Movies

Martial-arts movie fans have been waiting 20 years for this one moment, when martial-arts clown Jackie Chan and martial-arts purist Jet Li square off in one of The Forbidden Kingdom's signature throw-downs. Thankfully, it pretty much lives up to expectations.

Pity the movie's such a silly, Hollywood-compromise version of this once-in-a-lifetime pairing. Compromise No. 1 is the frame for the movie. Jason, a South Boston teen (Michael Angarano) is a hardcore martial-arts movie buff. The lad is "just another white boy who wants to know kung-fu." But he can't handle the local bullies. Wonder if he'll learn the ways of the master by the closing credits?

Hollywood compromise No. 2 was hiring the director of The Haunted Mansion and Stuart Little 2 to direct this. Rob Minkoff doesn't muck this up, but the direction is pedestrian.

Perhaps Chan and Li, whose rivalry extends to the film's odd opening-credits billing (names interlocked), got along well enough to do one more together if this one is a hit. Let's hope they will.