Plot synopsis
Jason, a Boston teenager, finds a golden staff in a pawnshop in Chinatown. Soon after, a gang rob the store and the leader shoots Old Hop, the shop owner. He tells Jason that he must return the staff to its rightful owner.
Jason runs from the gang with the staff in his hand, and they chase him onto the roof of a building. He finds himself cornered and falls from the roof.
When he regains his consciousness, he discovers the magic staff has transported him back in time to a village in ancient China.
He meets Lu Yan, another immortal, who tells him the staff belongs to the immortal Monkey King, who was petrified by one of his enemies. He also says there is prophecy that a seeker will return with his staff and set him free.
Lu Yan teaches Jason Kung Fu and helps him fight his way to Five Elements Mountain, where he frees the Monkey King. Afterwards, the king rewards him by returning him to Boston in his own time.
Jason then wakes up in the spot where he previously fell and it seems no time has passed. With his newfound Kung Fu skills, he is able to fight off the gang single-handedly and call the police. Old Hop survives the bullet wound and Jason realises that he is the immortal, Lu Yan.
My comments
The idea of immortals sometimes occurs in time-travel movies. Is it a biological phenomenon that stops them from ageing like the rest of humanity, or do they have a separate timeline to the rest of the world? These are questions for another discussion, as this one is only about time travel.
Summary of time travel
Jason is able to alter history, but on his return to the present, nothing has changed, so it appears the timeline has converged back to the original, which prevents a paradox.
However, from this point on, he is able to use his new abilities and knowledge to change the future.
Category of time travel
Fantasy: ancient artefact.
Model of time
Open past, open future with a converging timeline.
