so I thought they were black and white movies since our TV back then was still black and white), this was in the late 1980’s.

I was so excited, when my sis asked me what movie I’d like to see, without batting an eyelash I told her I want Forbidden Kingdom, since I saw the movie trailer on TV with Jackie Chan and Jet Li’s fight scene I told myself this is a must see movie for me. I was right as always on movies that give me the itch to watch.

The movie started with the Monkey King (portrayed by Jet Li), with all the costumes and effects the blond hair, the tail and the playful look, authentic Monkey King, a fight scene on top of icy mountain near the Jade Temple with the Jade warriors, really fancy. If you have no idea what Monkey King was he was an ambitious monkey with a kick-ass fighting technique, very playful but sweet, he dreams to get a title as the Monkey King to prove his kind that he can be somebody even if he is a monkey, above all he wants to be immortal.

After the fight scene, the movie flicked with a young American boy, present time, waking up from a dream. Apparently the dream was the Monkey fight scene, and he was waking up with a Monkey King movie running on his TV.

This boy, character name Jason (played by Michael Angarano, a kid I never saw before) is a huge Hong Kong 60’s martial arts movies and he frequents a Chinese store owned by Lu Yan (portrayed by Jackie Chan).

Story revolves around a very powerful staff owned by the Monkey King and Jason is the one seeker of the staff and his mission was to return the staff to the rightful owner. The journey returning the staff to the rightful owner is the fun part of the movie and a must see.

I thought I was going to be disappointed when the movie started with a dream sequel and I thought it’s all going to be a big dream sequence movie, but then again I was wrong. The humor in this movie is laudable, cracked me up all the time and all the audience, especially if you are a great big fan of martial arts movies that were all tied in the movie. Drunken Master, Shaolin Temple, Monkey King, Shaolin Kid, and all those movies in the 1960’s Jackie Chan and Jet Li starred. It’s an awesome kick-ass, funny movie.

If you think Jet Li can’t be funny, think again! They have a good chemistry, he and Jackie Chan, I hope they make more movies together; this movie was about time they do a movie together.

Some of my favorite scene was Jet Li and Jackie Chan’s fight scene in a temple. That was awesome martial arts fighting, the snake fist, the tiger claw and all other techniques mentioned popular in the old movies was so funny to see and two big Hong Kong martial arts actors doing it on the same movie was a great treat for me!

I also liked the first dialogue when Jason was transported back in time of the Jade Emperor in China where everyone speaks Chinese or Mandarin I really don’t know. But it was funny how the American boy was so dumbfounded being transported to a foreign land and can’t understand anyone until he met the Drunken Master (Jackie Chan!).

The scene where Jet Li pissed on Jackie Chan was funny too. Why? Well, I won’t tell, watch the movie!

Aside from being the Monkey King, Jet Li also portrays the Monk from the Shaolin temple. Jet Li, Jackie Chan and some cute Asian kick-ass chick was in there as the Sparrow, guided Jason through the journey in returning the staff to the Forbidden Kingdom, of the Five Elements.

There are lots of funny scenes in the movie, I was laughing a lot and so were the audience. There was a scene when my sis and I can’t help but mussed loudly the word “Idiot!” after the first meeting of Jason and the Drunken Master when Jason complained “I can’t understand you!” and he got a reply “Because you are not listening!”

I can only tell you so much, and I would like to go through the details, but I don’t want to spoil your fun when you actually decide to watch the movie. All the elements of an awesome martial arts movie like the Crouching Tiger, the flying, the fighting, the elaborate set and design, the magic powers and all those good stuff are there. If you haven’t seen the movie I really suggest you watch. I love it! I can watch the movie all over again and again and again and again!