Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Forbidden Kingdom Blu-ray Movie Review

Don't forbid this disc from becoming part of your Blu-ray collection.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 7, 2008

How good is your Kung Fu?

To this movie lover who has always glossed over the Kung Fu genre, The Forbidden Kingdom comes as a pleasant surprise and will likely serve as a springboard through which I dive into this genre that never before struck my fancy. Here's a movie that is crafted in such a way so as to appeal to audiences who never gave the Kung Fu genre a chance, while offering established fans an entertaining, action-packed, well-written, well-played, and touching movie that seems to offer plenty of nods and homages to those that came before it. The Forbidden Kingdom blends high-flying, physics-defying action in the tradition of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with more traditional fight sequences. There is also a dose of the mystical and the supernatural, and it all comes together to create 104 minutes of pure movie magic.

4 For Texas, er, I mean, 4 For China.

Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano, Sky High) is a Boston teenager who knows his Kung Fu movies inside and out. He frequents a pawn shop run by his friend Hop (Jackie Chan, Rush Hour 3), an aged and wise man whose sight has left him and keeps his earnings in an old coffee jar. On his way home from the shop with a sack full of new movies he's purchased, Jason is ambushed by some local bullies and forced to return to the store to help them rob it. Hop is shot by one of the assailants, and he entrusts Jason with a magical staff that teleports him back to ancient China so he can return it to its rightful owner, the Monkey King (an almost unrecognizable Jet Li, Black Mask). Jason finds himself in a village under attack by the Jade Warlord's (Collin Chou) minions who are in search of the staff, and he escapes with the help of Lu Yan (also portrayed by Chan). Accompanied by The Golden Sparrow (Liu Yi Fei), a girl orphaned by the Jade Warlord and in search of vengeance, and the Silent Monk (also portrayed by Li), the quartet of heroes will set out on a quest to return the staff to the Monkey King atop Five Element Mountain. Along the way, the Silent Monk and Lu Yan train Jason in the ways of Kung Fu so he might survive the deadly encounter with the Jade Warlord and the bounty hunter Ni Chang (Li Bingbing) who herself is in search of the staff.

The Forbidden Kingdom is best described as a fantasy film in the Kung Fu universe. So fantastical is Jason's adventure, and so perfect an adventure it is for a die hard fan of Kung Fu movies, that we never really know for sure if the movie is reality or fantasy. The way the story is presented we're assumed to believe it's real, but in a way, it's almost too good. Not for us as an audience, but for Jason. It's akin to a lifelong baseball fan awakening to find himself the star hitter for his favorite pro team, or the budding guitarist thrust into the forefront of the world's number one rock band. Real or imagined, Jason's journey is one of high adventure, laughs, warm and memorable characters, and plenty of exciting action. As mentioned in the open, the greatest strength of The Forbidden Kingdom lies in its accessibility to newcomers of the genre. The story has certainly been "Occidental-ized" with English language dialogue, a lead character who hails from South Boston, and the appearance of the East's two biggest stars, Jackie Chan and Jet Li, who have made themselves known to American audiences over the years in The Tuxedo and the Rush Hour films (Chan) and in Lethal Weapon 4, Romeo Must Die, War, and others (Li). Nevertheless, it retains a style somewhat foreign to Occidental audiences who associate Martial Arts with the kicks and punches of Jean Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, and Steven Seagal. There is far more grace and acrobatics in the fight choreography in The Forbidden Kingdom rather than the brute force approach of our favorite Occidental martial arts stars.

