The Forbidden Kingdom

"The battle for eternity is the fantasy of a lifetime."

2008 1h 44m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 2,008

ActionAdventureFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An American teenager who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and kung-fu classics makes an extraordinary discovery in a Chinatown pawnshop: the legendary stick weapon of the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King. With the lost relic in hand, the teenager unexpectedly finds himself travelling back to ancient China to join a crew of warriors from martial arts lore on a dangerous quest to free the imprisoned Monkey King.

“The battle for eternity is the fantasy of a lifetime.”

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Cast

Jackie Chan
Old Hop / Lu Yan
Jet Li
The Silent Monk / The Monkey King
Michael Angarano
Jason Tripitikas
Liu Yifei
Golden Sparrow / Chinatown Girl
Li Bingbing
Ni Chang a.k.a White-Haired Witch
Collin Chou
Jade Warlord
Morgan Benoit
Lupo
Jack Posobiec
Southie

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Rob Minkoff
Writers: John Fusco
Languages: English, Mandarin, French
Countries: China, Hong Kong, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $55M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 18 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Mandarin, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: China, Hong Kong, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Rob Minkoff, shot by Peter Pau Tak-Hai. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by David Buckley. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Eric Strand shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jackie Chan and Jet Li and Michael Angarano carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Rob Minkoff directs. Peter Pau Tak-Hai behind the camera. David Buckley scores. Eric Strand cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in China, Hong Kong, United States of America. Dialogue in English, Mandarin, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $55M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
2Released 18 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: English, Mandarin, French.
4International production across 3 countries: China, Hong Kong, United States of America.
5Directed by Rob Minkoff, shot by Peter Pau Tak-Hai. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by David Buckley. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Eric Strand shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Jackie Chan and Jet Li and Michael Angarano carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "The battle for eternity is the fantasy of a lifetime.".
10IMDB entry: tt0865556 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 13 themes, including "martial arts", "based on novel or book", "temple", "legend".