Film

The Myth

Name: The Myth
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Released: 2005
Cast: Jackie Chan, Kim Hee-seon, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Mallika Sherawat, Sun Zhou

Treasure hunt

Jackie Chan vehicles a time-spanning fantasy-adventure across ancient China and the modern day, weaving romance, action comedy, and historical mystery into a high-concept romp. Chan plays dual roles across centuries, delivering the acrobatic set pieces you want and a surprisingly earnest emotional core. It's pulp cinema at its most exuberant: ambitious, chaotic, unafraid to be silly.

TMDb rating

3.2

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love a big, sprawling blend of period battle spectacle and modern wisecracking, and you don't mind the two eras bumping into each other with a slightly goofy grin.

Skip it if you want a tight, serious thriller; the comedy comes and goes, and the story's two timelines can feel like two films stitched together across 118 minutes.

What it asks of you: Settle in for just under two hours of shifting eras, where the tone swings from slapstick to a touch of melancholy and the action arrives in long, committed set pieces.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

National Treasure2004

A globe-trotting heist built on historical mythology and clever puzzles. Nicolas Cage brings the same anxious charm Chan does, and the adventure feels personal rather than merely spectacle-driven.

But Slower paced and more cerebral than The Myth; less martial arts, more detective work and banter.

The Mummy1999

Brendan Fraser in high-adventure mode: romance, comedy, action, and a supernatural curse all balanced with genuine warmth. It understands that spectacle needs heart.

But Belongs to a different action grammar—more Hollywood glamour, less hand-to-hand virtuosity. The tone is lighter still.

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons2013

Stephen Chow remakes a Chinese legend with dazzling action choreography, visual invention, and absurdist humour. Chaotic and unapologetically fantastical in exactly The Myth's register.

But Deliberately surreal and disorienting; the plot is secondary to the spectacle and gags. Subtitles required.

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Myth

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

A Chinese Ghost Story1987

Both films mine Chinese mythology for high-concept action and use present-day characters as anchors in timeless worlds. The Myth owes its DNA directly to this film's template.

John Woo and producer Tsui Hark's haunting romance-action-fantasy hybrid pioneered the visual grammar Chan himself would build on. Swordfighting, ghosts, impossible choreography, genuine heartbreak—all in 98 minutes.

But Eighties video quality and pacing will feel remote to modern viewers. Subtitles essential; some plot logic is dreamlike rather than coherent.

The Great Wall2016

Matt Damon in a Chinese fantasy-action film built on similar scaffolding: monsters, history, jaw-dropping set pieces, and the clash of cultures. Zhang Yimou directs with visual grandeur.

But Tonally uneven and narratively muddled; feels like two films arguing with each other. Heavy-handed in places.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe2005

Epic adventure mixing present-day characters with ancient worlds, high stakes, and real emotion beneath the fantasy trappings. The scale is vast but the human story never gets lost.

But Slower start and more meditative. The action, when it comes, is grand but not intimate or comedic like Chan's work.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe poster

Stardust2007

A fairy-tale adventure that knows to be funny about itself. Magical logic, romance, genuine surprises, and a cast that seems to be having enormous fun with the material.

But Far more whimsical and European in sensibility. Lower action density; more magic and wit than martial arts.

Kung Fu Hustle2004

Stephen Chow directing and starring in a martial-arts comedy that finds profound emotional truth inside outrageous action set pieces. Genre-bending and visually stunning.

But Anarchic tone can feel scattered. The comedy registers differently depending on your familiarity with Hong Kong cinema conventions.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen2003

Unabashed pulp fantasy assembling literary figures for globe-spanning adventure. Camp energy, impossible action, and a willingness to be ridiculous in the service of fun.

But Poorly plotted and narratively incoherent. The spectacle can't quite overcome sloppy storytelling and miscast roles.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen poster

The Librarians2014

A team of misfits uncovers magical artefacts across history and dimensions. Lightweight, charming, and structured around the same blend of mystery, action, and found-family warmth.

But Intentionally campy in a way that needs patience. Episodes vary wildly in quality, and the humour won't land for everyone.

The Adam Project2022

Both use the protagonist-meets-himself device to explore identity across time and generations. But where The Myth is epic sweep, this is personal elegy—the inverse register, same engine.

Ryan Reynolds as a time-travelling pilot meeting his younger self. The dual-role concept mirrors The Myth's structure, but this plays it as intimate father-son drama underneath the sci-fi action.

But More sentimental and grounded than The Myth; less fantastical. The action is competent but not particularly inventive or acrobatic.

Jubilee1978

Like The Myth, it's about historical figures and epochs colliding violently with the present moment—but where The Myth builds grand adventure from that collision, Jubilee finds chaos and prophecy. The opposite tone, the same collision.

Derek Jarman sends Queen Elizabeth I four hundred years into a dystopian future. Punk, anarchic, visually hallucinogenic, utterly unapologetic about mixing history, fantasy, and the present tense into something genuinely alien.

But Deliberately impenetrable and hostile to plot. Experimental, difficult, and entirely uninterested in conventional entertainment. Demands patience and surrender.