By Andrew Daws (Screen Power Magazine Correspondent)

After lending his voice to Kung Fu Panda, Jackie Chan sprang back in agile bodily form this Summer in the action fantasy comedy based on the same legend that inspired the 1970s television series Monkey. The Hong Kong 2-disc DVD was packed with Special Features but annoyed some fans as the English dialogue was dubbed into Cantonese but now with the new Thai version release we get to see the whole film in its original language (Hollywood and Chinese accent galore!) plus an extra 8 minutes too not seen in the previous 2-disc release.

The Forbidden Kingdom… Lets take a quick look at it for those who have yet to see it:

In a nutshell…

A charming family blockbuster

What’s it all about?

Jason, a young American with a keen interest in Kung Fu films is transported to a village in ancient China after falling under the spell of a magical staff belonging to the Great Sage, otherwise known as The Monkey King.

What follows is an adventure during which Jason must fulfil his prophecy by returning the staff to the rightful owner and releasing the Great Sage from the Jade Warlord’s spell that has trapped him in stone.

He meets Lu Yan (Chan), a drunken martial arts expert, who rescues him from the Jade warriors, and also begins to teach him Kung Fu so that he may defend himself if he encounters danger along his journey. Golden Sparrow, whose parents were slaughtered by the Jade Warlord, decides to accompany Jason and they convince Lu Yan to join them. After a battle with the Silent Monk (Li), they realise they all have a common mission: to set free the Great Sage and defeat the Jade Warlord.

Who’s in it?

Hollywood martial art heroes Jackie Chan and Jet Li star alongside each other for the first time ever. Both actors have established successful careers and they don’t look like they’re ready to retire. The scene between Lu Yan and the Silent Monk in the temple shows just how agile and impressive they still are.

Michael Angarano may only be 20 years old but he has an extensive filmography. His performance in the Forbidden Kingdom is indicative of that of a Hollywood A-lister rather than a child star.

Liu Yifei’s performance left me a little disappointed. Considering her background in singing and acting, I was expecting a more powerful show. Nevertheless, she was endearing as a young Chinese heroine.

Collin Chou’s imposing character made for a great fairytale tyrant.

Overall, some great talent from Asian and Western cinema rolled into a truly international blockbuster film.

As an example…

“Nothing is softer than water, yet it can overcome rock.” – the Silent Monk tries to inspire Jason along the journey.

Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars

Very likely! It topped the US box office on its opening weekend. It is also the first teaming of Jet Li and Jackie Chan – a guaranteed winning combination.

What the others say

Set in a mythic, ancient China, it is described as “The Wizard of Oz with lots of martial arts.” - CNN

“Those salivating at the thought of Jet Li and Jackie Chan going mano-a-mano are likely to be among the more disappointed customers for “The Forbidden Kingdom.”- Variety

“You can see how Chan’s rhythmic, flowing fighting moves stand out next to Li’s sharp, precise strikes, and their showdown is the best reason to sit through Rob Minkoff’s cover version of a vintage kung fu epic.” - Time Out

So is it any good?

Brilliant! Not being a huge fan of martial arts inspired Hollywood films (Asian is still best in my opinion), I was very pleasantly surprised. My thirst for Chinese mythology was sufficiently quenched during this family blockbuster. Although the soundtrack was a bit irritating at times, the special effects more than made up for it. Think Harry Potter meets Karate Kid with an extra pinch of splendid martial art fighting.

YOU CAN NOW PURCHASE THE NEW UNCUT DVD RELEASE WITH ENGLISH LANGAUGE ONLINE AT:

http://www.hongkong-store.com/product_info.php?products_id=4081&osCsid=445146ae5c8fd8fcb84f709500109874