THE LOST EMPIRE

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: anti-religious content, violence

Rated:

Legends are a part of every culture. England has Merlin and Camelot. China... has the Monkey King. This Hallmark adaptation follows the magical story of a mortal drawn into an immortal world in an attempt to prevent five demons from destroying a book so powerful that once gone, it will mean the end of modern civilization. Nick Orton is a scholar in China to close a business deal. Knowledgeable of Chinese traditions, he is an avid reader of the book The Monkey King, which he has based much of his modern philosophies on. This is what leads him to be chosen by the Goddess of Mercy, Kwan Ying, to become a part of the great adventure to free the legendary monkey king, who has been long trapped in the mountain, and to rescue the original manuscript from the hands of those who would destroy it.

Taken into the spiritual world, Nick is uncertain that he wants to be a part of this rescue mission, particularly when he learns what he's up against: five powerful Masters, who have taken the book's author captive and brainwashed him. Originally the emperors of China long ago, they were avidly against change... and when the book instilled new values and stories forbidden to the communist country, it was to be destroyed. But some books are so powerful that they cannot be burned. Only over hundreds of years can they deteriorate. The original manuscript lies in tatters; only a few more days and it will disintegrate. In the meantime, the modern world is being laid to waste. Buildings are disappearing... time is, in fact, working backwards. Unless Nick and his friends... the Monkey King, and two other gods, Friar Sand and Pigsy, can defeat the demons and convince the council to restore the book to its original form, the world will suffer and fall to ruin.

I was brought up on Hallmark. But surprisingly, this film doesn't live up to some of their other epic miniseries. The storyline is sometimes difficult to follow, the characters are under-developed, and the special effects are lacking. It runs about an hour too long. As a form of mythology, there are many references to the teachings of Buddha, goddesses, and gods. There's an implication of reincarnation, and other spiritual aspects that could be troublesome to many viewers. The monsters are hideous and the battles often violent. Sexual content is limited to some immodesty on the part of Kwan Ying (her costumes are very revealing cleavage-wise) and a dirty joke the Monkey King makes about lovers thinking "only below the waist." He's forced to recant this later, and admit that love has its merits. Demons descend on the modern world and wreck havoc, burning buildings, exploding power lines, and throwing humans around like chaff. Stick fighting becomes brutal, and a dragon is destroyed from within by puncturing its lung.

It's not a horrible adaptation, or even one lacking in imaginary... but I feel that for the most part, it's not worth renting unless you're a student of Chinese literature.