The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), an American action adventure fantasy film directed by Rob Cohen, is a story about a warlord who becomes the Dragon Emperor and unites China’s kingdoms to form an empire. The warlord then leads a civil war to establish the Qin dynasty and burns books and scrolls in the process. He also orders the construction of the Great Wall of China and buries his enemies’ remains underneath it. In addition, he discovers how to control fire, water, earth, wood, and metal using traditional Chinese elements known as Wuxing. However, fearing that his death will undo all he has achieved, the Emperor summons sorceress Zi Yuan and sends her on a quest with General Ming to locate the long-lost Oracle Bones that hold the secret to eternal life at a monastery.

Despite the Emperor’s desires, Zi Yuan and Ming fall in love. However, when a servant catches them in an intimate moment, the Emperor has Ming killed as revenge. Knowing this may happen, Zi Yuan chooses to curse the Emperor and his soldiers instead of granting him the immortality he craves, resulting in their transformation into the Terracotta Army. Centuries later, in 1946, Alex O’Connell (son of Rick and Evelyn O’Connell) and his archaeology professor Roger Wilson discover the Emperor’s tomb. While facing an attack from a mysterious woman, they successfully transport the sarcophagus to Shanghai. At the same time, Rick and Evelyn are entrusted by the British government to return a precious gem called the Eye of Shangri-La to China.