The Forbidden Kingdom

STARRING: Jet Li, Jackie Chan View Trailer RELEASE DATE: 04/18/2008 DATE SCREENED: 04/13/2008 The Verdict GREAT - See it opening weekend

What if Jackie Chan fought Jet Li? Who would win? That might seem like a silly question to most, but it’s a question that has been on my mind since the mid '90s, when I rediscovered my childhood love of Asian kung fu movies. These two men have been the top stars of the kung fu genre since the late '80s, and are the last of a dying breed of kung fu stars who actually studied the art since childhood. Finally, the two square off in The Forbidden Kingdom, and kung fu fans the world over will hope to finally have an answer to that question.

The Forbidden Kingdom follows a teenaged “old school” kung fu movie fan named Jason, who frequents his local Chinatown to buy kung fu DVDs. The kid gets caught up in a robbery attempt by teenaged thugs, in which the old shop owner (Jackie Chan) gives him a staff that “must be returned to the rightful owner”. The staff magically transports him to ancient China. It turns out that the boy is the “seeker” of some ancient prophecy, and he must be the one to return the staff to the immortal Monkey King (Jet Li), who is imprisoned in stone by the evil Jade Emperor. This is all explained to him by a drunken immortal, also played by Jackie Chan. This “drunken master” becomes Jason’s kung fu teacher as they travel across ancient China to return the staff. Along the way they are joined by a teenaged orphan girl, and a monk (Jet Li), both of whom are also kung fu masters. The four of them must face off with a white–haired witch and the immortal Jade Emperor himself in order to bring this staff to the Monkey King. The Monkey King would then be free to end the evil tyranny of the Jade Emperor.

The basic plot description begs the big question, when do Jackie and Jet get to fight? The big fight everyone wants to see happens midway through the film, when Jackie and Jet first meet and fight over the staff. The fight is spectacular, and the highlight of the film. You get to see Jet Li’s speed as he defends himself against the drunken boxing Chan first made famous back in 1978 in Drunken Master. You can to see Li switch to praying mantis, while Chan defends it with Tiger style. This is an old school kung fu movie fan’s wet dream, but then it ends without the final payoff. They stop fighting with no clear winner. It seems that even in the make believe world of movies, neither of these guys was willing to lose to the other, which ultimately prevents this fight from going down as one of the best 1-on-1 fights in movie history. It could have been right up there with Bruce Lee versus Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan versus Hwang Jang Lee, Jackie Chan versus Benny Urquidez, Jet Li versus Yasuaki Kurata, or Sammo Hung versus Lau Kar-Leung. All of those fights had a clear winner.

The big fight isn’t the only thing this film has going for it. The movie never gets boring. There is not much talking before a fight breaks out. Kung Fu choreographer Yuen Woo-ping (most famous for his choreography in The Matrix, but also was Chan’s choreographer back in the original Drunken Master) earns his money putting together a series of kung fu battles that are the best you will see in an American film. Jet Li gets the most screen time, fighting both as the monk and the Monkey King.

I had a great time watching Forbidden Kingdom. So much so that I can overlook the audacity of having a prophecy in which a white kid saves China. But my question still has not been completely answered. I’ve seen Jet Li fight Jackie Chan, but who would win in a fight between those two? I guess we’ll never know for sure, but get out and see The Forbidden Kingdom before these two great stars retire.