Synopsis: Ge Zhen joins a killer organisation known as The 12 Troops. Caught up in a whirlwind of loyalty and betrayal, the warrior soon learns about the coexistence of evil and justice (73 Mins)

 

Views: There's not a lot I know about this 2018 web-movie except that it passed an hour for me in a pretty enjoyable way. The Mystical Treasure never really made much sense for the most part, playing like a modern-day wuxia adventure with elements of a Chinese fantasy computer game, but it definitely had its moments. The film boasted an interesting blend of modern costume and haircuts that really stood-out from it's traditional Chinese setting making its leading man, and some scenes in particular, come across like a blend of the popular television series Into The Badlands with Japanese fantasy Zipang, courtesy of its steampunk like weapons and wings. But then there were also the moments of action that owed more to Andrew Lau's 1998 comic book movie The Storm Riders, with its blend of cartoonish CGI, fancy swords and super-powered moves – so it's quite the mix!

 

The leading man is played by the handsome Ryan Yuan Bu, a new-enough actor that starred alongside Jackie Chan in Chinese Zodiac, as well as appearing in the fantastic Brotherhood Of Blades 2, and the Chinese fire-fighting drama, Blast. Wen Dong Jun, who also shared the screen with Jackie in the disappointing Skiptrace, co-stars along with a host of young new faces who were only starting out on their career. The Mystical Treasure is directed by Zhang Zhe Lin, in what would be his 3rd title after White Snake and Magic Dolls from the year before. He also went on to direct Ip Man: The Awakening Master in 2021, that saw child-star and wushu wonder Xie Miao kicking ass as the kung-fu master. Of course, Miao stole the show many times when he starred as Jet Li's son in both My Father Is A Hero and New Legend Of Shaolin, as well as impressing in his role in God Of Gamblers Returns with Chow Yun Fat. The Mystical Treasure definitely seems to be missing something, but it does offer some nice cinematography and exciting moments of wuxia action. While I wouldn't say that it was essential viewing, I'd also say that it wouldn't be a complete waste of time if you just wanted to kill an hour...

 

Overall: A little messy and far from perfect, yet at times beautiful and exciting, The Mystical Treasure is a bizarre little web-movie that has its moments!