The Lost Empire (2001)

Film Perfection

Dreadfully Boring

Disappointment for a huge fan!

Better Late Then Never

Recap: Chinese scholar Nicholas Orton is most unhappy. His wife has left him and he feel like he has betrayed himself by taking a position with a tourism corporate that wish to turn relics into a tourist attraction. But one night he is whisked away by a Chinese goddess. The world is threatened. Oppressive demons are trying to erase the story "The Journey into the West" from history and by doing so erase free will in the human world. Only Nick can save the world by going on a peculiar quest.Comments: A movie made for TV it tries to enter a land of magic and fantasy. However it seems to suffer from a meager budget as the special effects lack in quality. But not enough money can't explain a bad story. I am not familiar with the original story or myth but as it is presented in this movie it is childish, simple-minded and quite boring.The characters are stereotypic, arrogant and also childish in appearance. The monkey king resembles a human, that's true. But Pigsy, however true to the original story, is just too much. A walking, talking pig that can't resist eating all the time. He is worst, but every other character is almost as simple-minded and shallow as him. Or why people keep on driving as they crash through market stands just because the red light disappeared (because no one would ever use the brakes if the traffic lights weren't there? Sigh).Also the story is easily predictable, but not only predictable. Boring. Who will fall in love with whom, what someone will do when he is challenged and so on. When the story is too simple, the effects doesn't support the magic elements in the story and the characters are too shallow, the entire story becomes hard to believe in. Not accept as truth, but to believe in its own context. It doesn't carry it's own weight. It doesn't even seem the characters or actors believe in it.Why it must run then for more than two and a half hour is beyond me. If it can't develop some chemistry in an hour, two doesn't make it better. Only worse.2/10

well, it was interesting, I've Never read the book, But I might have to now. I only hope I can find it.as for this movie, I think the producers would have been better served looking at English-language dragonball fanfics for a script. I guess that is something, that I feel the writings of fans of the dubbed version of a television series based on a graphic novel inspired by a book can be better than this movie.on the other hand, the special effects were alright. if they did drive the old "The pen is mightier than the sword" message a little too hard.

This is the lamest movie I have EVER seen. It came with a Jet Li movie I got in a 2 pack. I'm not sure why it was made but it is pathetic! A Bruce Campbell wanna be who is a supposed expert on Chinese culture goes on a journey. He meets up with a hot girl and some ugly friends. The hero of the story is an immature guy that looks like a monkey. His friend is a really ugly greedy pig man. Although I know it is supposed to show the journey of some Chinese literature it speaks about throughout the movie it seems more like an insult than a tribute. Read the other guys post for more detailed information about the literature. Please if you are reading this...Never ever watch this horrible waste of a film...there is my public service for the week.

I've watched this mini-series hoping it will bring some excitements, art and culture of the traditional Chinese "Journey to the West" story. Of course the most important thing I'm looking at for in this movie is to have best visual effects. However, the effects are so bad and no realistic (Not even close).Aside from bad acting and visuals, the problem with this story is that Qua Yinn being fall in love with the human! It's the most insulting story for the Buddhist people and religion! And Friar Sand wearing human skulls (Maybe when he was Cannibal but no anymore!)?? What about the Monkey King? He doesn't look like Monkey, instead look like human. Also Monkey King wasn't put under the mountain by the demons. Monkey King was so powerful, nobody (even the most powerful good or evil) can defeat or control it. Eventually Monkey King was punished by Buddha by putting it under the mountain. This movie is totally going on the wrong way.This mini-series is nothing compared to the original Chinese version (25 episodes) of "Journey to the West" released in 1986. If you are looking for the "real" story (with better visual effects), then go for the chinese version! It has got English caption in the whole series.This movie is just worthless. Acting, music, visual effects, story.....none of them are good.I'll rate this movie 1.