(Photo: Andrianna Veatch)
By: Andrianna Veatch, Staff Reporter
With summer break so close as to be practically tangible, it’s time to start dreaming about fun times with friends and family, and for those of us with younger siblings, that probably includes something to do with family-friendly films. Despite their general corniness and crystal-clear plots, there is something special about PG action films, and “The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box” stands a good head above others.
Released in 2014, “The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box” was based on the 2007 book Mariah Mundi: The Midas Box by English author G.P Taylor. However, beyond the barest-bones concepts, the film shares very little with its textual origins but is nonetheless a delightful experience in itself. Starring Aneurin Barnard (“The White Queen”, “Dunkirk”) as Mariah Mundi, the film’s cast includes such equally amazing talent as the likes of Michael Sheen (“Othello” (1995)), Ioan Gruffudd (“Forever”, “Amazing Grace”), and Sam Neil (“Jurassic Park”). The story is set in 1885, and young Mariah Mundi’s life is permanently altered when his parents and beloved younger brother are kidnapped. Charged with protecting a mysterious amulet—or half of it, anyway—he joins forces with the enigmatic Captain Will Charity and finds himself slipping under the very nose of danger to keep a powerful artifact out of the wrong hands. Plot-wise, it is basic, classical fare, but the film’s strong points lie in the dynamic interactions of its characters and it's aesthetically lovely lightly Steampunk/Victorian England settings. The target audience demographic lies squarely in the older tween group, but there are certainly moments enjoyable for teens and adults alike. “The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box” is a fun film for the whole family to enjoy some sparkling summer evening.