''Mojin: The Lost Legend'' (previously titled ''The Ghouls'')
(English: ''Touching Gold: The Lost Legend'')
is a 2015 Chinese
action
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
adventure
An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
thriller film
Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...
based on the novel ''
Ghost Blows Out the Light
''Gui Chui Deng (Ghost Blows Out the Light)'' (), also referred to as ''Candle in the Tomb'', is a fantasy novel series written by (天下霸唱) about a team of grave robbers seeking hidden treasure, with the first book published online in March ...
''. It was directed by
Wuershan
Wuershan (''simplified Chinese'': 乌尔善) is a Chinese film director who was born in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia on June 10, 1972. He is of Mongol ethnicity.
Wuershan's first feature film was ''Soap Opera'' (2004), for which he was awarded the ...
and produced by
Chen Kuo-fu
Chen Kuo-fu (born 13 May 1958) is a Taiwanese film director, screenwriter and producer. His film '' The Personals'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.
Biography
Born in 1958 Chen worked as a film ...
. The film was released on December 18, 2015.
Plot
At the beginning of the 1990s, famous tomb explorer Hu Bayi, Wang Kaixuan, and Hu's fiancée Shirley Yang decided to retire to Manhattan. After a supposedly split of the team, Wang Kaixuan was pulled into a deal to locate the ancient tomb of a Mongolian princess. Hu Bayi has been having recurring nightmares of his first love, Ding Sitian, who had supposedly died 20 years before in an underground tomb beneath the Mongolian plains. The team is lured back to their original vocation by a mysterious, businesswoman/cult leader Ying Caihong who wants them to find the ancient tomb of a Mongolian princess. They eventually learn that what she really wants is to possess a famed artifact known as the Equinox Flower that allegedly has the power to raise the dead.
Cast
*
Chen Kun
Chen Kun (; born February 4, 1976), sometimes credited as Aloys Chen, is a Chinese actor and singer. He gained recognition from television dramas ''Love Story in Shanghai'' and ''The Story of a Noble Family'' and rose to international prominence wi ...
as Hu Bayi.
*
Huang Bo
Huang Bo (; born August 26, 1974) is a Chinese actor, film director, singer and the current vice-chairman of China Film Association. He is the winner of multiple Chinese film awards, and ranked 34th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list in 2013, ...
as Wang Kaixuan.
*
Shu Qi
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, death_place =
, death_cause =
, body_discovered =
, resting_place =
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as Shirley Yang.
*
Angelababy
Angela Yeung Wing (; born 28 February 1989), better known by her stage name Angelababy, is a Hong Kong model, actress and singer. In 2013, she was chosen by ''Southern Metropolis Daily'' as one of the New Four Dan Actresses. In 2016, she won ...
as Ding Sitian.
*
Xia Yu Xia Yu may refer to:
*Yu the Great, also known as Xia Yu, legendary founder of the Xia dynasty
* Xia Yu (actor) (born 1978), Chinese actor
*Ha Yu (actor)
Wong Sing (born 14 June 1943), better known by his stage name Ha Yu, is a Hong Kong actor ...
as Big Gold Tooth.
*
Liu Xiaoqing
Liu Xiaoqing (born 30 October 1955) is a Chinese actress and businesswoman. She was one of the leading actresses in China in the 1980s.
Biography
In her early days Liu worked as a farm labourer, then as a propagandist for the People's Liberatio ...
as Ying Caihong.
Production
The film is based on the popular adventure novel series ''
Ghost Blows Out the Light
''Gui Chui Deng (Ghost Blows Out the Light)'' (), also referred to as ''Candle in the Tomb'', is a fantasy novel series written by (天下霸唱) about a team of grave robbers seeking hidden treasure, with the first book published online in March ...
'' about a trio of legendary grave robbers,
and is the second film following ''
Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe
''Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe'' () is a 2015 Chinese 3D adventure action film directed and co-written by Lu Chuan, and stars Mark Chao, Yao Chen, Rhydian Vaughan, Li Chen, Tiffany Tang and Daniel Feng. The film is an adaptation of Zhang Muye' ...
'' to be adapted based on the series.
