Jet Li & Jackie Chan - the Art of Age

The Forbidden Kingdom, starring Jet Li and Jackie Chan, truly breaks into the realm of the forbidden. Or does it? These two fighter/actors ages combine for a total of 100 years as they return to the big screen for yet another martial arts spectacular.

Jet Li, a Shaolin trained martial arts master, has starred in several highly popular action movies. Age has not affected his intense and concentrated style of action films. Rather, Li's age has been eternal from movie to movie. His moves, quick and sharp, have fascinated audiences for 15 years. In The Forbidden Kingdom, at the age of 44, Jet Li maintains his audience should have a low expectation of the fight scenes with Jackie Chan. Quoted in Associated Press, Li states "Our passion was at it's peak 15 years ago. It is my mentality that fans should keep a low expectation of the fight scenes in [The Forbidden Kingdom]".

Jackie Chan has amused and delighted audiences just as long as Jet Li, albeit through humor and quick thinking moves. Their styles are so completely different and yet increasingly effective that a showdown in this movie between these two fascinating "old men" will be one not to miss. Most fans would be quick to point out that Chan's moves are acrobatic in nature, and that gives a clue to his martial arts origins. Chan began studying martial arts at the Peking Opera, enabling him to create acrobatic performances at the shows.

Wherever their beginnings, these two entertainment artists give the best of their craft despite age. In spite of warnings from Jet Li, audiences should expect the same flashy quick thinking moves provided by Jackie Chan and the same intensity and directness provided by Jet Li. The Legend of Drunken Master, Police Story, Fist of Legend, and the recent Fearless feature some of the most thrilling and original martial-arts feats found on film. These are true classics of the genre and are proof positive that no matter the age, these two superstars pack action into every kick and punch.

Whether it is with a fist, a sword, a toaster, or a hot iron these two actors have shown that they are the very best in their craft. As their age increases, so does their knowledge and ability to give audiences what they want. To team these movie giants up in one film is to create a colossal event of such magnitude that only one man can handle the job. Martial Arts choreography superstar Yuen Woo-Ping (of The Matrix and the recent Fearless) will be creating the action sequences for the film.

This surely will be a movie not to miss. The age of Jackie Chan and Jet Li knows no bounds within their genre, and neither will the age of their fans.