It's in the film's fight choreography, cinematography, smart and accessible writing, and fantastic score by David Buckley that help heighten the appeal and grandiose nature of the story and make it a winning film. Rarely does a moment go by that we do not sit awestruck at the lush surroundings and backdrops shown on-screen. It's only in the Boston sequences that bookend the film that we find ourselves in familiar territory replete with the dreary doldrums of everyday life, shot mostly in darker, nondescript locations, which play in startling contrast to the bright, luscious China locales. This striking distinction lends credence to the theory that Jason's adventure is one not quite grounded in reality, but regardless, the film's audiences cannot help but take notice of just how beautifully captured the scenery is throughout the film. Dazzling and breathtaking, The Forbidden Kingdom creates a magical aura through which we, like Jason, find ourselves side-by-side the film's heroes and on a quest to restore order and fulfill an ancient prophesy. Likewise, the film is enhanced by the pleasing performances from each lead character. Jackie Chan, as always, brings a lovable personality and a smile as big as his Martial Arts talents to the role, and as the Drunken Master he is perfectly cast. Jet Li also brings his charisma to the table in not one but two crucial characters, each with a unique persona that is hard to dislike. The villains are appropriately vile, but never nasty or overly frightening. With the help of a powerful score that feels at times like it belongs in an old Bruce Lee movie and at others like it would be right at home in the latest Occidental Action or Drama, The Forbidden Kingdom makes its mark as fine entertainment for all audiences.

The Forbidden Kingdom Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Forbidden Kingdom arrives on Blu-ray with a dazzling 1080p, 2.35:1 transfer. The film begins in South Boston after a brief introductory sequence featuring the Monkey King, and the image is splendid. The fine detail of Jason's room is a tribute to both the set designers and the awe-inspiring clarity of the Blu-ray. We're privy to all sorts of niceties that adorn his walls, namely in the form of a fine collection of posters. A few outdoor shots look nice, and the nighttime and shop interior sequences hold up nicely with solid shadow detail and true black levels. Once Jason is transported back in time to ancient China, we are treated to jaw-dropping colors that are lush and pleasing to the eye. The image jumps straight off the screen and offers incredible depth in every shot. It's also a very natural, pleasant image that is bright and attractive without resorting to over-saturated hues. Detail is also glorious. One not need struggle to find examples of the pristine transfer and the exquisite detail seen in so many shots. The armor worn by the Jade Warlord is intricate and flashy, with fabulous textures and undeniable brilliance and clarity. Likewise, the ornate decorations on the weapons seen throughout the movie, particularly the Monkey King's staff which is central to the story, are highly impressive. The battle in chapter 10 is an absolutely striking visual experience. Abounding with the brilliant colors of the sky, the purple leaves, the costumes, and the natural lighting, the image is astounding and will serve owners of the disc well as demonstration-quality material. Although a fabulous transfer, there are a couple minor complaints that keep it from receiving a perfect score. Definition in longer distance shots often lacks, and objects such as dense foliage appear muddled and undefined. Also, flesh tones sometimes appear more of a reddish color instead of a natural tint. All in all, however, The Forbidden Kingdom looks amazing in Blu-ray high definition, and Lionsgate once again proves that they are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the quality of their new releases.

The Forbidden Kingdom Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Forbidden Kingdom's DTS-HD MA 7.1 lossless soundtrack is a fine example of just how incredible high definition audio really is. Featuring hard-hitting bass, amazing clarity, plenty of discrete information, amazing atmospherics, and plenty of surround sound action, this track never allows for a dull moment. The theme that plays over the open of the film is not only clever and entertaining, but it sounds wonderful over your sound system, providing hard hitting sound with awesome bass and a full surround presence. It mixes a tense, exhilarating orchestral score with a fun, 70s style Kung Fu, Far East theme, with the occasional scream of a Kung Fu fighter tossed in. It's truly the perfect theme for the movie, and its presentation on this disc is fabulous. Focused up front but with plenty of it drifting into the back, it sounds terrific as every speaker blares it out to wonderful effect. Surrounds are put to constant use during action sequence with both discrete effects and atmosphere. Thunderous bass during the film's action sequences, and notably during its finale, is present. Dialogue is natural and distinct with no volume or imaging problems. From the most subtle background noise that help create the perfect atmosphere, to the most powerful moments of the exhilarating action sequences, The Forbidden Kingdom truly brings high quality, better-than-your-average-multiplex sound into your home.

