The Forbidden Kingdom B-

In Theatres, 113 minutes, PG-13

Kung fu’s reigning princes, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, finally face off in this silly, family-friendly incarnation of kung fu. Chances are you’ve already decided if you’ll be seeing this one (either Chan vs. Li quickens your pulse or leaves you scratching your head), but if your pulse quickens and you can put up with the ludicrous set-up and the Disney-fied fighting, there’s plenty here to love.

The plot centers around the ancient Chinese legend of the Monkey King (Li in one of two roles) and a Bruce Lee-loving kid from the Bronx (Michael Angarano) who is transferred with a bow staff (insert your best Napoleon voice here) to ancient China to free said king from his stone imprisonment. Along the way he picks up a drunken kung fu master (Chan, in, apparently, an allusion to his 1978 classic Drunken Master, a film I have not seen) and a stoic monk (Li again). When they square off, it is a site to behold, perfectly choreographed and quick as lightning. Supposedly, they had to slow down after the first few takes because the cameramen couldn’t keep up. Whatever, they’re still blinding, fast-pased fun. And it’s a good thing they are because there’s nothing else here. Michael Angarano comes off as a (very) poor man’s Shia LaBouf—doughy and not particularly handsome, but with not half the personality. The balance of the cast is made up of Asian cinema regulars who are too busy trying to stick their English lines to put any thought in real acting. Still, every time the plot threatens to bog the film down, a fight scene is interjected and the world is good once more.

I fell in love with Jackie Chan in 1995’s Rumble in the Bronx and also enjoy him in some of his American fare, especially when teamed with Owen Wilson in Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights. At 57, his days as anything besides the wizened old master are numbered. Similarly, Li at 47 is no spring chicken. Enjoy them both while you can. Unlike most action films, which only require ripped abs, steely biceps, and guide wires, these two are real athletes with true skill. Keep that in mind, and you’ll enjoy this otherwise forgettable film. B-