Product Info

Director

Gabriele Mainetti

Genre

Action, Adventure, Thriller

Rated

NA

Release Date (NA)

Mar 17, 2026

Film Length

2hr 19min

Purchase From

Amazon

The Forbidden City is an action drama film that offers a tasty blend of genres and cross-cultural stories, although its uneven pacing holds it back.

When in Rome

The film starts in 1995 in China, where a small family of two daughters resides, practicing martial arts. Due to the child restriction law in China at that time, the youngest child was always kept hidden whenever anyone outside visited the household. To bypass the law, a fine had to be paid.

Years later, the film jumps to the present time, where the audience sees an older version of one of the daughters, Mei, played by Yaxi Liu (Mulan, Second Life). Mei sneaks into Rome, Italy from China as a captured sex slave to infiltrate the underground criminal activity. Her goal is to find her lost sister, who is enslaved by the Chinese gang in Rome. While searching outside the Chinese gang’s restaurant front called “The Forbidden City,” her fate becomes intertwined with Marcello, played by Enrico Borello (Familia, Settembre), the son of an indebted Italian restaurant owner, whose father was last seen with Mei’s sister.

Initially, the film focuses on Mei but also delves into Marcello’s story, creating a duet of two victims of their family members, entangled with both the Italian and Chinese gangs. The scenarios between the two characters and how their paths intertwine make for an engaging emotional story, but the pacing between scenes is uneven. For instance, after Mei and Marcello meet, there are long dialogues and buildup. These also occur after intense action scenes where the momentum falls. Similar instances occur throughout the middle of the film, dragging the storyline more than necessary. Some parts feel too lengthy and could have been shortened to keep the runtime under two hours. 

However, in the second half, the film does a great job of progressing through the various storylines, answering unanswered questions, and tying up loose ends before the credits roll.

Show Me Your Moves

While Marcello isn’t a fighting figure, Mei does the majority of the action. Watching her martial arts skills against the odds of being outnumbered and in tight scenarios, such as a stairway, turns into an entertaining action sequence. There have been other martial arts and action films where it feels like The Forbidden City rehashes scenes, such as fight scenes in a kitchen. However, the movie finds new ways to introduce using kitchen utensils to harm others. It’s not as queasy as Novocaine, but it shows how using a grater can be deadly.

In many action films, the protagonist comes out mildly injured. While some scenes showcase Mei getting a few knocks, one sequence against the Chinese gang shows Mei getting handled to the point of collapse, with multiple stab wounds. Yaxi Liu’s performance as Mei, from action to subtle scenes, is great. Hopefully, we’ll see more films with this lead actress in the near future. 

Action scenes are done mostly in dark environments or low-lighted scenes inside buildings, making the fight scenes feel more dramatic. The sound effects in the action scenes are great, while the rest of the background audio uses blends of Italian and Chinese instruments. It doesn’t make a standout but does its job to add background depth. Outside of the fights, there are multiple scenes such as Mei and Marcello in an apartment, that feel like deja vu even if the scenario is different.

The film is spoken in both Italian and Mandarin Chinese, so viewers should watch with subtitles. The communication between Mei and Marcello uses a smartphone translator throughout the film, which at times adds additional time to the film but it does show the trouble to communicate between two cultures. As the film progresses, it feels like the two slowly begin to understand each other’s body language as Marcello gives Mei a tour of Rome at night. The two start to develop feelings for each other, but Mei’s violent path puts their relationship on hold. Marcello also has his own issues, trying to keep the Italian gang from finding out about his relationship with Mei, as her attacks on the Chinese gang cause a stir in Rome. There are also internal family issues that feel common in today’s world. Just when you think you’ve figured out the plot points, the film takes unexpected turns to keep viewers guessing about the story’s next steps. 

Going into the film, it seemed like The Forbidden City would be a simple story with martial arts in a foreign country, but it actually feels more human with the amount of emotions the characters share and the troubles that surround them.

The Final Move

The Forbidden City blends action, emotion, and cross-cultural drama. Although its pacing is uneven at times, it delivers a thrilling martial arts ride with heart and cultural flair.

An early screening was provided for this review. The Forbidden City is now available for streaming digitally, coming soon to physical media. Viewers can visit the film’s official website for additional information and purchasing options.