In South Boston, Jason Tripitikas is a clumsy teenager obsessed with martial arts, movies of kung fu and Chinese culture. He frequently goes to the pawn shop of Old Hop to buy Chinese movies; while snooping the store, he sees an ancient staff in the deposit. Old Hop tells him that many years ago, a man left the staff with his grandfather but has never returned to take it back. While walking back home, Jason is forced by a gang of punks lead by Lupo to return to the pawn shop and lure Old Hop to open the door. The criminals break in the shop and Lupo shoots Old Hop, not before he orders Jason to run with the staff. En route Jason falls from the roof of a building and awakes in ancient China with the staff. Soon he befriends the drunken immortal Lu Yan who tells him the story of the Monkey King, who was lured by the evil Jade Warlord and turned into stone. Jade Warlord transforms the peaceful realm in a kingdom of fear and violence. However in accordance with the prophecy, a traveler would bring the staff back and save the Monkey King.