For those of us that are martial arts film buffs, there could not have been a movie that caused more excitement this summer than The Forbidden Kingdom starring Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

Seriously, this was THE fight that we all have been waiting for, and honestly never figured would happen. Because for the most part these two actors move in very different film arenas.

Jackie Chan tends to go for the more light hearted, family friendly films such as “The Tuxedo”, “Rush Hour”, and “Shanghai Noon”. His movies have a lot of comedy to them, so his amazing martial arts are almost overlooked, until you take into consideration that he performs every single one of his stunts himself. Chan even voiced himself in an animated series entitled “Jackie Chan Adventures” and was the voice of Monkey in “Kung Fu Panda”.

While Jet Li’s films were of a much more serious ilk. (Honestly, I was never even sure the man knew how to smile). In fact, Li played the bad guy in many of his first movies. “Lethal Weapon 4”, “Romeo Must Die”, “Cradle to the Grave”, and most recently (after “Forbidden Kingdom”) “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”.

So the creators of “The Forbidden Kingdom” did the smart thing – they created characters for Chan and Li that were familiar to us the viewers. Jackie Chan played a warrior who fought by way of “the drunken fist” – in other words, he drank lots of wine, and then kicked butt; all the while making goofy faces and making it look like he was taking the enemy out by accident. Jet Li on the other hand played the part of a warrior monk, he fought silently and seriously; every move precisely calculated to take out his opponent.

The problem with this movie comes in with the fact that neither Chan nor Li are the main characters. Jason (played by Michael Angarano – Will Stronghold from “Sky High”) is who the film is supposed to be about. Jason is a kid from Chinatown obsessed with Kung Fu, mostly movies and memorabilia about it – not necessarily learning it. Through a freak accident (magical of course), Jason is sent back to ancient China to fight in the ultimate Kung Fu battle between good and evil.

The plot is a little weak. It seems to draw on several films like “The Karate Kid”, “Mortal Kombat”, and “BloodSport”, and puts them all together in a mish-mash for a new tale. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad - but we are definitely not talking Oscar nominee here.

But if you love watching martial arts matches, and you are a fan of Chan or Li either one, then you need this film. The fight scene between the two of them is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. It is almost like a dance, albeit a dance that would leave most people with concussions. Don’t take your eyes off the screen, because you might miss something amazing.

Angarano (the kid) actually does a good job of pretending not to know martial arts and then learning along the way. The two women in the film; Binbin Li (no relation) and Yifei Liu are both beautiful and can take out any man that tries to mess with them. Collin Chou (Seraph from “The Matrix” movies) is the big bad, and his martial arts are just as impressive here as they were when he was protecting the oracle.

One pleasant surprise and someone who is probably going to get overlooked is the Chinatown bully that is chasing Jason in the beginning of the movie and whom Jason must ultimately face in the end. Playing Lupo, the actor Morgan Benoit is a fairly new face in Hollywood. This is a kid that is worth keeping an eye out for. The main reason I mention him is because at one point in the movie he gets his tail totally kicked in a fight. I know that doesn’t sound impressive. But while this fight is going on, you see his face close up almost the whole time, which means he didn’t use a stunt double. Fighting martial arts is hard – we all know that. Pretending to lose a martial arts fight is even harder. He makes it seem completely real. This kid is good. And I’m not talking about Power Rangers flying through the air on strings. I’m talking true talent.

But by far the reason for the film is the fight scene. Chan vs. Li. This scene alone will make you want to go enroll in your nearest karate classes.

The film is rated PG-13 for violence and martial arts sequences (duh). The rating is dead on. If you have some younger kids who take martial arts, and are more mature, you might want to let them see this. There is a little romance, but no sex. There is alcohol, constantly consumed by Jackie Chan – it supposedly gives him strength.

Although not a deep thinking film, it is an enjoyable one. Just lose yourself in the martial arts and the comedy – and you’ll have a great time!