Review:The Forbidden Kingdom

The posters, the title, the actors, this movie had everything going for it. Much like Heat promised the union of Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino, The Forbidden Kingdom seemed to promise the clash of Jet Li and Jackie Chan, of course realizing this match-up would be as real as WWE, both actors being the top of the American/Asian film industry. I hadn't heard much press about this film before going to see it, and after leaving I realized why.
The film is actually most like a combination of Sidekicks staring Chuck Norris and The Neverending Story, both movies I liked but saw when I was much younger.
Hits:Leaving the theatre I thought of one piece of information that was interesting and worth recapitulating, but now that I think back, I can't remember what that specific thing/idea was so transversely I cannot think of a single reason to watch this film.
The Audience:Although the film's production company had no part in the creation of this audience, I have never sat with such an interesting group. I'm not positive what 'family film' means, but I think it means anything that might entertain children or some adults. This was a family film, and I guess I don't see many of them, but the audience is worth seeing, and I'm sure it was not only my particular audience; they would repeat the one-liners back immediately following their delivery.
Misses:I'm not going to pick on the most obvious things, such as the fortune cookie script, the high-school acting/bad casting, or the story line, so convoluted that there have to be long stretches of explanation dialogue to have it make sense, because stating it was bad says all I can say.
Disappointment This is a new addition to my list of misses. I was really excited about this film because I really like Jackie Chan and Jet Li movies. However, Jackie Chan hasn't done any really good adult, kung-fu movies in awhile, so his return was very exciting for me. Also, I was excited because the possibilities of what these two actors can do are far greater than most actors in their same line of work, and further more, they could actually do alot of the work without wires or special FX.
This film though delivered ridiculous fighting and, instead of Jackie Chan's triumphant return, it was Jet Li's departure to Chan's late style of movie.

I don't want to come off as if I am a movie snob or think I am too good for this type of family film. I don't think I am. This film just wasn't what I expected, the premier example being I didn't know I was a family film, and so, in a time where most films are mediocre, this film sat dead in the middle. I have never paid to see such a bad film, but had I seen it when I was seven I might have actually really liked it.