Fun "Kingdom," forgettable "Sarah," exuberant "Heart"
FS
Issue date: 4/22/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
"The Forbidden Kingsom"
Hong Kong icons Jackie Chan and Jet Li team up onscreen for the first time in "The Forbidden Kingdom" (wide release), and while the old-fashioned boys' adventure yarn may disappoint some of their most devoted fans, on balance it's an amusing family flick that youngsters in particular should find entertaining.
The plot actually centers on an American teen who's magically transported to ancient China, where he's identified as the prophesied "seeker" who will free the Monkey King from five hundred years' captivity and thereby liberate the land from the rule of the cruel Jade Warlord.
He's helped in his quest by a drunken kung-fu master (Chan) and a stoic monk (Li), who try to teach him how to fight, as well as a pretty orphan girl whose martial arts skills are pretty sharp, too. It all winds up in a big, special-effects laden confrontation in the warlord's impressive castle.
By any standard this is juvenile stuff designed to appeal to twelve-year old kids. But in its na've, enthusiastic way, it will be enjoyable not only for them but also for nostalgic adults who don't expect too much of it.
"Forgetting Sarah Marshall"
The Judd Apatow comedy factory continues to roll out saleable product with "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (wide release), a typically raunchy and only sporadically funny picture that turns "The Heartbreak Kid" into something like "The Heartbroken Kid."
The movie stars a big lug named Jason Segel as a slacker who is dumped by his TV star girlfriend and takes a vacation to Hawaii to get over his depression. Unfortunately, when he gets there he finds his ex and her new squeeze at the same hotel. The fact that a pretty clerk shows a romantic interest in him helps, of course.
There are funny bits in the picture, but they're mostly provided by the supporting characters, especially the TV star's new boyfriend, a self-absorbed English rock star, and that sweet hotel clerk, played by the energetic Mila Kunis.
Hong Kong icons Jackie Chan and Jet Li team up onscreen for the first time in "The Forbidden Kingdom" (wide release), and while the old-fashioned boys' adventure yarn may disappoint some of their most devoted fans, on balance it's an amusing family flick that youngsters in particular should find entertaining.
The plot actually centers on an American teen who's magically transported to ancient China, where he's identified as the prophesied "seeker" who will free the Monkey King from five hundred years' captivity and thereby liberate the land from the rule of the cruel Jade Warlord.
He's helped in his quest by a drunken kung-fu master (Chan) and a stoic monk (Li), who try to teach him how to fight, as well as a pretty orphan girl whose martial arts skills are pretty sharp, too. It all winds up in a big, special-effects laden confrontation in the warlord's impressive castle.
By any standard this is juvenile stuff designed to appeal to twelve-year old kids. But in its na've, enthusiastic way, it will be enjoyable not only for them but also for nostalgic adults who don't expect too much of it.
"Forgetting Sarah Marshall"
The Judd Apatow comedy factory continues to roll out saleable product with "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (wide release), a typically raunchy and only sporadically funny picture that turns "The Heartbreak Kid" into something like "The Heartbroken Kid."
The movie stars a big lug named Jason Segel as a slacker who is dumped by his TV star girlfriend and takes a vacation to Hawaii to get over his depression. Unfortunately, when he gets there he finds his ex and her new squeeze at the same hotel. The fact that a pretty clerk shows a romantic interest in him helps, of course.
There are funny bits in the picture, but they're mostly provided by the supporting characters, especially the TV star's new boyfriend, a self-absorbed English rock star, and that sweet hotel clerk, played by the energetic Mila Kunis.
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