Forbidden Kingdom, The (2008)

- What's going on, Hop?
- Huh?
You back again?
- Oh... shit.
- Find a good one?
Yeah... "10 Tigers of Kwan Tung".
This is gold!
Oh... Bride with White Hair.
Hop, you have any early Shaw Brothers? There's
this guy who does leopard style, that I wanna...
Leopard style, dragon style.
"Fight to the Air, Fight on Water".
"Crouching Tiger, Sprinting Monkey".
I know you... I'm not a white boy
who knows no kung fu.
Kick their ass, get the girls.
Only storage back here.
Where did you get this?
It was here when my grandfather
open the store hundred years ago.
He waited for a man
to come and pick it up.
Return to rightful owner.
Man never came.
My father took over the shop,
waited too, long time.
Now me.
That's a Northern Temple
style Bold Staff.
Same kind the 13 monks used
to save the Tang Emperor.
I've seen it before.
That exact one.
- I had dreams about it.
- You know why?
You watch too much Hong Kong
movies, come, come on.
I'll give you five awesome
Bruce Lee movies.
- For a very 'sick' price.
- You're the man, Hop.
Jason.
Hey! What's up?
Nothing much, just... you know, cruising.
You went down to Chinatown.
What's up with that?
- Oh, Kung Fu.
- Are you serious?
You're not supposed to talk about it.
Not under the Kung Fu code.
Hey look! The new kid's
making time with the hood.
J. boy, you still riding
this loser cruiser?
You need to get a motor
for this shit.
- What'd we got here?
- Just some bootlegs. No big deal.
Enter The Dragon.
The Bride with White Hair.
Yeah, it's actually very good.
- Come on, let him go.
- He ain't a dog, he knows Kung Fu.
He what? You think you're Chinese?
You'd be hanging out with
that Chink at Sitar.
What's up with you?
Let's see some, man!
Come on, come on, let's see some Kung Fu!
Huh... Kung Fu master, huh? Huh?
Want some Tae Kwan Do? Huh?
Yo, Lupo! He's hanging out with
that old Chink, cashes checks.
You in tied with the old man?
Shut up and do it.
It's late Lupo.
He's probably gone home.
He's not here, let's just go.
Who's there? Ahh... Kung Fu boy.
You're back for more good price movie?
I told you, best deal in China town.
Come on.
Want some tea?
Flush those scum out.
Yankees winning. Very bad.
Who's with you? Friends?
Where'd you keep the cash?
I said, where'd you keep the cash?
Come on old man!... Stay here.
Hey!...
Found the Jackpot.
Jesus, Lupo... damn man.
You shot him!
Take it.
Must return to rightful owner. Run!
You see that, Yo!
Did you see that?
Come here you little shit.
- Lupo, come on man. Just don't...
- You did see nothing...
Calm down, Lupo. Hey, chill man,
come on. Put the gun...
Shut up! Maybe I'd pulled the trigger,
but we're all in this together.
But this little cockroach,
he ain't one of us.
Have some tea.
It'll help you to recover.
Excuse me,
I don't know where I am.
I don't know how I got here.
I... I remember falling...
The old lady found you
lying in the river.
- We all thought you were dead.
- Hm?
Let's go! Let's go!
- Running away?
- Help me!
Please let her go!
Quick, go and grab a hold
of that guy!
Stop, stop!
Drop what you're holding!
If you try to run and I'll kill you.
Come here!
What is that you're holding?
Where're you from?
This? You want this?
Drop the staff if you want to live.
Please Sirs, some money
for this poor drunkard.
Get lost!
- Where did you get that staff?
- I don't know what you're saying.
- Where did you find it?
- I can't understand you.
That's because you're not listening.
Behind you!
I don't know where I am...
Or how I got here. And who're
those guys who wanna kill me.
Whatever you did back there was sick.
No, Drunken Fist.
See Crook Kung Fu of the South.
I'm Lu Yang, traveling scholar.
What land do you come from, monk?
I'm not a monk, I'm Jason.
