The pairing of martial arts superstars Jackie Chan and Jet Li has long been anticipated -- by people who like that sort of thing.

Lighthearted and action-packed, "Forbidden Kingdom" should -- at least partially -- please the devotees of both performers.

In their inaugural collaboration, Chan and Li share the screen with Michael Angarano ("Sky High") as Jason Tripitkas, a nerdy South Boston kid who spends his free time poking around Chinatown looking for bootleg kung fu DVDs. At one pawn shop, however, he recognizes an ancient staff of great power -- enough power to transport him magically to ancient China.

Once he's comfortably lodged in the past, Jason must return the staff to its rightful owner, the Monkey King, who was frozen in stone 500 years earlier. The task won't be easy, however, and he'll need plenty of help.

Aiding his quest are Chan's drunken kung fu master, Lu Yan, Li's virtuous Silent Monk and a beautiful but deadly young girl (Yifei Liu) who has her own score to settle.

The story is a bit of a mess, with countless nods to previous films and random Chinese legends -- not to mention "The Karate Kid" -- but it's easy to follow and effectively connects the action sequences that people are paying to see.

Chan nicely choreographs the fights with his trademark acrobatics, ingenuity and offbeat use of any item that might be handy as a weapon (which in one scene is Angarano himself). His performance is also lively; far better than anything he's done with Chris Tucker.

Li takes on dual roles as the extremely playful Monkey King and as the Silent Monk devoted to returning the staff to the now petrified figure. In both parts he gets to show off his considerable skills. Even Angarano -- sort of a poor man's Shia LaBeouf -- fares pretty well as the whiny youth who gradually learns to release his inner Bruce Lee.

The film is also bolstered by some suitably villainous villains: The devious Jade Warlord, who imprisoned the Monkey King to begin with, and a floating demoness (Li Bing Bing. I just like saying that: Li Bing Bing) with flowing white hair that she can wield as a weapon.

The action in "Forbidden Kingdom" is not balletic, like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," but it's not bone-crunchingly, blood-spurtingly violent, either. The film itself is far from perfect, but it's plenty of fun. Chan and Li should try this again.

Rental Recommendation: Vol. I was too much, but "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" got the whole hip martial arts thing just right. Grade: A.

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