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The Forbidden Kingdom

The Forbidden Kingdom

The battle for eternity is the fantasy of a lifetime.

2008104 minPG-13Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
Director
Rob Minkoff
Starring
Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Angarano, Yifei Liu

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.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Forbidden Kingdom?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Forbidden Kingdom streaming on MovieSphere+ via Prime Video, Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Forbidden Kingdom?

The Forbidden Kingdom earns 4 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Fun.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Forbidden Kingdom worth watching?

The Forbidden Kingdom's Midcredits score is the 63rd percentile of all films, from 163K ratings across 6 sources. 59% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

63rd percentile

Better received than 63% of films

77th percentile among Action61st percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)59th
Approval (how many liked it)65th

64 /100

59th percentile of all films

75th percentile among Action58th percentile among 2000s

Critics 57 · Audience 65

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.8 — solid but not unanimous.

59% liked it

65th percentile of all films

76th percentile among Action62nd percentile among 2000s
59% rated it 7–1041% rated it 1–6

Critics 63% · Audience 60%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 5 noms overall

97th percentile

163K ratings across platforms

93rd percentile among Action94th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 17% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$55M
Opening weekend$21M
Domestic gross$52M
Worldwide gross$129M

Returned 2.3× its budget — 87th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A lightweight, family-friendly fantasy adventure built around Jackie Chan and Jet Li's first team-up, heavy on wire-fu action and light on plot depth.

Fans praised

  • Jackie Chan and Jet Li's long-awaited on-screen pairing
  • superbly choreographed martial arts and fight sequences
  • beautiful Chinese landscapes and visual imagery

Detractors panned

  • predictable, formulaic plot with clichéd fantasy tropes
  • white American teen protagonist feels forced and superfluous
  • over-reliance on wirework and CGI undermines authenticity

What stands out

ActingDivisive72

Jackie Chan and Jet Li charismatic but hampered by accents; lead Michael Angarano widely criticized as bland

CinematographyDivisive72

vibrant landscapes and colorful compositions, but occasionally over-reliant on green screen

AtmosphereDivisive63

mythic China setting feels artificial and theme-park-like to some

Effects and spectacleDivisive50

competent but unremarkable CGI; wirework divides opinion as fun or fake

Dialogue35

corny expository lines and wooden exchanges, especially in English

Characters30

shallow, one-dimensional character writing; heroes are stock archetypes, villains underdeveloped

Plot and story28

highly predictable chosen-one quest; plot holes and convenient coincidences

Originality25

derivative mashup of Karate Kid, The NeverEnding Story, and wuxia clichés

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 8 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 6 points apart
  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Forbidden Kingdom like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Fun ride: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want a fun ride.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you entertained. Skip it when you want something with weight.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Fun ride.

The answer rests on this: Moods
ThrillingTriumphantMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Warm humor
Register
Adventurous · 11% of filmsPlayful
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film balances earnest heroic fantasy with playful comedy, never undermining its adventure.
The rideThe film maintains an energetic, action-driven tone with a sorrowful turn at the end due to Golden Sparrow's death.
StructureConventional linear narrative with a clear beginning (modern day), middle (quest in ancient China), and end (return).

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

The answer rests on this: FunRousing · 10% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a sense of adventure and uplift, with energetic martial arts and a satisfying hero's journey.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestRescue
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% (this title) · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

10% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeA martial-arts-obsessed teenager is transported to mythical ancient China to fulfill a prophecy by returning the Monkey King's staff and freeing him from stone, undertaking a journey of self-discovery.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% (this title) · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5% (this title)
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Redemption · 6% of filmsFriendship · 9% of filmsFreedom · 5% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe story centers on a teenager who redeems himself by courageously delivering a staff to free a captive king, while forging friendships and fighting against oppression.
StanceThe film celebrates courage and redemption through a teenager who grows into a hero, facing a tyrannical warlord to free a king.

The world

TimelessRuralWildernessInstitutionalFantasy
Orchestral modernWorldForeground music · original score · David Buckley
Settingmythical ancient China with the Jade Warlord's palace, a desert, and a monastery
MusicEnergetic orchestral score with Chinese instrumental influences driving the action sequences.

Content guide

Is The Forbidden Kingdom okay for kids?

PG-13

The Forbidden Kingdom is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for sequences of martial arts action and some violence” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (49/100), sexual content at minimal (13/100), language at mild (31/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (27/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). Overall it is heavier than 21% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 17 other countries
  • UK12A
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland12
  • South Korea12
  • Austria12
  • Belgium14
  • Denmark11
  • GreecePG
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway15
  • PortugalM/12
  • Spain7
  • Switzerland18
  • TürkiyePG-13
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 17% of all filmsHeavier than 21% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 52%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 17%
Profanity
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 21%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 32%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 31%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 52% of PG-13-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Forbidden Kingdom have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Forbidden Kingdom?

Cast

4 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Jackie Chan
as Lu Yan
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jet Li
as The Monkey King
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Michael Angarano
as Jason Tripitikas
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Yifei Liu
as Golden Sparrow
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Bingbing Li
as Ni Chang
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Collin Chou
as Jade Warlord
Morgan Benoit
as Lupo
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Jack Posobiec
as Southie
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Thomas McDonell
as Young Southie
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Juana Collignon
as Southie Girl
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Forbidden Kingdom?

Movies like The Forbidden Kingdom include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016), Mulan (2020) and Mirror Mirror (2012). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films written by John Fusco, and several are films set in a fictional world.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

7 of these 12 share its story type: martial arts. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Forbidden Kingdom?

559 other films share the rarest tag below, premise: chosen one. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.