- English name：Dr.Wei and the Scripture Without Words
- Broadcast time：March 14, 1996
- Starring：李连杰（Jet Li）、关之琳（Rosamund Kwan）、杨采妮（Charlie Yeung）、金城武（Takeshi Kaneshiro）
- director：程小东（Siu-Tung Ching）
Introduction
Today,I will introduce a film,Dr. Wai in “The Scripture with No Words” (冒险王màoxiǎn wáng) ,literally “Adventure King”, is a Hong Kong action film in 1996 , directed by Ching Siu-tung and starring Jet Li(李连杰Li Liánjié).
It won the Golden Horse Award(金马奖jīnmǎ jiǎng) for ‘Best Visual Effects(最佳视觉效果zuì jiā shìjué xiàoguǒ)’ and was nominated at the 16th Hong Kong Film Awards in the ‘Best Action Choreography(最佳动作设计zuì jiā dòngzuò shèjì)’ category.
During the production, a fire destroyed HK$10 million worth of sets, resulting in severe budget problems. In an attempt to limit the damage, a special export version was cut (which omitted parts that seemed too Chinese) to attract international audiences.
Plot
A pulp serial author with numerous personal problems resulting in a serious case of writer’s block, temporarily escapes reality by living vicariously through one of his lead characters in story about a quest for a mythical scripture. This story within a story has Jet Li up against an enormous mutant marsupial, Japanese sumo wrestlers and ninjas, although the pen is mightier than the sword (or metal grill, as it were) in this film by famed director Siu-Tung Ching.
Zhou Shijie (played by Jet Li) is the editor-in-chief of the comic book “Adventure King”. He and his wife Monica (played by Rosamund Kwan) are in the process of divorce due to emotional problems. Due to his chaotic mood and inability to concentrate, he has no inspiration for the comic book “Adventure King” which is only 3 episodes away and cannot be completed. He drinks all day to numb himself and escape from reality. Zhou Shijie’s right-hand man Acheng (played by Takeshi Kaneshiro) sees it but can’t do anything about it. He can only take over and complete the ending of “Adventure King” for him.
In 1934, Puyi proclaimed himself the emperor of Manchukuo in the three northeastern provinces. The Japanese ambitious people intended to get involved in Chinese territory, and their ambitions were already obvious. In the same year, when the “Adventure King” (played by Jet Li) and his assistant Acheng (played by Takeshi Kaneshiro) were doing archaeological excavations in Sichuan, they saw Japanese archaeologists excavating a “wooden ox and flowing horse” more than 30 feet high. The “wooden ox and flowing horse” was a large-scale transportation tool designed by Zhuge Kongming during the Three Kingdoms period. Unfortunately, during the process of dragging the “wooden ox and flowing horse”, someone accidentally touched the mechanism, and the “wooden ox and flowing horse” became a killing weapon, killing a large number of workers. Although the “Adventure King” succeeded in preventing the tragedy from worsening, a generation of ancient weapons also collapsed and disappeared.
At the same time, the “Adventure King”‘s friend General Long suddenly sent someone to invite him to discuss important matters. It turned out that the long-lost wordless scriptures and the treasure box of the scriptures reappeared again. General Long hoped that the “Adventure King” could go to Shanghai to track down the whereabouts of the scriptures and the treasure box because the Japanese ambitious people also coveted the treasures.
The Wordless Scripture and the Scripture Box were originally hidden in the Scripture Pavilion in the Forbidden City. After Empress Dowager Cixi intervened in politics, the Wordless Scripture disappeared from the Scripture Pavilion. Later, the Wordless Scripture was lost, and the Scripture Box was passed on to the hands of the Salt Gang, the largest gang in Kanto, and became the treasure of the gang. Later, as the Salt Gang gradually declined, the treasure of the gang also disappeared. The “Adventure King” learned that the letter mentioning the whereabouts of the treasure box was hidden in the Japanese consulate. His assistant Acheng disguised himself as a woman and sneaked into the dinner held in the Japanese consulate to steal the letter. During the period, he met Kamiko (played by Guan Zhilin), the head of the Japanese female spy who pretended to be a maid, and planted a relationship.
The “Adventure King” learned from a letter that someone in the Shanghai Justice Daily would know the whereabouts of the treasure box, so he and his assistant were admitted to work in the newspaper, waiting for an opportunity to track down the whereabouts. It turned out that the editor-in-chief (played by Law Kar-ying) and the typesetter (played by Charlie Yeung) of the newspaper were descendants of the Salt Gang, and they hid the treasure box of the Tibetan scriptures in the newspaper. At the same time, another descendant of the Salt Gang, Hong Hong Xingxing (played by Collin Chou), also appeared and colluded with Japanese spies. A conspiracy involving three groups of people unfolded. What is the power of the Wordless Scripture and the Tibetan Scripture Box that prompted all parties to scramble for it? Can Zhou Shijie in reality and the “Adventure King” in the comics rely on their own intelligence and courage to get through the difficulties safely?
