MOJIN: THE LOST LEGEND reviewed; opens in North American theaters today, Friday, December 18th

Well Go USA

Presents

Mojin: The Lost Legend

Directed by Wuershan

China, 2015

Mojin: The Lost Legend (a.k.a. The Ghouls) is a supernatural fantasy action adventure film from  China that opens today, Friday, December 18th, in roughly twenty major cities in the United States and Canada. (For cities, theaters and showtimes, go to: www.Mojin-Movie.com.)

Directed by Wuershan (Painted Skin: The Resurrection), the film centers on the exploits of three tomb raiders: Shirley Yang (the always watchable Shu Qi, The Assassin), Hu Bayi (Chen Kun, Snowgirl and the Dark Crystal), and Wang Kai Xuan (Huang Bo, Lost in Thailand). It also features Angelababy (the stage name of Angela Yeung WIng, Tai Chi Zero and Tai Chi Hero) as Ding Sitian.

Seeing the Twin Towers was unexpected, but appropriate for the film's time frame

In 1988, after one of their capers turns out badly, the Shirley, Hu and Wang retire from tomb raiding and flee to New Yo0rk City. As a New Yorker who was present when the 9/11 terrorist attacks took place, I was briefly taken out of the movie when, at about eight and a half minutes into it, there was a view from Brooklyn looking across the East River with the Twin Towers in the background. I forgot the time period being depicted for a moment, and only later realized that it was necessary because a significant flashback occurs roughly twenty years earlier, during Mao's Cultural Revolution.

Shirley leads Hu (behind her right arm), Wang (behind her left shoulder) and others in the quest for the Equinox Flower

Ms. Ying Caihong, the President of Global Mining Company  and leader of the Global Holy Disciplinary Institution, a strange cult, seeks the Equinox Flower, which is said to only exist at the limbo of Yin and Yang and which is believed to connect the living and the dead, to open the gate to the underworld and bring the dead back to life. When Wang decides to go back to China to locate it for her, Shirley and Hu follow.

Corporate and cult leader Ying Caihong (in white) with her followers

There are vast sets and loads of adrenaline pumping action. CGI is employed rather extensively, but it's of a very high quality. There's also some very fine make-up work done on one of the characters.

One of the film's vast sets

I came to think of Mojin: The Lost Legend as a Chinese blending of the Tomb Raider (Angelina Jolie, 2001 and 2003) and The Mummy  (Brendan Fraser, 1999, 2001, and 2008) series. All-in-all, it was a very enjoyable watch.

AsianCineFest Rating: 3 out of 4 stars; recommended