Release Date:
04/18/2008
Directed by: Rob Minkoff
The Skinny: A bullied teen with a healthy kung fu movie obsession discovers a mystical weapon that transports him back to feudal China. Once there, he teams up with a pair of warriorsthe Silent Monk (Jet Li) and Lu Yan (Jackie Chan)to end the imprisonment of the fabled Monkey King.
The Good: This is the martial arts equivalent of Heatthe first time two legends are sharing the screen. It's a light and entertaining fantasy flick aimed more at kids raised on Power Rangers than those who loved watching grainy Shaw Brothers flicks on Sunday afternoons. And no fan can balk at Chan returning to a variation on his famous Drunken Master character.
The Bad: Again, this is not a movie for martial arts aficionados. The kiddie plotwimp becomes heromakes for some tedious downtime between fights. It also takes some of the edge off the fights themselves, since you know nothing too violent is going to happen. But, hey, maybe Li and Chan will now team up for that adult epic we all know they have in them.
We Saw This Coming: It's probably no surprise that Kingdom is kid friendly; The Lion King, Stuart Little, and The Haunted Mansion are a few of Minkoff's last movies.
Theater, DVD, or TNT in Five Years? DVD. Unless you have kids who are age-appropriate, it's tough to recommend a trip out to see this. But Chan and Li fans owe it to themselves to rent it.
The Skinny: A bullied teen with a healthy kung fu movie obsession discovers a mystical weapon that transports him back to feudal China. Once there, he teams up with a pair of warriorsthe Silent Monk (Jet Li) and Lu Yan (Jackie Chan)to end the imprisonment of the fabled Monkey King.
The Good: This is the martial arts equivalent of Heatthe first time two legends are sharing the screen. It's a light and entertaining fantasy flick aimed more at kids raised on Power Rangers than those who loved watching grainy Shaw Brothers flicks on Sunday afternoons. And no fan can balk at Chan returning to a variation on his famous Drunken Master character.
The Bad: Again, this is not a movie for martial arts aficionados. The kiddie plotwimp becomes heromakes for some tedious downtime between fights. It also takes some of the edge off the fights themselves, since you know nothing too violent is going to happen. But, hey, maybe Li and Chan will now team up for that adult epic we all know they have in them.
We Saw This Coming: It's probably no surprise that Kingdom is kid friendly; The Lion King, Stuart Little, and The Haunted Mansion are a few of Minkoff's last movies.
Theater, DVD, or TNT in Five Years? DVD. Unless you have kids who are age-appropriate, it's tough to recommend a trip out to see this. But Chan and Li fans owe it to themselves to rent it.