''Mojin'' was based on the series' last four volumes while ''Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe'' was based on series’ first four volumes.
After
Wanda Media
Wanda Media (), also known as Wanda Pictures, is a Chinese film production company and distributor. Wanda Media is a subsidiary of Wanda Group which is responsible for the development, investment, production, publicity, marketing, copyright operati ...
acquired the rights to film the last four volumes, other production companies such as
Huayi Brothers Media and
Beijing Enlight Pictures Beijing Enlight Pictures Co., Ltd. is a Chinese film production company. In 2014, the company was the third largest film distributor in China, with 7.75% of the market. Beijing Enlight Pictures is a subsidiary of Beijing Enlight Media.
History
In 2 ...
came on board, adding financial and produced the project.
Filming wrapped up in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
in late March 2015.
As of October 14, 2015, the film was being remastered for the IMAX 3D format.
Release
The film was released in 2D,
3D,
IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating.
Graeme F ...
and IMAX 3D formats in China on December 18, 2015,
and on the same day in the United States and Canada in 2D by Well Go USA Entertainment across 30 theaters.
Following the huge commercial success of Chinese films like ''
Monster Hunt
''Monster Hunt'' () is a 2015 mainland Chinese-Hong Kong 3D fantasy action comedy adventure film directed by Raman Hui (in his feature directorial debut). The film was released in China on 16 July 2015 in 3D and IMAX 3D. Upon release, it became ...
'' and ''
Lost in Hong Kong
''Lost in Hong Kong'' is a 2015 Chinese comedy film directed, co-written and co-produced by Xu Zheng, starring himself along with Bao Bei'er, Zhao Wei, and Du Juan. This is Xu's second directorial feature, after the huge domestic hit ''Lost in Tha ...
'', Greg Foster, senior executive VP,
IMAX Corporation
IMAX Corporation is a Canadian theatre company which designs and manufactures IMAX cameras and projection systems as well as performing film development, production, post-production and distribution to IMAX-affiliated theatres worldwide. Founded ...
and CEO of IMAX Entertainment said the company was looking forward to witness such success again with the film because the suspenseful and visual nature of the film, combined with the Chinese cultural interest in treasure-hunting, makes ''Mojin: The Lost Legend'' a perfect fit for the IMAX experience.
It was released in a total of 269 IMAX screens in mainland China.
Due to sensitive issues about the circulation of national treasures abroad and the reported prevalence of grave robbing in poorer parts of China, the subject was feared to be taboo on screen, making the project one of the Chinese film industry's most anticipated movie over its three and a half production period.
Reception
Box office
Prior to its release, various film critics were predicting the film would be a significant hit at the box office. It is the highest-grossing IMAX film of all time in China with $27.1 million (as of January 6, 2016).
''Mojin: The Lost Legend'' earned US$26.4 million on its opening day in China which is the highest-grossing opening day for a 3D local language film.
This includes the US$1.34 million it earned from midnight screenings, also a new record for a 3D local film.
In addition to this, it earned the largest single-day gross for a local 3D title ($35.5 million on Saturday, December 19).
Through its opening weekend, it grossed US$85 million (per
Rentrak
Rentrak Corporation is a global media measurement and research company serving the entertainment industry. Rentrak is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, United States, with additional offices in the United States and around the world.
In February ...
), US$91.9 million (per Entgroup) and debuted at No. 1 in China and No. 2 worldwide (behind ''
Star Wars: The Force Awakens'').
The film has the third biggest three-day opening of all time in China behind ''
Monster Hunt
''Monster Hunt'' () is a 2015 mainland Chinese-Hong Kong 3D fantasy action comedy adventure film directed by Raman Hui (in his feature directorial debut). The film was released in China on 16 July 2015 in 3D and IMAX 3D. Upon release, it became ...
'' and ''
Lost in Hong Kong
''Lost in Hong Kong'' is a 2015 Chinese comedy film directed, co-written and co-produced by Xu Zheng, starring himself along with Bao Bei'er, Zhao Wei, and Du Juan. This is Xu's second directorial feature, after the huge domestic hit ''Lost in Tha ...
