A fantastical action tale reminiscent of other television mini-spectaculars like THE MAGICAL LEGEND OF THE LEPRECHAUNS (1999), THE LOST EMPIRE brings the modern-day West together with the ancient East. Nick Orton (Thomas Gibson), an American businessman and Chinese scholar living in China, meets beautiful Kwan Ying (Bai Ling), who he mistakenly believes to be a business client. Kwan Ying is actually the Goddess of Mercy, however, and she soon lures Nick into a mystical Chinese world. There, he learns that he is the chosen Scholar from Above--the only one who can save this world from impending doom. Nick also meets the Monkey King (Russell Wong), an arrogant, sardonic, but incredibly strong half-man, half-monkey. Ready to save the world, Nick is given his mission: to retrieve a revolutionary manuscript stolen centuries before by the evil emperor, Shu (Duk Kim), who wanted to stop time so that China could keep to the values of its past. Guided by Kwan Ying, Nick must battle terrifying monsters, hideous demons, and countless other obstacles created by Shu to stop him from retrieving the sacred text. Martial arts choreography and intricate art direction make this miniseries a fun, sometimes frightening, and subversively political adventure.

release year: 2001

star(s): Bai Ling