MovieChat Forums > The Lost Empire (2001) Discussion > Total Rubbish

Total Rubbish

posted 21 years ago by f-society
11 replies | jump to latest

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.

[–] RogueKyne 20 years ago

harsh.. I thought it was okay...

[–] f-society 20 years ago

Yes it will be ok for people who never seen 'Monkey King' movies before.

Chinese version (25 episodes) of "Journey to the West" released in 1986 was a LOT better. I mean it was the best!

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] azn4evr86 18 years ago

this movie is a bit sacrilegious, how can you have a kwan jin fall in love with a someone. you dont always need to include a love arc a story inorder to make it interesting. ugh

[–] Lovexsin 18 years ago

This movie is complete trash. Way to make Kwan Ying, one of the most worshipped dieties in the Buddhist religion, fall in love with a human. That's so blasphemous. And oh, introducing the American legal system and "suing" each other in the realm of the "gods" was a nice touch too <sarcasm>. Leave it for the American directors to ruin everything. And not every movie needs a crappy love story (memoris of a geisha). As the previous poster said, this movie is sacriligious.

This is by far the worst adaptation ever.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Ten_Thirteen 18 years ago

I agree...

This is an awful adaptation. Badly directed & supported by bland acting. 'Saiyûki'(1978) is far better version than this Americanized rubbish!

[–] HelenaHermione 18 years ago

I can agree, but it did bring to me its message still.

As the movie describes it, 'Journey to the West' is the most fundamental creation to literature. It has important Buddhist morals, yes, but it also has the figure of the Monkey King to give it precedence as the first creative literature of all time. Before Odysseus, before Beowulf, before Robin Hood, before Don Quixote, before Huck Finn-there was the Monkey King. He is mischevious, yes, but he still has respect for Buddha and the other gods and he is a formidable foe to any that will try to harm his subjects and his allies. He not only uses his strength, but he also uses his mind and his heart to right wrongs and correct injustice. Even in ancient times of censorship, the writer Wu still penned down 'Journey to the West' because it was and is important, because it did mean something to him and it does have meaning in this day and age. We still must have respect, yes, but we cannot deny our minds, our creative outlets, and we must examine our lives and question whether or not we are serving justice.

[–] PMan15 17 years ago

Based on this, then, Drangonball (and Dragonball Z) got it right, right?

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] ian_king 15 years ago

Oh for God's sake it is a MOVIE! Get over it already. It is not meant to be a factual documentry, if every Movie had to be spot on correct about everything there would be no bloody Films made!