Jason Tripitikas, from South Boston.
- Is this a dream?
- No, where you came from is the dream.
Through the gate of 'No-Gate'.
Is that like a worm-hole or something?
No, it means you're either a Zen Master...
or you're carrying something very special.
This?... Was in a pawn shop waiting
for a man to pick it up, and...
return it to its rightful owner.
What?
It has long been fore-told,
that a seeker will come.
To return the staff and end
the reign of the Jade Warlord.
Return the staff to who?
The Monkey King.
Born of stone, on the mountain
of fruit and flowers.
With his weapon in hand.
His 'Chi' became like fire.
His stick fighting like magic.
He defied the order of the land.
But the Jade Army could not defeat him.
Monkey King crushed every
soldier sent to stop him.
But with his magical staff,
he was unbeatable.
Word of his disobedience traveled
deep within the Forbidden Kingdom.
To the Five Elements Mountains,
land of the Immortals.
Once every 500 years, the Jade
Emperor hosts the Peach Banquet.
It is here that the Heavenly Ministers
gather to celebrate the longevity...
and drink the elixir of immortality.
One sip of this heavenly brew...
Will give everlasting life.
Free from mortal suffering,
and desire.
Into the banquet, the Monkey King
crashed un-invited.
The Jade Emperor was enchanted
by the Monkey King...
But the Jade Warlord was not amused.
As Master of the Army,...
the Warlord demanded the
Monkey King bow down to him.
He's a bit unrefined, that's all.
Give the naughty monkey
a title and let him go.
Satisfy all is well, in Heaven and Earth.
The Supreme Emperor left to
begin his 500 years meditation.
Leaving the Jade Warlord in
charge, by mandate of Heaven.
But rather to obey the
Emperors command...
The Warlord challenged
the Monkey King to a duel.
High above Five Elements Mountain.
In the Warlord's Palace, the battle
of Immortals was fought.
To prove once and for all,
whose skills was supreme.
Most excellent stick fighting, Wukong.
But without your weapon you
are nothing but a lonely hermit.
No more weapons, no more
'Chi' magic. Fist against fist.
The Monkey King was too trusting
and believed the Warlord's words.
Laying down his magic weapon.
Realizing he was been
tricked, the Monkey King...
casted the staff out
into the Middle Kingdom.
Martial art is based
on deception, my friend.
Being immortal the
Monkey King could not be killed.
Only trapped in stone, where he waits
for the seeker from the prophecy,...
to return to him his fine weapon
and finally free him.
That's what I heard anyway,
a long time ago.
How long has he been in prison?
Five hundred years, give
or take a few decades.
They say when the Monkey King is
freed the Jade Emperor will return.
How do I get home?
You must return the staff
to Five Elements Mountain.
You must free the Monkey King.
I can't free the Monkey King.
I gotta get home.
- Innkeeper, more wine.
- Don't you think you had one too many?
Wine is my inspiration.
In some parts, I'm known as a poet.
Cheers!
In other parts, I'm known as the beggar.
Old wife.
- Where did this come from?
- From them.
- Officers, look what they're using to pay.
- What's this?
- What do we do now?
- How good is your Kung Fu?
Ahh...
He who speaks, does not know.
He who knows, does not speak.
Surely you're masterful.
- Where did he get that raben?
- It's a fake.
You can find anything these
days on the Silk Road.
Out of the way, old fool.
Hand it over.
Hand over the raben or die.
Go!
Help!
- Protect yourself.
- What?
Come on, let's go.
Where're you going?
- Jump!
- I don't think so.
Do not think! Just do!
Come on!
Ahhh...
Yes...
- Oh...
- Ah... thank you.
There they go!
Such a skilled child.
Are you from Northern Mountain?
She is Golden Sparrow from the south.
She helped save our lifes back there...
I don't know what we would have done,
if she hadn't come along.
She does not think the Drunkard
Immortal needed his life saved.
You're immortal?
What did you run from child?
Bounty hunters trying to stop her from
reaching the Five Elements Mountain.
