- Actors: Li Feng, Mark Chao
- Director: Lu Chuan
- Format: Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, THX, Widescreen
- Language: Mandarin Chinese
- Subtitles: English
- Number of discs: 1
- Rated: Unrated
- Studio: Well Go USA
- Release Date: July 5, 2016
- Run Time: 115 minutes
Watching Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe, it
finally made sense to me why so many bad Hollywood blockbusters rely on China to pick up the slack on ticket sales for
films that bomb in the United
States. It isn’t that this is necessarily a
bad film, but the incoherency of the narrative is consistently overshadowed by
pure visual spectacle. I often had no idea what was going on until the
revelations of the third act, but it is also one of the most visually polished
films I have seen from China.
Everything from cinematography to special effects is highly accomplished,
though it is somewhat like building a sturdy house on quicksand. Without the
strength of a solid screenplay, all the rest is merely a fleeting distraction
until the next big-budget extravaganza is released.
Borrowing from several
classic blockbusters such as Raiders of
the Lost Arc and Godzilla, Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe often
feels disjointed even when it is working. Beginning with a confusing
archaeological excavation in 1979, mixing fantasy with oddly placed political
commentary from the time, the film ridiculously takes the time to clarify that
this is not based on a true story. The movie opens with fossils of dragons
being discovered, so I’m not exactly sure why the filmmakers felt it necessary
to clarify this point. After an unexplored area of the mountain is discovered,
Hu Bayi (Mark Chao) volunteers to join the expedition led by Professor Yang
(Qingxiang Wang) and his daughter, Ping (Chen Yao).
This mission
into the caverns of a mountain lead to a mystical land with deadly fire bats,
enormous Kaijū creatures, and harsh terrain that results in the near-immediate
death of the entire team. Hu Bayi somehow manages to survive and thinks that he
is the only one until Professor Yang and his daughter reappear many years
later. Hu Bayi has dedicated his life to the study of demonology, which comes
in handy as creatures begin to attack the human world with the reappearances of
the expedition survivors.
The second
mission of the film is more about the hunting and destruction of the monsters
unleashed on the world, though Hu Bayi hopes to discover answers behind the
mysteries of his survival from the expedition years earlier. There is also a
romantic subplot between him and Ping, and several characters whose sole
purpose appears to be comedic relief, but the film is at its best within the
sequences of creature-feature action. I still don’t know if I am entirely clear
on all of the details behind these beasts, but they provide some of the film’s
most spectacular visuals and exciting sequences. This sums up the experience of
watching this film rather well. While it is often too confusing and disjointed
for its own good, the technical aspects are accomplished enough to make for
moments of enjoyable eye candy.
It doesn’t seem
like the manufacturers of this Blu-ray even took the time to watch this film,
as there are many errors within the marketing and promotional materials. First,
the runtime listed on the back of the disc is off by five minutes. This is
minor compared to the problem with the plot description on the back of the
case, which claims that the film takes place in present day New York City. The film never gets out of the
1980s, and I never saw anything remotely resembling New York. The minimal effort extends to the
special features, which are nonexistent.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 5/10
Special Features: 0/10
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