6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 2.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Based on the #1 Best-Selling Treasure Hunting Novel in China, MOJIN - THE LOST LEGEND brings to the screen an epic fantasy adventure about a trio of legendary grave robbers, the Mojin, who are enjoying the retired civilian life hawking goods on the mean streets of New York City, until they are propositioned by a shadowy and mysterious client. They accept the job and return to their roots, raiding the secrets and treasures of ancient tombs in China under the guise of an archaeology study.
Starring: Kun Chen, Huang Bo, Shu Qi, Yu Xia, AngelababyForeign | 100% |
Fantasy | 5% |
Period | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.30:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1, 1.85:1
Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Mandarin: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, Mandarin (Simplified)
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider didn’t set any critical hearts on fire, but it still resonated well enough with the ticket buying populace to engender one sequel, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. Still, the general consensus seemed to be that this fledgling franchise never quite attained the promise its source material seemed to offer, an element which struck some as a little peculiar, given how “perfect” that source material seemed to be for big screen adaptive treatment. Something akin to that phenomenon also attended another film detailing the adventures of so-called tomb raiders, Mojin: The Lost Legend, though it’s worth noting that this film is actually the second outing in a series (the first, Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe, looks like it may be coming from Well Go USA later this year). As with several other Chinese films that have ultimately made it across the pond for domestic release, Mojin: The Lost Legend had a 3D presentation in its native country, but evidently only screened in 2D here in the United States, and is only offered in a “flat” presentation on this Blu-ray. Once again, this at least partially defeats some of the inherent fun of the enterprise, since it’s clear several of the film’s visual effects were designed to be “in the face” of viewers. The film’s visual ingenuity is one of its chief calling cards, for my hunch is many Western viewers will be at least temporarily confused by a story that never really details characters’ interrelationships very well and which also has the tendency to lapse into disjunctive flashbacks that keep the story from moving forward organically. Still, with Lara Croft evidently shunted off into the cinematic hinterlands for the foreseeable future, lovers of tomb raiding adventures will probably find enough here to satisfy their action adventure desires.
Mojin: The Lost Legend is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer (mostly) in 2.30:1 (as a couple of the screenshots accompanying this review show, a few sequences are in 1.78:1, something I assume relates to the film's IMAX presentation in its native markets). Despite the lack of a 3D component, there's decent dimensionality here, with a number of OK looking CGI effects supposedly "reaching out" to touch the audience. Shadow detail is generally above average in a number of pretty murky (and at times pretty aggressively color graded) tomb sequences. The outdoor material, especially some really beautifully over saturated flashback moments, offers superb reproduction of a vast array of hues and some excellent levels of fine detail. There are a couple of brief instances of notable banding, typically relegated to elements like bright skies, but otherwise this is a problem free presentation.
Mojin: The Lost Legend's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track (in Mandarin, with optional English subtitles) is a typically thundering affair for an SFX laden epic. Sound effects regularly zing through the side and rear channels and provide a number of the set pieces (several of which offer quasi-zombies as combatants) the requisite immersion and opportunities for LFE. The only issue I personally had is that the film's thumping bass heavy score by Kôji Endô tends to overpower some of the effects at times, a probably intentional choice but one which may present prioritization issues for some listeners. Otherwise, though, dialogue comes through cleanly and clearly, and the film's soundtrack offers excellent fidelity and extremely wide dynamic range.
- Chen Kun (1080i; 3:32)
- Huang Bo (1080i; 3:24)
Mojin: The Lost Legend could have used a bit of tightening (the film runs a bit over two hours, which is arguably at least a few minutes too long), as well as more explanation and context for its characters (though my hunch is a lot of this particular "problem" probably played better for Chinese audiences than it will for many Westerners). Still, the film has some very fun effects sequences, even if the entire enterprise comes off as fairly derivative and ultimately nonsensical. With caveats noted, and with an appreciation for generally fine technical merits, Mojin: The Lost Legend comes Recommended.
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