Releasing in theaters this weekend is an intriguing mystery film called The Adventurer: Curse of The Midas Box, taken from the first book in a series by G.P. Taylor. Teens and tweens will enjoy this high adventure of the search for a magical box that will turn anything into gold. The movie features fine acting by the whole cast under the direction of Jonathan Newman. While the film targets youngsters, most parents tagging along should enjoy the story that mirrors some books from their childhood like The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Mysteries.
The story opens with the kidnapping of Charles (Ioan Gruffudd) and Catherine (Keeley Hawes) Mundi who work for the Bureau of Antiquities a government agency who deals supernatural objects. Before Catherine gets taken away she slips an amulet key into the pocket of her eldest son Mariah (Aneurin Barnard). Mariah finds the key sometime later and gives half of the key to his brother Felix (Xavier Atkins).
The two escape from the clutches of two henchmen who work for the mysterious Otto Luger (Sam Neill) with the help of Will Charity (Michael Sheen), but Felix falls into the hands of Lugar due to a quirk of fate. When Mariah finds out that the key opens a magic box that turns anything into gold and gets word that his brother is being held on an island at the huge steam-powered The Prince Regent Hotel, an exciting adventure begins.
An early England setting is perfect for a good mystery adventure and there’s a lot afoot going on in The Adventurer. Much like the Sherlock Holmes movies of late, there’s a good storyline, many dangerous encounters, strange characters and a story of wonder. Director Jonathan Newman puts his actors through a lot of action in this fast paced quest keeping the sets and costumes in tune with the era and adding prominent characters in later acts to lift the plot.
The actors work well with their characters, especially Aneurin Barnard in the lead role of Marian. He puts a lot of force into the boy who has just lost his parents and then his brother to a mysterious man. Barnard keeps Marian on point never loosing hold of the desire to find his family before anything bad happens to them. Michael Sheen does an excellent job of playing Will Charity an Indian Jones type character who works for the Bureau of Antiquities. He’s a master of defense and disguise, easily getting close to his objectives without being detected. Also playing the great magician Bizmillah, he adds a little comedy to the adventurous film.
The cinematography, CGI, music and special effects sound are nicely delivered keeping the film daring. London gets turned back in time with special costuming, horse drawn carriages and early trains. When the mysterious island of Otto Lugar and The Prince Regent Hotel come into play the scenes are drawn into an era of kings. The staircases are amazing, rooms are lavish and all the guests are aptly dressed for all the occasions.
The Adventurer: Curse of the Midas Box has been rated PG by the MPAA for adventure action and violence, some peril and brief smoking. Most all youngsters should enjoy the film when accompanied by a parent. Tweens and teens should be able handle the material well and enjoy the show.
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Michael Sheen, Lena Headey, Sam Neill, Ioan Gruffudd, Aneurin Barnard,
Xavier Atkins, Keeley Hawes
Directed by: Jonathan Newman
Genre: Adventure, Mystery
MPAA Rating: PG for adventure action and violence, some peril and brief smoking
Running Time: 1 hr 38 min
Opening Date: January 10, 2014
Distributed by: RLJ Entertainment
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
