Rating: 3 / 10

Starring: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Angarano

The plot: A young kid from Boston who is obsessed with kung-fu movies finds himself transported back to an ancient mythical China, where he and a band of martial arts warriors work together to free the Monkey King from his imprisonment by the evil Jade Emperor.

The good: This is definitely a kid-friendly film. It is very silly as Jackie Chan plays his typical whimsical character, adding plenty of slap-stick comedy along with his impressively choreographed fight sequences.

His character is a Chinese version of Captain Jack Sparrow, as he plays a clumsy drunken traveler who always had a gourd of wine in hand and could still beat the pants off any ninjas. (Though Chan’s drinking problem may not have been the best influence on kids.)

The fight sequences are also pretty good, as they should be with the first-ever pairing of martial arts greats Jet Li and Jackie Chan.

The scenery is also breathtaking, but the scenery alone is not usually enough to carry a whole film.

The bad: Some of Jackie Chan’s acting was just a little too corny, as he constantly had the wide-toothed grin and shrugged shoulders, and even the serious Jet Li seemed to be taking one for the kids as he dressed up to play the quirky “Monkey King.”

Unfortunately, the over-the-top antics of both actors proved to be too much, and instead of making jokes, they ended up making the whole film a joke.

Michael Angarano’s character was a bit unbelievable too. He always looked awkward on camera, whether he was standing up to the bully (who looked and acted like a reject from a “West Side Story” casting call), learning from his master fighting mentors, or battling against the villains after his intense training was complete. He just didn’t seem to have much confidence, and when he did, it was too much – as if it was forced.

Not only this, but between Jackie Chan and Jet Li, how is it that a white teenager from Boston with no martial arts experience whatsoever is “the chosen one?” This just seems a little too far-fetched, even for the silver screen.

The lowdown: Fans of kung fu movies should stay away from this watered-down kiddie version, and people who want to get their kids into it should wait until their children are old enough to see “Once Upon A Time In China” or “The Drunken Master” to see the great Jet Li and Jackie Chan.