![]() ![]() ![]() If you’ve seen many of the Chinese period action pieces, then you know what to expect. Look out for martial arts legend Kara Hui, who recently retired from action films, in an extended cameo as the “Mountain Spirit” along with Ron Smoorenburg in the opening of the film as Jack’s avatar, the Black Knight.ĭon’t expect anything spectacular from the action of the film. Hong Kong acting veteran Francis Ng also brings a bit of comic relief as the Wizard, who is responsible for Jack getting into the entire adventure to start. This would lead into some funny conversations between the ruler and his right hand man. However, when a messenger would inform Arun of something major happening, when Arun means one thing, his buffoonish henchman Brutus, played by Zha Ka, would kill the messenger. While Dave Bautista’s Arun the Cruel is perceived as the deadly leader of the Barbarians who wants Su Lin as his bride so they can rule under his iron fist, Besson and Kamen wisely add a touch of comic relief showing a side no one would expect from this villainous character. As for Uriah Shelton’s Jack, he learns a thing or two about how kingdoms worked and learns to stand up for himself with few moves by lead Mark Chao, who plays the soldier Zhoo, who is so loyal and adds unintentional comic relief when he threatens the same brand of punishment for disobeying him or Su Lin. It’s a true case of culture shock, one in which she gladly takes in stride. What is interesting is that we are introduced to Ni Ni’s Princess Su Lin when she appears in the modern world, where she learns things are not as they seem. The film meshes gaming with elements of the 2008 film The Forbidden Kingdom, with its central theme of a young gamer who ends up in ancient China through a portal but unlike the 2008 film, it is more about teaching and learning cultures all within a story involving the rescue of a princess at the hands of a barbarian leader. Nevertheless, this collaboration between Besson’s EuropaCorp and Mark Gao’s Fundamental Films is a mixed bag of goodies under the helming of Matthias Hoene, the director of the recent cult classic Cockneys vs. Perhaps the target for this film is for a younger audience as well as their Chinese audience. The collaborative duo of Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen have produced both really good films but at the same time, perhaps due to the pressures of distributions, very unnecessary sequels ( Taken 2 and 3 and Transporter 3 anyone?) However, with both of their most-well known franchises becoming adapted into television series, it was time for something a little different. Will he be able to rescue the princess or will it be too late for the young gamer? Jack soon finds himself with Zhoo on the adventure of a lifetime. Zhoo informs Jack that Su Lin has been kidnapped and forced to marry the Barbarian leader, Arun the Cruel. At first, Su Lin and Jack seem to get along well but when a group of Barbarians arrive to kidnap Su Lin and return to the chest, Jack follows them and ends up in ancient China. When Zhoo learns the truth, he is unhappy but entrusts Jack to watch Su Lin. When a mysterious warrior named Zhoo, a bodyguard to Princess Su Lin, arrives from within the chest that night, Zhoo mistakes Jack for being the Black Knight, his video game character. Chen, Jack is about to be part of something never he never imagined. When he is given the gift of a chest by store owner Mr. Jack’s only thing to make him calm, is gaming, where he plays as the Black Knight, a warrior in a game that involves him having to save a princess. With being bullied by a small extreme sports group led by Travis and his mother’s failing career in real estate has led to a foreclosure of their house. Jack Bronson is not having a great home life. A video gamer enters a world he never imagined in this film from the writers of the Transporter franchise that combines action and fantasy with touches of comedy.
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