Directed by: Rob Minkoff
Starring: Jackie Chan, Jet Li
Rating: PG-13

Jet Li in The Forbidden Kingdom. (Courtesy photo)

The pairing of Jackie Chan and Jet Li may seem like little more than a minor treat to American audiences.

But to filmgoers in much of the world, this is a union of giants. Ravenous fans have craved this, and have speculated over it for years. The Forbidden Kingdom probably isn’t quite the grand showcase they had in mind, but it’s pretty entertaining nonetheless. Yes, the fact that the producers felt it necessary to add an American teen to the story—generating plenty of barely-explained logic gaps—gives the movie a strange flavor. And while there are many stirring vistas and intense emotions, it all adds up to very little. But this old-fashioned adventure goes through its well-trod moves with energy and good spirit.

Chan and Li give their most relaxed performances yet in an English language film. Chan especially shows why he is a Hong Kong legend. And the two really seem to enjoy kicking each other.

Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano) is a kung fu movie-loving teen who has just moved into a tough Boston neighborhood. At his favorite Chinatown store Jason sees a beautiful staff. The old storekeeper (Chan in decent makeup) tells him it is waiting to be returned to its rightful owner. In no time, Jason finds himself and the staff thrust into mystical 16th-century China. He meets up with Lu Yan (Chan again), a traveling philosopher monk and self-proclaimed immortal who insists that wine is the elixir that keeps him alive. Lu Yan explains that Jason must bring the staff to the castle atop Five Elements Mountain and return it to its rightful owner, the monkey king (Li). The only problem: the castle is currently inhabited by the Jade Warlord (Collin Chow), who turned the monkey king to stone 500 years earlier. Jason and Lu Yan are joined on their mission by Golden Sparrow (Yifei Liu) and a mysterious monk (Li, also doing double duty).

Writer John Fusco and director Rob Minkoff are both specialists in the so-so. Minkof’s claim to fame is the hugely successful Lion King. He has also directed the Stuart Little movies and The Haunted Mansion.

Fusco wrote the Young Guns movies and 2004’s Hidalgo.

This pairing is not quite as big a cause for celebration. And in fact neither’s work here is especially good. They are buoyed significantly by the presence and prowess of the two leads. Also helping is David Buckley’s exuberant score and Peter Pau’s photography. But both traffic comfortably in clichéd dialogue and shots. There’s a healthy serving of Karate Kid in the story, as the filmmakers attempt to make Jason relevant to the story. They’ve forgotten the most important element however: Jason has nothing to offer. He doesn’t bring an illuminating point of view, or unexpected brand of kung fu. He doesn’t even think to apply present-day technological wizardry.

Asking Chan and Li to leave the most heroic moments to Angarano is kind of like pinch-hitting for David Ortiz in the ninth inning.

To Angarano’s credit, he ably supplies his appealing wounded-bird earnestness (Sky High, Lords of Dogtown).

But as much as I like the young actor, his presence contributes to the movie’s medium-sized feel. It should have been grander. And darker, too, though Collin Cow (Seraph in the Matrix sequels) is very effective as the Jade Warlord. Yifei Liu is awfully bland as the vengeance-minded Golden Sparrow. She’s not as fun as her evil counterpart, the white witch Ni Chang (Bingbing Li). Jet Li is unusually energetic as the spirited monkey king and the monk. It’s nice to see Li smile this much, as most of his characters usually range from tough to bitter. Chan is great fun from start to finish. His dazzling physical abilities may have diminished at age 53, but his irresistible charm is still intact.

Understand, The Forbidden Kingdom is a kid’s movie.

It’s hampered by a surprising PG-13 rating—even the violence isn’t very violent—but it really is meant only as escapist fun. As such, The Forbidden Kingdom is a harmless adventure suitable for kids as young as 8 or 9. I wish Chan and Li had been given the royal treatment in this momentous pairing—and a better creative team than Minkof and Fusco. Hopefully its modest success so far in the U.S. will be enough for Chan and Li to join forces again. No knock on Michael Angarano, but they really don’t need any help from American teens to entertain us.

Alex Manugian lives in Sherman Oaks, California. He grew up in Groton and has reviewed movies for Harvard residents for many years.