While hunting down bootleg kung-fu DVDs in a Chinatown pawnshop, Jason makes an extraordinary discovery that sends him hurtling back in time to ancient China. There, Jason is charged with a monumental task: he must free the fabled warrior the Monkey King, who has been imprisoned by the evil Jade Warlord. Jason is joined in his quest by wise kung fu master Lu Yan and a band of misfit warriors including Silent Monk. But only by learning the true precepts of kung fu can Jason hope to succeed - and find a way to get back home.

I have felt that Jackie Chan might be getting too old for these kind of movies for the last few years, now I am beginning to think that maybe Jet Li is also getting to old for these type of movies as well. Its not that they aren't good actors and great action and martial art masters its just that these movies take such a physical role and persona that when the actors get older they just can't pull of the physical side with the stunts and martial arts and the persona just seems to elude them. A dramatic actor can continue plying there trade for many years after their youth has disappeared but for someone who has relied solely on their ability to do stunts and action sequences their entire careers when they start to age the stunts get slower and less and less impressive as the years go by. And for a movie like this where the stunts and the action are so integral to the movie that degradation in their skills can make the movie a lesser film.

But despite some flaws to the movie, I still found it entertaining and fun. Sure the action isn't as great as it would have once been, nor is the story completely flawless but the story is still fun and interesting. And Jackie Chan has used comedy for a numbers of years to offset his martial arts and he still has great comedic timing and fun gags. Much like Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton, Jackie Chan has always had a physical style and performed prat falls like he was doing a silent film where everything had to be exaggerated to make up for the lack of sound. It adds humor to his movies and also makes them feel more realistic as he uses everything in his environment as weapon or shield.

The biggest flaw to the film is that rather that get a young actor who is trained and versed in martial arts they got an unknown in Michael Angarano to play the role of a trainee of both Chan and Jet Li. The problem lies in the fact that by the end of the film they are supposed to turn him into somewhat of a master by the end of the film and frankly put he never seems like a master of anything much less a martial arts. It just takes away from the movie that was far from perfect to begin with.

Some may complain about the unrealistic story and fantastical tale but I actually found it to be kind of fun. I mean its fantasy after all we can take leaps and bounds and just allow the fun story to envelop us. It doesn't need to make sense it’s just supposed to be fun and fantastical. Forget the plot holes and just enjoy yourself. If I were to complain about anything it would be Jet Li's performance, which left a lot to be desired. It's not just his martial arts skills, which seemed slow and clunky at times it was also his action, which seemed very dry and uninspired. I have hear this will be his last martial arts picture and it looks like he hung it up before he even made this film as if he didn't care to turn in one last good performance before calling it quits. The movie is entertaining even if flawed.

Grade: B-