David Murphy's Lost Treasure of the Maya is a film that takes place in the extremely exotic landscapes of the
Yucatan Peninsula about a group of tomb-raiders that are searching for this rare
Mayan mask so that they can steal it and sell it to their criminal-minded boss, (
Michael Madsen). During their search for the mask, they run into some scientists/anthropologists, Lauren (
Kelly Noonan), Andrew (
Declan Joyce, Scorched) , and Robert (
Richard Tyson) that are also looking for it, but for more loftier and honest purposes. The two groups meet and the scientists get taken hostage and are forced to show the tomb-raiders exactly where the mask is so they can sell it to their boss (
Madsen). Once Alexis (
Heather Storm) finds out that her sister Lauren (
Kelly Noonan) has gone missing, she flies out to the
Yucatan Peninsula in
Mexico to go search for her. No one is cooperating or giving her any help, that is, until she runs into Nicolas (
Protasio, Border Lost)-the local lazy islander who knows everyone and for a fee will do light investigative work here or there, as long as it does not cut into his resting, drinking, and relaxation schedule. Little does she know, he has taken a liking to her and just so happens he is much more than a man with zero goals or ambitions in life and is just the perfect guy to help her out.
The film was only rated PG-13 which was a shame because I was really hoping to see some more skin from the lead,
Heather Storm (
Epic Movie), in more of the scenes. All in all, I actually enjoyed this film more than I thought that I would have. It had a very distinct charm to it with no boring dips in plot and action, along with a fairly entertaining dialogue going between Alexis (
Storm) and Nicolas (
Protasio). The film really brought back memories to me of my visit to
Cancun,
Mexico , where certain portions of the film were shot at and the cinematography of the lush landscapes and clear turquoise blue ocean really was like taking that vacation all over again. I can really imagine how fun it must have been to make a action-thriller in a virtual paradise.
There were also several short scenes and cameos by some well-known actors. Besides casting
Michael Madsen (
Reservoir Dogs,
Kill Bill) as Lester, the douche-bag villain who owns a large portion of the peninsula,
Keith David (Crash) has a brief scene as a buddy of his just cruising around in his cigarette boat with some ladies for fun. One also may notice that
Richard Tyson plays Robert, one of the researching scientists on the expedition. Not until I looked up the film did I then realize why the character Robert was so familiar. He really played an evil jerk as the villain in
Kindergarten Cop and it is a complete 180 here with this character, as small a role as he had.
This film was by no means a great film, but it is a light-hearted, mindless way to occupy about 90 minutes of one's day. The breath-taking scenery of the
Mexican landscape and Heather Storm made watching this low-budget direct-to-video flick a more enjoyable experience than I had previously thought it would have been.
If one is looking for action-packed gun shootouts with intense jaw-dropping stunts, then go rent a
James Bond flick or see the latest film starring
Jason Statham,
Vin Diesel, or
Daniel Craig because this film by no means should be lumped together with the films those action studs star in.
Lost Treasue of the Maya is not packing as much intensity or explosiveness normally associated with the big-budgeted blockbuster mega-hits. This film was just an enjoyable indie action-thriller that does not take too much brainpower to enjoy because its simple and its high-points are the incredible views, topography, and eye-candy in both the leads' starring in it for both men and women alike. The word that best describes this film in my mind is "charming".
Check out the trailer for the film
HERE!
BLACK METAL JESUS
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