The Forbidden Kingdom 2008

A.O. Scott, New York Times: Forbidden Kingdom is a faithful and disarmingly earnest attempt to honor some venerable and popular Chinese cinematic traditions. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: Once past the clunky prologue, the film is great fun, with a good balance between computer effects and athleticism. Read more

Joshua Katzman, Chicago Reader: Pairing Jackie Chan and Jet Li would seem like a slam dunk, but this big-budget martial arts drama, which borrows liberally from The Wizard of Oz, is something of a disappointment. Read more

Mark Rahner, Seattle Times: It might take a Zen master to explain exactly what audience this is aimed at. Read more

Scott Tobias, AV Club: At best, The Forbidden Kingdom counts as an amiable time-waster for kids, but much more should be expected from the momentous union of two kung-fu titans. Read more

Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic: If you're in touch with your inner 12-year-old, don't be surprised if you find yourself smiling and cheering during the film's final scenes. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: The filmmakers come off like their protagonist, wide-eyed tourists in an exotic realm. If you've been looking for a martial arts film to take granny and the kids to, this might be the one, but a Jackie Chan-Jet Li collaboration deserves better than that. Read more

Tasha Robinson, Chicago Tribune: It's a long, eye-rolling haul...hampered by lurching exposition and hammy setup. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: A sufficiently entertaining diversion. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: A number of Forbidden Kingdom sequences deliver muscular slaptick. A fight in which Lu Yan uses Jason as one more weapon in his arsenal of defensive moves is vintage Chan. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: If you want to break the kids in easy to the whole martial arts thing, this may be the way to go. After all, clean fu never killed anyone. Read more

Adam Markovitz, Entertainment Weekly: The worst part of the martial-arts epic The Forbidden Kingdom [is] a moment near the halfway mark when there arrives a gag that involves Chan getting a face full of urine. This kingdom really should be forbidden. Read more

Eric D. Snider, Film.com: Part of the charm, yes, is the goofiness of it all -- but the film would have been better if it were more cohesive, streamlined, and focused. Read more

Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly: Silly and satisfying, The Forbidden Kingdom is a juggernaut of beloved movie tropes complete with pumping-up montage of knuckle pushups. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: The Forbidden Kingdom may be nothing but disposable fun, but it is a great, heaping, overflowing helping of fun. If you're 10, it may also seem like Citizen Kane. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: Thanks to the two stars' disparate styles - the laser-like focus of Li and the whirlwind whimsy of Chan - The Forbidden Kingdom makes up for its flaws with plenty of eye-popping moments. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: Chan seems to be having fun in a comic part that, unlike his Rush Hour paydays, doesn't make him the butt of ethnic jokes. Li is as stalwart as ever. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: While the script is corny and the direction uneven, [Chan and Li] never falter. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: Forbidden Kingdom is chop-socky bordering on chop-schlocky, but it's good-natured myth-making cut into kid-size pieces. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: Every fight is more spectacular than the one before, and there's just enough of the playfulness of Chan's best brawls (this is more violent) to keep The Forbidden Kingdom laugh-out-loud light. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The Forbidden Kingdom is for those who like plenty of kung fu action with an epic fantasy setting and a little humor thrown in. When all is said and done, the dream team combination of Chan and Li is just a nice bonus. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com: When Chan and Li match wits, each celebrates the other's presence. This isn't just a martial-arts display; it's generosity and camaraderie in motion. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: It's difficult to resist, especially if you're a 12-year-old boy whose parents won't let you rent Once Upon a Time in China or the Kill Bill movies. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Unfailingly lighthearted, the film's fight scenes are stylized, soaring wire work and gravity-defying digital sorcery rather than blood-and-bruises beatdowns. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: The Forbidden Kingdom...offers the first-ever on-screen pairing of martial-arts legends Jackie Chan and Jet Li, but it's a bit of a bait-and-switch. Both stars get plenty of screen time, yet their fight scenes feel routine. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: This is the long-awaited teaming of superstars Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and it's an occasion to applaud for those who like a few yuks with their kicks. Read more

David Fear, Time Out: Every time the focus switches to Michael Angarano channeling his inner Ralph Macchio, The Forbidden Kingdom reminds you that it's primarily an act of occidental tourism. Read more

Dennis Harvey, Variety: While top-billed duo do indeed occupy plenty of screen time, this is basically the latest version of that post-Star Wars fantasy concept in which only a middle-class white teenage boy can save the universe from, y'know, Evil. Read more

Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: This is the first collaboration between kung fu's Astaire and Kelly, and, as that, it disappoints. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: You know you're in a fantasy movie when the central character has to traverse time in search of the 'Monkey King.' If only you were in a good movie. Read more