IN a rare moment of candor in Hollywood, Jackie Chan admitted he was unimpressed with the script of his new movie, “The Forbidden Kingdom” but the chance to work with fellow martial-art star Jet Li for the first time lured him to the project.

The film — Chan is not sure if it’s his 94th or 95th movie — will open in Shenzhen on April 24. While his fans may think he and Li never worked together before because of a professional rivalry, Chan said they actually are “close friends” who “could never find the right project.”

Then came “The Forbidden Kingdom” with Rob Minkoff (“The Lion King”) directing.

“When they gave me the script, I thought it was nonsense,” Chan said. “But they told me Jet was doing it so I said ‘yes.’ The other reason was the director. I loved ‘The Lion King’ so I knew he’d make a great fantasy for the kids, and it is.”

The filmmakers did run into one big problem with the two martial-art masters.

“After that first take, Rob and the cameraman came over and told us, ‘You guys are too quick. Can you slow down?”’ Chan said. “But we both wanted to show off.”

Chan, 54, was a major star of Hong Kong action flicks before making it big in the United States in the “Rush Hour” movies and Li, 44, followed a similar career path starting in Asia and breaking into Hollywood with “Lethal Weapon 4.”

Both now act and produce their own films and in a new twist for “Forbidden Kingdom,” they both have dual roles.

Filmed in China and based on the Chinese legend of the Monkey King, “Forbidden Kingdom” tells of Jason (Michael Angarano of TV’s “24”), a nerdy Boston teenager and kung-fu fan who is befriended by the elderly owner (Chan) of a pawnshop.

When the old man is killed in a robbery, Jason rescues a magical staff and suddenly finds himself transported back to ancient China where he faces the huge task of freeing the fabled Monkey King (Li), imprisoned by a powerful warlord.

His task is fraught with peril until help appears in the form of kung-fu master Lu Yan (Chan) and the Silent Monk (Li) who team up with the teenager to defeat the Jade Warlord.

The film’s fight sequences were choreographed by Yuen Woo-ping (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”) and despite the fact it was his first time working with Li, the fights felt as if they had collaborated for a long time, said Yuen.

(SD-Agencies)