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The 2008 martial arts fantasy adventureThe Forbidden Kingdomwould’ve hadkung fu movie legend Jet Liin another role with one of its initial concepts . The Forbidden Kingdomis well - have sex as the first big - screen squad - up of Jackie Chan and Jet Li , each of them in twofold role . Chan played Boston Chinatown storeowner Old Hop in the picture ’s modern era and Taoist immortal Lu Yan in ancient China , with Li fiddle The Monkey King and the Silent Monk in the latter scope . However , there was ab initio another idea for Li .
On the DVD commentary forThe Forbidden Kingdom , screenwriter John Fusco and director Rob Minkoff speak on the role of the young champion Jason Tripitikas ( Michael Angarano ) . The pair mention in original discussions of the movie , Jason would be an eagerstudent of soldierly artslearning kung fu in Boston ’s Chinatown , with Minkoff tell , " And I think Jet Li was go to encounter the sifu , " which Fusco verified with an approbative " Mmhmm . " In the end , Fusco ’s screenplay would take Jason in a very dissimilar route with the teenage sub having no warriorlike arts training .
Had the original theme been implemented onThe Forbidden Kingdom , Li potentially would ’ve had a third role in mentoring Jason in modern times , and this would ’ve made Jason himself a somewhat dissimilar character . Fusco describes the idea of Jason ’s kung fu student as being youthfully avid and still having a great deal to hear , with Jason " wanting to fly before he can stand in a horse position . " The difference of the two versions of Jason ’s story inThe Forbidden Kingdomessentially travel from the youthful devotee ofclassic warriorlike arts moviesdeepening his cognition of warlike arts in the original idea to Jason ’s escapade strike out his formal entry to kung fu .
While neither Fusco nor Minkoff give any specific reason for the alteration , Fusco mention on the commentary that if " he could pick his mentor or his sub - conscious was operate to work who those mentors would be , it would be Jet Li and Jackie Chan " might explain why . Jason ’s experience between enthrall back C to China is like being dropped into the middle of one of the movies he have intercourse . While training with kung fu warriors played by Chan and Li would be amazing for him even if he already had breeding , being metaphorically taken to the set ofa soldierlike nontextual matter moviebecame the grand entry into kung fu he could ’ve possibly had .
The Forbidden Kingdomwas based by Fusco on a warriorlike arts storycreated and told to his young son , which he then stumble upon wrench into a screenplay . As Fusco mentions on the commentary , Chan and Li ’s intimacy came about due to the then - unfulfilled desire by millions to see the two in a movie together . Though Chan and Li ’s character Lu Yang and Silent Monk are ally guiding Jason through his preparation and dangerous undertaking , The Forbidden Kingdomalso delivered the span ’s first on - screen scrap , much to the joy of warriorlike arts fans around the world .
Since its firing , The Forbidden Kingdomremainsa timeless and action at law - packed adventure of a teenager hold out his dream of master kung fu , as well as a highlight ofJet Li ’s English - spoken communication flick . The unutilized idea of Li play Jason ’s sifu in the contemporary Boston setting is fascinating to depend back on in how it would ’ve alter the motion-picture show ’s story . In the close , The Forbidden Kingdomwould ultimately stand as a antic kung fu fable with Jackie Chan and Jet Li joining forces for the first ( and to engagement only ) time .
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