Inspired by the Chinese classic Monkey King, the plot is typical of the genre - a young kungfu nerd teenager Jason Tripitkis (Michael Angarano) in New York discovers a magical staff in a Chinese pawnshop.
Though it's an American production, from an American director and writer, the team delivers a film worthy of its stars and provides the ideal canvas for Li and Chan to showcase their talents. Despite both actors being in their forties, with their best work behind them, they still pack quite a punch. The Forbidden Kingdom features the long-awaited pairing of the two most celebrated martial arts movie stars in the world. For true fans of martial-arts flicks, the first-ever collaboration of the genre's two biggest stars, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, might have generated more sparks than the film itself.