I suggest you keep riding west.
And only stop to water your horses.
- You're not coming?
- The journey to Five Elements Mountain,...
crosses of barrens and desserts,
unspeakable dangers.
Worst of all, no wine.
His elixir, every Immortal has one.
I'm very sorry, without wine I will perish.
You must understand this.
No... You must understand this.
This is insane!
- Do you wish to get home?
- Yes.
Then listen well. If you die here,...
you will be found dead,
in the world you left behind.
Do you understand?
My jug is getting low.
I must say goodbye. Bye-bye.
Wait!
Let him go. You're the one
to return the staff, not him.
How good is your Kung Fu?
He's got no Kung Fu. None!
Lu, wait!
Teach me. Teach me to fight.
Swing soft, cut harder,
at the same time.
He's terrible.
I've been here weed whacking
for two days now.
While you sit on your horse,
like the King of England.
When're you gonna teach me Kung Fu?
- You wanna learn Kung Fu?
- Yeah.
I teach you Kung Fu.
That's called strike.
Tomorrow, teach you block.
Let's go.
Swing soft, cut hard.
You think you'll teach me
the no shadow kick?
Oh... and the Buddha Palm Technique.
There's a guy in Virtual Fighter 2,
who does the Buddha Palm Technique.
And he does the huh... the Iron Elbow.
And he does the huh...
One Finger Death Touch.
The cup's full. Stop! It's full.
Exactly. How can you fill
your cup, if already full?
How can you learn Kung Fu,
if already know so much?
Know Shadow Kick, Buddha Palm.
Empty your cup.
Hopeless! It is hopeless.
It is said that music, is a bridge
between earth and heaven.
It's beautiful.
It belong to our mother.
My Lord...
How dare you.
Can't you see I'm busy?
The Divine Staff of legend...
It was seen in the Middle Kingdom.
Impossible.
The villagers are beginning to
whisper of the prophecy.
Mortals are always
whispering of the prophecy.
They're entitled to it.
What other offending news
do you have for me?
That is all, my Lord.
Summon the Witch.
The one born of wolves.
Where were we?
Lu Yang.
Lu Yang!
Lu Yang!
Lu Yang!
Sparrow!
- Jason, what happened?
- He took it. The staff!
The Jade Warlord has sent
a bounty hunter.
We're doomed.
That's his horse.
He must be inside.
Why would he take refuge in a temple?
That's what I intend to find out.
Wait with the horses.
Ahh... good to get off my feet.
Long way.
So, where're you from?
Shandong province?
You look like the
Shandong province type.
You come here often.
The Staff doesn't belong to you.
You have to give it to me,
or somebody might get hurt.
What kind of monk are you? Huh?
Stealing from travelers.
Ah... a silent one I see.
Or deaf.
I'm speaking to you monk! Hmm!
Praying Mantis very good.
For catching bugs.
But not Tiger!
You try to steal the
Staff for the Warlord.
No, fool!
I'm on a mission to find
the seeker of the Staff.
You found him.
He's not even Chinese.
We're all the same inside.
Aren't we, monk?
Heaven help us.
What?! What's wrong?
It's wrong not to share.
Cheers!
How long have you been
searching for the Staff?
As long as I can remember.
An old man and a boy had tea here.
A soldier monk rides with them.
Who else?
I do not know who you speak of.
Men are such liars.
Sparrow...
Sparrow...
Where do you nest?
Jason, go deeper.
Must taste bitter before sweet.
Horse stance, grow roots.
Horse stance.
Very good. For taking a duck.
Hey!
Enough from you.
He's my student. Not yours.
Two tigers cannot live
in the same mountain.
Two masters cannot teach
the same student.
Horse Stance!
If he is willing to learn
the Kung Fu,...
he must develop the speed,
accuracy and power.
Hey! I know that. It's the way
of the Intercepting Fist. Bruce Lee.
I will punch. You'll block.
Ready?
Ahh! What did I teach you
about the Snake?
Now. You punch me.
Look. See.
Again. You punch him again.
