The Treasure Hunter

Pinnacle Films

R4 DVD

How do you classify a film that is a mix of ideas from Indiana Jones, National Treasure, even a bit of Western and Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome? I don’t know if the producers set out to make a serious film with historical importance and great characters or just a good rollicking adventure, but adventure is what they have given us.

The plot is not exactly original. There is a lost city in the western Chinese deserts, rumoured to contain huge amounts of treasure. It is guarded by a group of legendary immortal warriors. Their leader, Eagle of the Desert, is selected each twenty years by a fight between the contenders. The loser is banished and sent into the desert to die.

Quiao Fei was the last loser. He survived and has settled on the edge of the desert where he “confiscates” stolen grave goods from tomb robbers. Between being sent into the desert from the City and settling in his present position he has attended University and learned all he can of history and archaeology.

A group of treasure hunters led by a desert rat named Pork Rib and one of Qiao Fei’s old classmates Hua are also out to find the city and its riches. Pork Rib is after the treasure, but we don’t know until the end of the film why Hua has joined their group. Hua is the only survivor of a previous trip into the desert by the University to find the Lost City.

The love interest is provided by Quiao Fei’s teacher’s daughter Lan Ting. She is a writer of adventure stories. She was estranged from her father because he spent all his time in the desert and none at home with his family.

They all find the Lost City and run headlong into the old legends about the Guardians of the city. The legends are real.

The film’s reception has been less than enthusiastic, with critics commenting on the lack of character development, some unexplained minor gaps in the plot and the derivative nature of the story. I can only say they have missed the point. It’s an adventure thriller story and the character development is quite adequate for that. The story is derivative, but they have borrowed the best elements from the best stories and put them into a mythology base. It’s a bit like cooking – the same ingredients can be rearranged to give a different flavour. In spite of its minor weaknesses I liked the film. It has all the right ingredients but a completely different and interesting style brought about by its Chinese interpretation. It has lots of action, some good sets and interesting characters. This is one film where I hope for a sequel.

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