CS Weekly Archive > Weekend Read > 4/18/08

A Karate Kid in King Arthur's Court

By peter clines

The Forbidden Kingdom

John Fusco

Jason (Michael Angarano) is a martial arts-obsessed Boston teen who's dragged back in time to ancient China, where he discovers he's been prophesied to journey to The Forbidden Kingdom and reawaken the legendary Monkey King, frozen in a statue for five centuries by the tyrannical Jade Warlord (Collin Chou). Determined to find his way home, the clueless youth sets out on his quest with the help of a drunken philosopher (Jackie Chan), a somber monk (Jet Li), and a beautiful, revenge-obsessed musician (Yifei Liu). If this basic story sounds somewhat familiar, it should. It's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court with all the kung-fu, magic, and exotic weapons Mark Twain wanted to put in, but his publisher wouldn't let him. Screenwriter John Fusco (Hidalgo) does a pretty solid job of balancing extended fight sequences with character development and comedy, and even manages a few clever reveals and plot twists. These elements never quite mesh seamlessly, however, and a few sequences either feel clichéd or drag on too long. While it isn't flawless, The Forbidden Kingdom is still far more entertaining and clever than any other recent martial arts film, and never hurts itself by trying to reach past those goals.

The Forbidden Kingdom
Lionsgate
Rated PG-13; 113 min.

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Peter Clines has had a lifelong love affair with the movies. He grew up in New England, where he studied English literature and education, and now lives and writes somewhere in Southern California. If anyone knows exactly where, he would appreciate a few hints.

The Forbidden Kingdom courtesy Lionsgate

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