Fun treasure hunt lacks literary zing
Like J.K. Rowling, Chinese author Zhang Muye started writing his “Indiana Jones”-like fantasy series “Ghost Blows Out the Light” almost as a hobby; before he knew it, his work had grown to eight volumes and become so popular that it sold to multiple movie and TV producers.
“Mojin: The Worm Valley” is the sequel to the 2015 blockbuster film “Mojin: The Lost Legend,” adapted from the second half of Zhang’s novels. The first half was adapted by a different company as “Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe,” and the books have also inspired three web series about tomb raiders beset by vengeful supernatural creatures.
It’s not necessary to have read or seen what came before to watch “Worm Valley” — which is the film’s major failing. This latest spinoff from the “Ghost Blows Out the Light” franchise doesn’t feel like it’s part of a rich mythology. It’s more a hodgepodge of second-hand chase scenes and spectacle, borrowed from better actionadventure pictures.
After an overlong prologue, the treasure-hunting team ventures into a monster-ridden valley to remove a curse, where they encounter giant lizards and glowing insects.
But while “Worm Valley” is generally diverting, the plotting is remedial — and devoid of whatever personality Zhang brought to his books. There’s just enough story here to support the next big special effects sequence. “Mojin: The Worm Valley.” In Mandarin with English subtitles. Not rated. Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes. Playing: AMC Atlantic Times Square 14, Monterey Park.