Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe (Blu-ray) (US Version) Blu-ray Region A

The film kicks off in 1979, with Mark Chao as Hu Bayi, a young man working on an archaeological dig in the remote Kunlun Mountains aimed at uncovering the origins of a mysterious fossilised species. After a hidden cave is discovered, he volunteers to join a team led by Professor Yang (Wang Qingxiang) and his daughter Ping (Yao Chen) to explore, which ends in disaster when monsters attack and a tower with occult powers is somehow activated. The only survivor, Bayi barely escapes with his life, though several years later is informed that the professor has been found wandering in the mountains, and Ping found in a newly opened underground tomb. Rushing to reunite with Ping, he finds her now calling herself Shirley and part of a shady mission to head back into the caves, seeming to have no memory of him or what happened to her.

Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe certainly starts off very similar to Mojin – The Lost Legend, and the opening twenty minutes of the two films are really quite hard to tell apart. Thankfully, Lu Chuan soon heads off in at least a vaguely different direction, and the film develops into more of a fantasy-themed mystery, with some interesting ideas concerning the ghostly tribe and their origins, and some decent tension involving the identity and motivations of femme fatale figure Shirley. With less comedy relief and slapstick than Mojin, the film nevertheless doesn't take itself too seriously, and Lu does a good job of balancing intrigue and a sense of old-fashioned adventure, helping to keep things engaging throughout. Sadly, the film is let down somewhat by some pretty thin character writing, with only Shirley really registering, Hu Bayi and the others being sketchy and bland at best. Although the cast all turn in perfectly acceptable performances and do their best to make their characters likeable, there's no punch or emotional depth, something which does undermine the final act.

Given his past films, Lu may seem like an odd choice of director for what;s essentially a piece of multiplex fare, though he's generally successful in adapting his approach to a more audience-friendly form, while retaining a semblance of his more weighty and sombre style. Indeed, one of the better things about Ghostly Tribe, and which sets it apart from Mojin and others of its type is its cultural grounding, Lu subtly evoking the period and political setting to pleasing effect. This isn't always a perfect fit with the film's fantasy elements, at times suggesting a missing level of social commentary or metaphor, though in the earlier stages in particular it works well, and there are moments which recall Lu's earlier works here and there.

The special effects and set pieces take centre stage unsurprisingly, and Lu Chuan shows himself as capable as any at helming action, with the opening scenes and the last third of the film boasting some impressive sequences and battles. Though the effects lose a lot of their impact on the small screen and away from 3D, there's a fun sense of imagination and plenty of excitement, with lots of creatures running wild and trying to get their claws on the cast. The film is also very strong visually, with some gorgeous, sweeping landscapes in the style of Kekexili: Mountain Patrol, and though there's an overuse of slow motion the eye candy value is high throughout.

It's always a bit worrying when a director of critically acclaimed films of substance like Lu Chuan takes on something more commercial, and so it's a relief to find that Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe is one of the better Chinese blockbusters of late. Though unlikely to be as well-regarded as City of Life and Death and other entries on his CV, Ghostly Tribe at least doesn't do any damage to Lu's reputation as one of China's more interesting filmmakers, and the sequel(s) mooted by its ending are by no means an unwelcome prospect.

by James Mudge - EasternKicks.com