Movie: The Forbidden Kingdom
Certificate: 12A?
Release: 9th July
Length: Wasn't paying attention...
Cast: Jet Li, Jackie Chan

Plot Outline: A powerful immortal seeks vengeance on the one who embarrassed him.

A story that has been eagerly awaited has finally arrived, although with a few twists that will perhaps displease fans of the series Monkey.

Set initially in modern-day USA, the story tells of a young boy, whose interest in martial arts leads him on a journey of self-discovery. Unwillingly involved in a serious crime, a desperate act leads to uncovering hidden talents within.

Just how special this move is can be summed up by the surnames of the two main cast members. Li & Chan. A movie starring two of the greatest modern day martial arts protagonists was often considered the Holy Grail. Well this movie is the Da Vinci Code of the genre.

Not only are they in the same movie, but they perform one hell of a fight sequence. With Jackie Chan demonstrating some of the original martial arts skills that he made his name with, and Jet Li demonstrating a variety of katas, laced with elements of humour, and some wonderful demonstrations of chi powers; this movie does capture the feel of the mythical tales alongside some wonderful wirework and beatifully choreagraphed fight sequences.

Seems to be slightly cliched, but when you consider the source material, it is not so much cliche as 'traditional'.

Overall: 8.5/10 (Beautifully shot, with great sequences, a solid story, and elements of humour. A sense of predictability does lose some of the edge off the film, but the ride is still good. I highly recommend this movie, and look forward to seeing more movies using Li & Chan.)


Movie: The Mist
Certificate: 15?
Release: Probably now
Length: 125 mins

Plot Outline: A small town finds itself engulfed by a thick mist.

As this is a Stephen King story, you can expect that this is not your ordinary 'pea-souper' from Old London Town.

The story follows a man and his son as they head off on a shopping trip with the next door neighbour. Whilst they are in the superstore, the mist reaches the centre of town and effectively traps the shoppers in the store.

As time goes on, strange noises and screams are heard from far off. During this time, tempers begin to flare amongst the shoppers, with one or two bearing the brunt of the anger. Eventually factions form and plans are made.

The action scenes are good, not great, as the main focus of the story is on the personalities of the individuals and how the stress of the situation affects them. There are tense moments, and one or two shocks, but the main part of the story is relatively standard King fare.

The inevitable division occurs, and the movie proceeds to follow the smaller group's attempt to gain understanding of what is going on and their resultant decisions.

For me, I found the ending of the movie quite harrowing and disturbing, to the point where I questioned what my actions would have been. As upsetting as I find moments like this in a movie, I appreciate the way it can get you to question your own humanity.

Overall: 8/10 (The ending left a bitter-sweet taste in my mouth, but also tears in my eyes. The sense of forboding in the film is quite tangible, especially with the lack of explanation as to the cause of the events [something that I have noticed has started to become a trend; which, in my honest opinion, is about time too. Let's stop treating the audience like dummies and assume that we DO have brains]. I did enjoy the movie, and wasn't left wishing I could have those two hours back.)