Snake!
It's not right for Snake.
Perhaps Eagle.
Crane, Crane.
Okay?
Enough!
I had enough! No more!
No more of silent riddles
and no more empty cups.
First you... show respect
to your teachers.
So, what about the two tigers
and one mountain?
We can kill each other when it's over.
Kung Fu. Hard work over time
to accomplish skill.
A painter can have Kung Fu.
Or the butcher who cuts meat
every day with such skill.
His knife never touches bone.
Learn the form, and seek from it.
Hear the song, sing, learn it all,...
And forgetting it all.
Learn the way, and find your own way.
A musician can have Kung Fu.
Or the poet who paints
pictures with words.
And makes emperors win,
this too is Kung Fu.
But do not name it my friend,
For it is like water.
Nothing is softer than water.
Yet it can overcome rock.
It does not fight.
It flows as long, we are told...
Formless, nameless,
the true master dwells within.
Only you can free it.
Behold, the tyranny of the Warlord.
He must be stopped.
He must be killed for his crimes
and his head put on a post.
But we must not feel hatred
towards him or he wins.
If he speaks compassion for this devil,...
he should go back to his temple and pray.
Our mission is not one of peace.
Go back to your mother and father.
You're but a child.
They're dead.
And she is not a child.
Not anymore.
Her father was a government official
who opposed the Warlord.
And so...
To set an example, the Warlord
dispatched his troops into night.
Legion upon legion poured out
of the Five Elements Mountain.
Into the low lands of the Middle Kingdom.
Screams of innocent people
hung in the night air.
When it was over, charred roofs
were all that remained.
That, and a lonely child
hidden in a well by her mother.
Ruthlessly murdered by an arrow,
from the Warlord's bow.
When she reaches the Warlord's palace,
she will not offer him forgiveness.
Monk, she will offer him this.
A jade dart that can kill a immortal.
Long has she practiced.
Vengeance has a way
of rebounding upon itself.
Well...
Master of Sensitivity.
It's them.
They're headed towards the desert.
They're between us and the River of Sand.
Isn't it just like the Monkey King...
to summon a boy to do a man's job?
Lu... this dessert is hot.
This is not a dessert.
That is the dessert.
I hope you know where
you're going, crazy monk.
A monk on a mission.
And where does he lead us.
Across a dessert to nowhere.
We're not gonna make it
are we?
And even if we do,
we'll still have to face the Jade army.
What if I can't handle it?
What if I freeze?
Don't forget to breath.
If we don't find water soon,
we will perish.
Perhaps... a Taoist immortal
can make rain.
If he truly is a Taoist immortal.
You're an insult to the name
of Buddha. Blasphemy.
Look!
I lead you to the Mountain.
Over there!
Can you see them?
In the clouds.
A two headed lion, right there.
- See.
- Yes, I see it.
See that one right there coming up
behind it, like a wave.
- Looks like a green monster.
- Green monster?
You mean dragon.
No, I mean Fenwick park.
They call the left field fence,
the green monster.
It's true.
It does kind'a look like a dragon,
doesn't it?
Have you any family, back
in this land you come from?
- My mother.
- Father?
Never knew him.
Do you ever long for him?
Wonder who he was?
Maybe the only thing I've ever been
good at is... pretending that I don't.
She is sorry.
How romantic.
Men will tell you what they
want to here, Sparrow.
But in the end, they will
leave you with nothing.
You survived the river of sand.
Impressive.
And you boy, so far from home.
I can ensure your safe return.
Just bring the weapon forward.
I don't think so.
Why do you want the staff?
When I deliver the lost weapon,..
the Jade Warlord shall grant
me the elixir of immortality.
An orphan girl, a lost traveler,
an old drunkard,...
and a monk who has failed
at the same task for half his life.
Misfits following a misfit
in hopes of rescuing a misfit.
Kill them.
- Lu, you okay?
- Just thirsty.
Lu!
That's okay. He's immortal, right?
I mean he is, right?
- Wine. He needs his wine.
- There is nothing we can do.