'' (both of which were also released in 2015).
Furthermore, it also broke the record for the biggest IMAX midnight gross (US$300,000), opening day (US$2.7 million) and opening weekend (US$7.5 million) from 250 IMAX screens.
In its second weekend, it grossed another US$44 million – US$95.7 million in its full second week – falling behind newcomer ''
Devil and Angel''.
Of that US$6 million alone came from 259 IMAX screens for a 10-day cumulative of US$17.6 million becoming the second-highest grossing local language film for IMAX ever in China. The film went on to surpass ''
Monster Hunt
''Monster Hunt'' () is a 2015 mainland Chinese-Hong Kong 3D fantasy action comedy adventure film directed by Raman Hui (in his feature directorial debut). The film was released in China on 16 July 2015 in 3D and IMAX 3D. Upon release, it became ...
'' () to become the highest-grossing Chinese-language IMAX film in China, with . It is only behind ''
Furious 7
''Furious 7'' (also known as ''Fast & Furious 7'') is a 2015 American action film directed by James Wan and written by Chris Morgan. It is the sequel to ''Fast & Furious 6'' (2013) and '' The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'' (2006), and ser ...
'' (US$39 million) when incorporating all kinds of films.
In the United States and Canada, it opened with US$280,000 from 22 theaters.
Critical reception
While the performances of the cast, special effects and action sequences have been praised, the film overall has received largely mixed reviews from western critics.
The
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
reported a 50% approval rating, based on 6 reviews, with an average rating of 4.6/10.
Daniel M. Gold of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' gave a negative review saying the film wastes some fine actors such as
Shu Qi
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, death_place =
, death_cause =
, body_discovered =
, resting_place =
, resting_place_coordinate ...
"on predictable, one-dimensional characters, and once the tomb is entered, the underground sets become all but interchangeable. What starts eerie becomes strictly cartoonish." Likewise, the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' gave a negative review. Writing for
rogerebert.com, Mark Dujsik awarded the film one and a half stars out of four calling it, "equal parts shabby and discomforting."
However, not all reviews were negative. David Noh of ''
Film Journal International
''Film Journal International'' was a motion-picture industry trade magazine published by the American company Prometheus Global Media. It was a sister publication of ''Adweek'', '' Billboard'', ''The Hollywood Reporter'', and other periodicals.
H ...
'' advised "Grab a big bag of popcorn and a soda and sink yourself into this rambling but skillfully done and surprisingly deep Chinese action romp." Frank Scheck of ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
''—while criticising the film for being overlong, convoluted and repetitive—praised the action sequences and special effects, deeming them superb, and lauded the performances of the leads. Chief Asia film critic Maggie Lee of ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' agreed that the film provided "enough robust action and technical moxie to make audiences overlook its formulaic plotting and rote characterizations."
Jake Wilson of ''
The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
'' gave the film three stars out of five, writing "the result can feel a bit disjointed: it takes a long time for things to get started, and there are too many distractions for the hints of social commentary and tragedy to register with much force." But he praised the cinematography, comparing it to that of
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...
's work on
''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy. The ''
Taipei Times
The ''Taipei Times'' is the only printed daily English-language newspaper in Taiwan, and the third established there. Online competitors include the state-owned ''Focus Taiwan'' and ''Taiwan News''; ''The China Post'' was formerly a competit ...
'' said the movie "is lavish, packed with eye-dazzling action and fantastic plots, making it feel right at home among the ''
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' films."
Accolades
Sequel
The sequel of the film was released in 2018 titled ''
Mojin: The Worm Valley''
References
External links
*
{{Ghost Blows Out the Light
Films based on Chinese novels
2015 action thriller films
2015 fantasy films
Chinese fantasy adventure films
Chinese action adventure films
Films set in 1969
Films set in 1989
Films set in Inner Mongolia
Films shot in Inner Mongolia
Films set in New York City
Films shot in New York City
IMAX films
Chinese 3D films
2015 3D films
Huayi Brothers films
Beijing Enlight Pictures films
Films with screenplays by Zhang Jialu
Ghost Blows Out the Light
Films directed by Wuershan