Ever since the influence of Hollywood spread all across the world, the demand for films in the action genre rose to tremendous heights in a flash, and fulfilling the hunger for fast-paced action were the Hong Kong martial arts films. And leading that revolution was none other than Jackie Chan and Jet Li, two of the biggest names in the martial arts action genre.
Considered to be veterans in their field of martial arts and action-packed performances in many films throughout the years, it is amazing to see the legacy they have left behind in the world of cinema. Still, it was quite surprising to believe that neither of them had worked with each other before creating this cult-classic action film.
Jackie Chan And Jet Li Took 46 Years To Make The Forbidden Kingdom Together
Since the early days of Hollywood, the demand for martial arts films has only grown in popularity, the demand for which was fulfilled by Hong Kong martial arts films like Drunken Master, Fearless, Police Story, and many more. Therefore, the stars that were the face of these films, none other than Jackie Chan and Jet Li, two of the biggest names in the martial arts world, received overwhelming praise and popularity among the cine-goers. But it’s almost absurd to think that these two legends had taken more than four and a half decades to make their first film together.
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Taking a look in retrospect, Chan’s career began when he gained notoriety for his first major action film titled Snake In The Eagle’s Shadow in 1978, but his career started in 1962 as an extra child actor. Similarly, Li’s first appearance in a film was in 1982’s The Shaolin Temple as the protagonist. After starting their careers, they swiftly gained the attention of the public and became the faces of martial arts films in the industry. But after almost 46 years of being a prominent figure in the genre, The Karate Kid star joined hands with Li in 2008’s The Forbidden Kingdom.
This was the first time the world witnessed two great martial artists and action stars of their generation come together for a major film, and it made headlines among action film enthusiasts with relative ease. And when the film was released globally, the reaction of the fans and the audience was exceptionally amazing, which made it a hit with a $128 Million box office collection, as well as making it a cult classic in the community as one of the most finely crafted and executed martial arts movies of all time.
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What Was The Forbidden Kingdom About?
The film tells the tale of Jason, a teenage boy from Boston who loves martial arts films. One day, a group of bullies enters the pawn shop where Jason buys his DVDs in an attempt to steal from the owner, an old man named Hop. In the skirmish, Hop is killed by the leader, but he still possesses enough power to give Jason a golden staff. When he takes the staff, he is transported back in time to ancient China, where he meets Lu Yan, a scholar, who tells him who the staff belongs to, and now it’s his duty to free the rightful owner of the weapon and take down the evil warlord Erlang Shen.
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The Forbidden Kingdom, streaming on Max.
