Kids growing up in the 80s should have fond memories of The Neverending Story, a West Germany film about a bullied boy who stumbles upon a magical book which takes him to a strange fantasy land, meeting all sorts of fantastical creatures on his out-of-this-world adventure. This untouchable children classic, the Harry Potter of its time, inspired thrills and joy and awe in this editor's mind. Unexpectedly, similar emotions were evoked some twenty years later by a Hollywood flick called The Forbidden Kingdom.

Kingdom has yet other similarities with Story, like both films opening with a flying-through-a-sea-of-cloud shot followed by that of the protagonist waking up from a dream. Simply replace the magical book in the Story premise above with a magical staff, and the fantastical creatures with fantastical kung fu warriors, and you'll have the backbone to Kingdom. Here, our boy Jason (Michael Angarano) is a nerdy white teenager, a huge fan of kung fu films, and a victim of the local thugs. He is befriended by the old keeper (Jackie Chan in wonderful makeup!) of the neighborhood Chinese pawnshop, and after an incident, he is sent on a mission to return a magical staff to its rightful owner - the legendary Monkey King Sun Wukong (Jet Li wreaking havoc in playful mood!).

From the first frame of film, the filmmakers have demonstrated their affection for Chinese kung fu cinema. The nicely edited opening sequence of poster images from Shaw Brothers, Bruce Lee, and other classic Chinese martial arts movies puts the viewers in the right mood for what is to come. And what comes is an enchanting tale filled with references to, and well-known characters from Chinese folklore legends, Taoist mythology, and modern wuxia films.

Through the magical staff, Jason is thrown into this ancient Chinese martial world where the mortals live under the tyranny of the powerful and treacherous Jade Warlord (another commanding performance from the underrated Collin Chou). Jason, being the stranger with the staff, is believed to be the "Seeker" in the "Prophecy". He is chased by the Jade Warlord's minions, but is saved by the Drunken Master (Jackie Chan), who may be one of the Eight Immortals. Soon they are joined by a revenge-minded girl known as Golden Sparrow (the lovely Liu Yifei) and the mysterious Silent Monk (Jet Li). Together, the foursome embark on a dangerous journey to the Five Elements Mountain, the lair of the Jade Warlord and where the Monkey King is frozen in stone, but they must first traverse the deadly desert and escape from the deadlier Bride with White Hair (Li Bingbing).

The J-vs-J sequence is rightly regarded as the centerpiece of the movie. While it may not be the best movie fight ever, it is an event for the genre simply for the fact that the two titans are in it together, and it is professionally done with appropriate style, grace, power, and awesomeness that underline their kung fu kings status. On the other hand, the much criticized Michael Angarano is not too shabby either, coming off as a likeable young man who has taken a lot of beating in his training to become a martial artist. In a year that also saw the release of the animated blockbuster Kung Fu Panda, Hollywood has done a major service to promote Chinese kung fu to a broader audience, and here's hoping more films of the caliber of The Forbidden Kingdom will get made.