The Forbidden Kingdom, Li and Chan Meet Onscreen

Spaghetti Western Inspired Martial Arts Film

In "The Forbidden Kingdom", martial arts stars Jackie Chan and Jet Li come together for the first time onscreen in this latest offering from animator-turned-director, Rob Minkoff. In this mythical tale, an American teen obsessed with Hong Kong cinema travels back in time to ancient China on a quest to free an imprisoned king with the help of three martial arts warriors. The film is a visual feast for adolescent fans of martial arts and modern video games no doubt, but for older audiences, "Kingdom" will at times seem inspired by everything from "The Wizard of Oz" to Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West."

The film begins with an inventive opening title sequence where classic martial arts film posters are interwoven with the film's credits. We then find Michael Angarano as JASON a young Boston teen rummaging through a Chinatown pawnshop run by it's ancient caretaker, Old Hop. In what is an obvious set-up of an "Oz"-like wrap-around story soon becomes a moment reminiscent of the first few minutes of 1984's "Gremlins." During a street fight with local thugs, Jason is somehow transported back in time to ancient China. He soon hooks up with drunken warrior Lu Yan played with great charm by the now 54 year-old Jackie Chan. Chan's character seems very much inspired by Jason Robards' Cheyenne, the coffee drinking gunslinger in Leone's 1968 "Once Upon a Time in the West." Only Chan's Lu Yan has an addiction to wine rather than java this time around. As Lu Yan and Jason travel they meet up with Golden Sparrow, a Pipa (Chinese guitar) playing warrior who fills in for Charles Bronson's Harmonica from the aforementioned "Once Upon a Time in the West." By the time they are joined by Jet Li's Silent Monk character, the "Oz"-inspired journey begins. The warriors then set out to find the castle of the Jade Warlord (think Henry Fonda's assassin gang leader Frank again inspired by "Once Upon a Time in the West") in hopes of freeing the imprisoned Monkey-King also played by Li.