Movie Digest
Xu Yuan is a slacker; but a competent antique specialist descended from the famed Xu family, who betrayed their country during the war by selling the valuable head of a Tang period Buddha statue to the Japanese. Ms. Kido begs that a member of the Xu family assist in the ritual when she travels from Japan to China to return the head. Xu Yuan had no idea that he would get entangled in an old conspiracy and one of the world’s biggest mysteries of cultural artifacts.
The Feel-Good Part
The film moves at a good pace, contains a good mixture of humor, style, and action, and establishes a compelling tension.
The Disappointing Factor
There are too many people and elements to keep track. It makes the majority of the plot a little perplexing.
In-Depth Analysis
This movie is an adaptation of Ma Boyong’s novel Antique Bureau Central Bureau. This film feels like a cross between National Treasure and Indiana Jones, plus a cluster of historical-minded action films from the 1980s and 1990s. The film’s main attraction, the Buddha head, was created utilizing 3D printing and carving. It took seven months to complete. The film puts the main characters through many tests while they search for the treasure, using Morse codes and involving Chinese fairy tales so that the audience can solve these puzzles alongside the characters. As bland as the film’s portrayal of history and archaeology is, the drama expertly develops the characters’ motive for the entire movie, enough to keep you interested in their adventure, no matter how cliché it may be.
Star Power
All the characters, including the supporting roles, did a great job bringing the plot alive. Lei Jia Yin (Xu Yan) was very expressive through each scene.
Overall Opinion
It is a decent adventure treasure hunting movie with enough action to keep you engaged from the beginning till the end.
