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L: Change the World
REVIEW of THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM
Posted by Michael Guillen at 7:24pm.
Posted in Film & DVD Reviews , Martial Arts, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, USA & Canada.
Twitch teammate Al Young has been all over The Forbidden Kingdom since mid-May of last year when he first posted Jackie Chan’s diary entry regarding his first “fight” with Jet Li, choreographed by martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo Ping.
Since Al’s initial entry, his coverage has been continuous, providing production stills, teaser trailers, character posters, a behind-the-scenes video, the “Heroes” music video, a Flickr gallery, and IGN clips from the film. He and Swarez have both expressed concern that the long-anticipated stand-off between Chan and Li will fail to satisfy diehard kung fu fans, smothered in a wuxia fantasy adventure rendered from the perspective of a white kid.
There’s no doubt about it. The Forbidden Kingdom is as sweet as a fortune cookie and its “wisdom” commensurate to whatever you’ll find when that cookie’s cracked open. Other than for the fun worthwhile fight sequence between Chan and Li, diehard fans will most likely be antsy during the rest of the film’s fantasy tale, which unabashedly caters to youthful audiences wanting to identify with the film’s non-Asian male protagonist Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano). This is wuxia twice, maybe even thrice, removed from its golden age predecessors, respectfully leaning on those genre influences even while mixing them up into a recognizably monomythic Western hybrid.
That being said, the film succeeds at its formulaic entertainment—sporting some breathtaking landscape photography, colorful costumes, energetic wire-fu, and clear-cut good guys and bad guys. No thinking allowed. The Forbidden Kingdom might just possibly do well at the box office, precisely because it’s not really trying to pretend it’s anything other than what we know it is. Even if it all falls somewhat short of what we all might have imagined it could or should be.
It marks director Rob Minkoff as one of contemporary auteurism’s new breed. This ain’t your daddy’s auterism! Recently, over at Girish Shambu’s eponymous site, there’s been an engaging discussion on auteurs and auteurism. To help us get our thoughts in order, Girish recommended and linked to Dana Polen’s Screening the Past essay “Auteur Desire” wherein Polen distinguished developing attitudes towards what constitutes an auteur. Whereas traditional auteurism imagined that directors drew inspiration intuitively and from hidden depths of insight, contemporary auteurism focuses more on the material activity of a director—"how he/she works in precise material ways with the tools and materials of his/her trade"—and perhaps even more importantly, how a new industrial history of film would have to look “not so much at the director’s ‘art’ but at his success (or not) at dealing with the business of filmmaking, with the forces of authority that govern the political economy of film production.”
That sure seems to be the approach when you read the press notes on The Forbidden Kingdom‘s director: “Rob Minkoff is a filmmaker whose work displays his abilities to produce films that embody both artistic innovation and commercial success. In whole, Minkoff’s projects have grossed almost one and a half billion dollars worldwide and comprise some of cinema’s most imaginative and inspiring films.” Let’s recount, he was part of the creative team for The Lion King, which “garnered two Oscars, three Golden Globes, and earned almost $800 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing traditionally animated feature in the United States.” Then there was Stuart Little, which earned more than $500 million worldwide. That kind of business-savvy auteurism informs this film at every level, not the least of which is casting two of the greatest martial art stars in recent history.
One always hopes with a vehicle like this that it will inspire young audiences to explore the original material. But perhaps young kids these days don’t identify that well with those older films? I don’t know. But I do know this: identification sells.
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Reader Comments
Andrew Cunningham 04/01/2008 @ 9:33pm
It would be a lot easier to explore their best work if it were on the shelves. Dragon Dynasty need to get back to releasing classics along side the modern stuff. Royal Tramp aside, their schedule’s been pretty disappointing of late…
Rhythm-X 04/02/2008 @ 12:03am
It’s not just Dragon Dynasty - look to Miramax, which has only released ZU WARRIORS (LEGEND OF ZU) to DVD since the Weinsteins fled Disney, and they still hold a lot of HK titles that didn’t move with the Weinsteins. Warner Bros is the worst, though - they own the mid-to-late 90s Golden Harvest catalog, which they use for dubbed, unremastered filler on Spanish-language channels. They won’t release the films, and they won’t sell or license them either. Nor will they make moves to stop the spread of bootlegs. It’s disgraceful. At least Dragon Dynasty occasionally throws us a bone. Miramax and WB may as well not even exist.
Tory 04/02/2008 @ 7:40am
Damn straight. It got old a long time ago. I want my movies...NOW!
crazybee 04/02/2008 @ 9:51am
This is a review? There’s nothing in this article that indicates the reviewer even saw the movie.
Mack 04/20/2008 @ 2:23pm
I just came back from watching it. Here’s what I got to say about it…
It’s hard to be discouraged about a western made martial arts movie that tries to tap into Chinese folklore. The reason I say that is because The Forbidden Kingdom is an important movie from a western standpoint. From a Chinese standpoint? It’ll likely be very embarrassing.
BUT, ask yourself this. What is better? That you appease the relatively small legions of hard core Jackie, Jet and HK film fans? OR, that you provide a stepping stone movie, a movie that will introduce you to key players and themes found in their cinema?
The hardcore fans don’t need to be won over, we’re there with bells on! But if there is anything remotely accessible that a kid in some backwater town can get his hands and experience for the first time, not knowing what we know - that it only gets better, then isn’t that better than pleasing the minority? I know, I know, when we all heard that Jat and Jackie were finally going to be in a movie together we’re collectively screamed in ecstasy. But the pinnacle opportunity for these two has long since passed and we should be glad that it has finally happened rather than how it went down.
Forbidden Kingdom is good. Not great. Not monumental in any regards from a hardcore fan’s perspective. I will say that I am glad that I can finally watch a Jet or Jackie film without having to worry about busting caps in asses, loud hip hop and bass scores, scantily clad Asian girls whoring themselves at nightclubs and listening to Anthony Anderson crack lame jokes every five minutes.
But the good it can do for recruiting potentially new fans is awesome.
Michael Guillen 04/21/2008 @ 7:36am
Mack has it spot on. This is a purposely commercial and conversionary piece.
ChrisP 04/27/2008 @ 1:19pm
I also agree with Mack’s point. I just saw the movie last night and it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. There were a lot of winks at the hardcore audiences, when it came to the fighting styles, the story and even including the “Bride With White Hair” as one of the villains. Still it was a very commercial movie with some pretty bad dialogue, but I didn’t mind it.
One thing that really bugs me though, is Hollywood’s view on using the term, “chink”. Even in a Western movie that does an unexpectedly decent job in respecting Chinese fantasy, I still had to hear that word. Hasn’t anyone noticed that it’s used a lot more than other derogatory terms and almost always when any Asian dude is introduced to the story? Yeesh. Never for the token “hot Asian girl in a short kilt”, though.