If you'll humor me for a moment, I'd like to contrast this experience to one I had at the local cinema the other night. Screening The Dark Knight, I found myself constantly yearning for my home theater set-up (and trust me, it's nothing flashy). In that experience, dialogue was muffled and literally unintelligible, sound effects were nondescript, bass was muddy, and surrounds were used to minimal effect. I know it wasn't the movie because I've had equally bad experiences at that theater before during screenings of Wall●E and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, most recently. In stark contrast, The Forbidden Kingdom's lossless soundtrack is what movies that call for an abundance of action and adventure should sound like. With its incredible clarity, a seamless presence, and the ease through which it engages the audience in the film, it comes across as so natural that it never feels phony or forced. The bad theater experience literally takes you right out of the movie, and to the contrary, high quality tracks like this one suck you right in. Well done Lionsgate.

The Forbidden Kingdom Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Forbidden Kingdom leaps onto Blu-ray as a two disc special edition. Disc one is highlighted by a feature-length commentary track with director Rob Minkoff and writer John Fusco. These two active and engaging participants never fail to entertain listeners. Fusco begins the track with an interesting tale of how the story came about. The track continues with filming in China, including the film's bookends where China had to substitute for Boston, the involvement of stars Chan and Li and their competitive nature, and plenty more that fans will eat up. A picture-in-picture track is available on this disc. Users will need a profile 1.1 compatible player to utilize this function. Appearing in a box on the bottom right hand corner of the screen, this feature offerers plenty of interviews with both the cast and crew, behind-the scenes footage, and more. There are plenty of interesting tidbits here, such as Jackie Chan discussing under what circumstances he would make the film and his excitement to have Jet Li on board. We're privy to sequences of these two legends working together on their choreography before shooting, discussing the long wait the two shared to work together, and more. Fans of Chan and Li will be thrilled with this feature.

Moving along, we find Storyboarding and Previz: The Movie Before the Movie (1080i, 6:29). This short feature examines the storyboarding process and the new technique of creating a "previz," a three-dimensional computer-animated storyboard. This process helps filmmakers design and execute shots before actually filming them, and engender new ideas beforehand. The Kung Fu Dream Team (1080i, 10:37) looks at the dynamic duo of Jet Li and Jackie Chan and their involvement in the film. Next up is Dangerous Beauty (1080i, 5:46) which looks at the White-Haired Demoness (Li Bingbing, whose character was not part of the original script) and the Golden Sparrow (Liu). Discovering China (1080i, 8:06) is a look at the filming process in some of the most "exotic natural locations" throughout China. Filming in Chinawood (1080i, 7:43) examines the film's set designs and filming large segments of the film at China's largest studio, Hengdian World Studios. Monkey King and the Eight Immortals (1080i, 9:12) examines writer John Fusco's personal journey into Chinese culture, philosophy, and martial arts and the origins of his story. This material is touched on in the commentary, but expanded on in this piece. This disc is Molog equipped, but the feature was unaccessible at time of writing. Concluding the extras on disc one is a blooper reel (1080p, 7:39), six deleted scenes (1080p, 7:47) with optional commentary by Fusco and Minkoff, and trailers for Bangkok Dangerous, War, and The Bank Job. Disc two of this set contains a digital copy of the film for playback on personal computers and select portable video devices.

The Forbidden Kingdom Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Forbidden Kingdom is a highly entertaining Kung Fu fantasy/adventure film that makes itself accessible to audiences who generally don't enjoy such movies. It might even pique your curiosity and have you hunting down anything from Enter the Dragon to more obscure Hong Kong cinema. With its impeccable action sequences, amazing visuals and cinematography, well-paced story, likable characters portrayed by engaging and skilled actors, and fantastic music, The Forbidden Kingdom makes for delightful cinema. Likewise, this Blu-ray presentation is another first-class offering from the good folks at Lionsgate. Featuring a stellar video presentation that is surpassed only by its accompanying lossless soundtrack, the disc is a visual and aural delight. Fans in search of a solid array of extra materials will find them here, too. This disc has no major shortcomings, and the package is a fine one. The Forbidden Kingdom comes highly recommended!