Action fantasy is thrilling as it teams two legends

It's about time somebody finally teamed up the clown prince of kung fu and the self-possessed wu shu champion in the same film. Yes, Jackie Chan (who turned 54 earlier this month) is no longer the youthful stunt daredevil and acrobatic dynamo, and 45-year-old Jet Li is aging past his days as the gentle master of gymnastic precision and control.

Yet when the two finally meet in "The Forbidden Kingdom," an American take on the classic Chinese "Monkey King" tale, the result is joyous and exhilarating. Their moves are confident and natural and the action choreography by the Yuen Woo-Ping plays to their strengths so that they feel neither old nor young. They are ageless.

Michael Angarano is the South Boston teenager and martial arts movie buff swept out of his neighborhood and into the middle of the Chinese legend. It's kung fu "Wizard of Oz" down the yellow silk road with a drunken poet and martial arts master (Chan, revisiting his famous "Drunken Master" character) and a silent monk (Li) who become twin mentors to his kung fu apprentice on the way to free the Monkey King (also Li, in much cheekier form) from the story's wicked witch.

An American production with plenty of Chinese talent on both sides of the camera, it's both a Hollywood action fantasy and a tribute to classic Hong Kong martial arts adventures. Disney veteran Rob Minkoff would not seem the natural choice -- he lacks elegance and an eye for magnificent imagery -- but he appreciates and embraces the conventions of the material.

"The Forbidden Kingdom" may lack the grace of "Crouching Tiger" or the grandeur of "Hero," but Minkoff's affection and respect for the film culture is genuine. He has fun with the tale and Americanizes the genre without losing the pleasures of its Asian inspirations.