What're you saying?
We have to do something.
I'm afraid the wound is too deep.
He will not survive it.
He needs his wine.
He's one of the eight immortals.
Wine is his elixir. Please.
- We'll send our walking monk.
- Don't have a running monk?
When I was your age.
I was a scholar warrior in training.
My arrow was good,
so too my Kung Fu.
So I was chosen to take
these several examinations.
To pass would place me in a very
short line of the scholar immortals.
- I failed.
- You're not immortal?
If one does not attach himself
to people and desire,...
never shall his heart be broken.
But then, does he ever truly live?
I would rather die a mortal,
who has a care for someone.
Than a man free, from his own death.
I don't wanna lose you.
Forget about me.
There is only one Elixir
of Immortality.
It is the Emperor's mix of jade,
cinnabar and salts of mercury.
It is forever stored in the realm
of the jade palace.
High in the jade ferment.
Rarely touched by mortals.
To reach it, one must take North Road...
and cross the border
of heaven and earth.
Only to face the Jade Army.
I'm sorry. There is no other way.
Yes, there is.
In two nights there should be no moon.
We can take the south
side of the fortress.
Under cover of darkness.
- We have to go now.
- No!
We go now, we all die.
There is more at stake.
A entire kingdom.
You are our best hope.
We shall advance in two nights.
When the moon has ceased.
So be it!
I should've met you long
ago in a tea house.
She was lost and frightened.
Not the kind she would
stand and fight with.
You have made the most
excellent judgment.
The seeker from the prophecy,
not quite what I'd expected.
A man is dying back on Song Mountain.
I need the Elixir.
And why should I give it to you?
Because I brought you the Staff.
The life of your friend before the
power to rule over the Kingdom?
A most reasonable offer.
- This man, a good friend?
- And a good teacher.
The man who honors his teacher,
honors himself.
However, there's a bit of
a problem with your request.
You see, I've promised the
Elixir to someone else.
She didn't bring you the Staff, I did.
The boy has a point.
My Leech, you made a promised.
There is but one way,
to resolve such matters.
A martial challenge to the death.
With pleasure.
The Elixir of Immortality...
The prize goes to the winner.
Enough!
The seeker from the prophecy.
I find that quite amusing.
Do you really think even for
a minute, you stood a chance?
I didn't think so.
- She'll kill you witch.
- Not if I kill you first, orphan bitch.
Cheers!
Remember what I taught you.
The Statue!
Use the Staff.
My turn.
- My Lord.
- Who are you?
The youngest daughter of
a family you murdered.
Come drink with me.
No.
Sparrow, Sparrow
Come on, come on.
You're gonna be okay.
- Jade Warlord?
- He's dead.
I...
I thank you.
Is there anything you can do?
Her Destiny was written
by her own hand.
I am sorry.
Traveler.
You have come far through the gate of...
No-Gate, to fulfill the
prophecy of the mortals.
- What do you desire, please?
- I just wanna go home.
Ah... very well.
It is said, master and student,
walk their path side by side...
to share their destiny, until
their paths go separate ways.
I'll never forget you.
I guess, that's what being
immortal truly means.
You've freed me traveler.
Now, go free yourself.
So, what's it gonna be?
You're gonna shut up?
Listen, Piss-head!
I'm not gonna ask you again.
Come on Maggie, get up, come on, huh?
You want some more?
You want some more?
Huh? Come on.
You don't have to do this.
Just take it easy, Sir.
You're gonna be fine.
Hop? Hop...
How's he doing?
Missed his heart.
He'll live.
Of course, I'll live.
I'm immortal.
Did you return the Staff,
to rightful owner?
Yes, I did.
You are the man.
- Is he gonna be alright?
- Looks like it.
I saw what happened.
I work across the street.
You were very brave.
- See you.
- Yeah.
Absolutely.
As the legend just told,...
that the Monkey King began
his journey west, in search of truth.
While the
return to his world,...
to walk the path of the warrior
and find his own truth.
As one tale ends,
so another begins.