(no subject)
I saw The Forbidden Kingdom last night at Sunset Place with Andy and Adam.
Very silly, but thoroughly enjoyable. The plot was pretty thin, following a magic staff (MacGuffin?) through time as it changes hands from Immortal to mortal and back again. Most of the storyline is convoluted--having borrowed here and there from ancient Chinese myth, pulp stories, and 20th century kung fu movies--but is serviceable enough in tying together the fight scenes and comic interludes. The protagonist wasn't terribly interesting but he was watchable as a vague everyman/geek caught in the middle of epic battles between crazy wushu masters using "qi magic". Dialogue was strained most of the time, with occasional witty lines. The action sequences made up for any failings, though.
I could watch a whole movie of just Jet Li playing the Monkey King. His screen time in that role was far too brief.
Very silly, but thoroughly enjoyable. The plot was pretty thin, following a magic staff (MacGuffin?) through time as it changes hands from Immortal to mortal and back again. Most of the storyline is convoluted--having borrowed here and there from ancient Chinese myth, pulp stories, and 20th century kung fu movies--but is serviceable enough in tying together the fight scenes and comic interludes. The protagonist wasn't terribly interesting but he was watchable as a vague everyman/geek caught in the middle of epic battles between crazy wushu masters using "qi magic". Dialogue was strained most of the time, with occasional witty lines. The action sequences made up for any failings, though.
I could watch a whole movie of just Jet Li playing the Monkey King. His screen time in that role was far too brief.