Yunnan chong gu

I really liked the first MOJIN film, so I went to a Chinese cinema to see the second one in 3D, but the story and execution were not as good as in the first one. This time the adventurers go to the mystical province of Yunan, looking for a talisman that is protected by armies of large monsters (lizards, scorpions, a killer crab etc), but things end up too melodramatic, although the CGI effects are actually well done.

I enjoyed the 2016 "Mojin: The Lost Legend", so of course I sat down to watch the 2018 movie "Mojin: Valley of the Worms" here in 2021 when I was presented with the opportunity to do so.

However, I must say that this 2018 movie is a step back for the franchise. Whereas the 2016 movie was driven by a proper story and felt like a thrilling adventure, this 2018 movie is just an empty shall of a movie presented by pretty CGI visuals.

The storyline in "Yun nan chong gu" (aka "Mojin: Valley of the Worms") felt like it was written on a short flight somewhere. There was little contents to the storyline, except for a constant outrunning and battling CGI creatures. So if you sit down to watch "Mojin: Valley of the Worms" hoping you're in for a thrilling adventure, you might want to skip on this movie.

As for the characters in the movie, well they felt like cardboard cut-outs really, as they did little more than either try to outrun or fight CGI creatures. So you are not in for a whole lot of character development or interactions here.

Director Xing Fei just didn't really manage to deliver a movie that felt up to par with the 2016 movie in any ways. Sure, "Mojin: Valley of the Worms" was watchable, but this is essentially just a movie where you lean back in the chair, turn off your brain, munch on the popcorn and just enjoy the pretty CGI effects.

"Mojin: Valley of the Worms" was a disappointment, and it is hardly a movie that I will ever watch again, as there was just too little contents to the storyline to support more than a single viewing.

My rating of the 2018 movie "Mojin: Valley of the Worms" lands on a very lukewarm and mediocre five out of ten stars.

I bought this movie after seeing Mojin: The Lost Legend; which I thought was great Being a fan of Chen Kun, so I thought I watch this movie to see if it is any good and worth the price that I payed for. So I watched it and I thought it was good. But then I watched Candle in the Tomb: The Worm Valley; which is a tv show with 16 episodes and that particular show is way better than this movie and there is difference between the tv show and the movie, So I won't spoil it.

This is a typical Chinese action-fantasy movie. It has excellent visuals and special effects, but only mediocre acting, some awkward jokes, and of course the inevitable budding romances that never seem to go beyond a quick, unnatural kiss. What always strikes me in films like this is how the heroic warriors can slay dragons, giant monsters, and otherworldly creatures without breaking a sweat-yet they act like 10-year-olds around women. And the guy in S-sized clothes somehow ends up with the nickname 'Fatty.' I suppose that's just a cultural difference.

At times, the film felt like an Indiana Jones or Lara Croft adventure, packed with fast-paced action, survival moments, and fights. At other times, it resembled a platformer video game, with characters fleeing from monsters, leaping across platforms, and solving puzzles. The journey takes place in a lost and inaccessible world that strongly reminded me of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic The Lost World. We get prehistoric animals, rivers and streams, jungles, remnants of an ancient civilization, and more.

I haven't seen the previous Mojin film, so I can't say if this is a direct sequel or a standalone installment. Either way, the story was easy to follow, and I never felt like I was missing essential background. That said, the cliffhanger ending suggests there may be more to come. If so, I'll be glad to watch the sequel.

Other than the CGI that I can give credit to, the acting was so childish and their "heroic" actions were so dumb. All they know is to say "run" when they wake the monsters. Facing the monsters, they got the brilliant mind to use a regular rope to stop the monsters. When they were running away from the giant crocodiles, one of them used a bow and arrows to fight back. When they were facing any challenges, the team would unconsciously stand together in a straight line for the camera shot. Watching this movie made me feel like it was made for seven years old kids. Strongly suggest MPA film ratings should create a new category called NC-7: No One 7 and above admitted. Clearly children. Adults are not admitted.