The Lost Treasure (2022) Film Review, Raiders of the Lost Art.
A treasure hunter discovers he has family ties to an ancient Hawaiian secret that’s been lost for generations. He soon embarks on a quest to find a mystical staff that could destroy an island if it falls into the wrong hands.
Garry Llewellyn
8 min read
Heathers Rating: 2.2 /5
Tinucci’s story of mythical legends and the dangers of power abuse is inoffensive and accessible for young families.
★★
👍 What works
Beautiful Cinematography:
Commendable Visual Effects & Detail:
Josh Margulies' Lead Performance
👎 What doesn’t
Inconsistent Script & Tone
Amateurish Sound Quality:
Cartoonish Character Portrayal
Where to watch on streaming
One great thing about independent film making is that literally anybody can give it a go. This allows stories to be told that may not get green-lit in major studios, or have the mass appeal for smaller studios to make a profit. One such story is The Lost Treasure. Produced, written and directed by Stella Tinucci.
Introduction To The Lost Treasure.
Stella Tinucci has crafted her story around a Hawaiian legend of the spear of Māui. The Lost Treasure being a spear once wielded by the mythical creator of the Hawaiian Islands that is said to contain immense power. The Spear being the McGuffin that keeps the film moving forward.
Searching for the Spear is bad guy Charles Wellington (Dezmond Gilla) who seems to have cajoled a couple of low rent goons, Leilani (Terry Bookhart) and Kainoa (Kava Jones) to aid him in his quest for power. The key to finding its location lies within a journal that seems to be buried in the sand on a beach and looked after by the mystical ‘Mahina’ (Angelica Quinn). Once the goons locate the journal, Mahina steals it to prevent Wellington from finding the Spear, and passes it to Treasure Hunter Eddie Fox (Josh Margulies) who just happens to be nearby for no apparent reason. It turns out that Eddie is a Hawaiian native who can link his family back generations, and somehow has a link to famed explorer John Young. All Fox owns to show his ancestry is an antique compass gifted by Young and passed on through the generations. The magical compass will help Fox locate the Staff. Wellington sends his goons after Fox and a game of cat and mouse ensues.
The Story.
Tinucci’s The Lost Treasure is aimed at a family audience and I found the script somewhat simplistic in places. For instance, during a scene where explorer Fox is looking for clues he points out loudly to items on his desk: a journal... a compass...and a magnifying glass. I found this signposting to be very obvious even for a film aimed at children..
The script also suffers from some plot inconsistencies. Mahina, a character who appears throughout the film, remains largely unexplained. Is she a spirit or a witch? A compass is used early on and seems to possess magical properties yet remains unseen until the film’s final third. The revelation of its true function is hardly surprising.
The script suffers tonally too. Some dialogue comes across as serious whilst other lines land as comedy (unintentionally). I am sure the cast had a lot of fun but It’s a film that made me laugh at it, rather than with it, so I am not overly sure if The Lost Treasure is intended to be a comedy or not.
The Script is not the sharpest or wittiest writing I have ever seen on screen, but credit should be given for its attempts to tell a unique story. With a bit more development The Lost Treasure could be turned into a fascinating adventure series.
''The rest of the supporting cast give it a good go, but their performances have the look and feel of being straight out of stage school.''
Garry - TheSilverHedgehog.com
Standout Casting
I need to celebrate that The Lost Treasure has been produced with an entirely local cast and crew. Providing much needed experience for all those that worked on the film.
Being a micro budget production, the cast list is not extensive, starring Josh Margulies alongside his Wife Stella Tinucci. They are joined by Terry Bookhart, Angelica Quinn, Dezmond Gilla, William Roehl, and Kava Jones. I have picked a couple of standout performances.
Josh Margulies
Josh Margulies, plays Eddie Fox. Margulies was raised on Oahu (his family being local to Hawaii since just after World War II), so it’s no surprise to see that Margulies seems utterly comfortable on screen, running around the island he calls home. Its obvious that Margulies has acted before and provides a believable performance as Eddie Fox. Margulies brings a quirky side to the character, some say he resembles the 4th Dr.Who crossed with Sherlock. For me though, I didn’t see the comparison, I would say his mannerisms and style comes across as similar to Alan Tudyk’s portrayal of ‘Resident Alien’. Margulies works well with the script he has been given and you can tell a lot of thought was put into how Eddie would appear on screen. Let’s hope we get to see more of Margulies in more mainstream work.
Dezmond Gilla
Dezmond Gilla as Charles Wellington. Gilla is another cast member that brings some acting pedigree to an independent film, having worked on shows such as Lost, and Hawaii Five-0. However, Gilla’s performance is inconsistent as general bad guy Wellington. I had difficulty understanding the tone Gilla was trying to portray – with his outlandish style, walking cane and pointed delivery of his lines, it feels like Gilla is channelling Yaphet Kotto (who played Dr Kananga in Bond). Then in other scenes he resorts to quips that don’t quite land and comes across as a cartoon bad guy.
"Soon Mr Fox will be out of his hole."
Some of this looks to be down to direction, some to the script and the rest choices that Gilla makes in his character’s portrayal. This is not to say it’s a bad performance, just a little unsettled.
Stella Tinucci
Stella Tinucci as Tanya. Aside from writing and producing the film, Tinucci plays another major character Tanya. Tanya turns up with little explanation, driven by the ambition to protect the journal (that has just been discovered?) and prevent Wellington from obtaining the Spear. She then attaches herself to Fox as a companion and helps drive the story forward. Tinucci may have only acted in a few shorts before this film, but she finds a way to give Tanya a quirky persona that compliments that of Fox. She also gives herself a fair amount to do, from being saved from Wellingtons clutches through to tree climbing while disguised as a branch.
The rest of the supporting cast give it a good go, but their performances have the look and feel of being straight out of stage school. I was particularly amused by Kava Jones whose facial expressions whilst going about his henchman business are a sight to behold.
Sound/Music/Score
The sound quality on The Lost Treasure is adequate for such a production, but not brilliant. At times too much ambient noise is present and this takes the emphasis away from the actors. Sometimes the sound mix isn’t too sharp and maybe bit of post processing noise reduction could have been stronger.
I did not notice any extensive use of foley used on the sound. It seems like production relied on whatever sounds are naturally created and this serves to highlight the films' budget and technical constraints. (although I did notice a foley artist in the credits)
The score relies on simple musical cues. Tinucci implements a faster score to heighten action sequences, but sometimes the music is running at a much faster rate than the action. At other times, the score compliments the superb visuals of the Hawaiian Islands.
Video Quality
Earl Louis is running the cinematography on The Lost Treasure and overall has done a super job. Using a mix of Drones and traditional cameras the film includes some great looking visuals of the islands. The use of close-up shots is also well done, with some scenes helped by Louis’ visuals, such as over the shoulder shots whilst reading the journal. It makes for a more immersive experience.
Louis also uses some camera trickery; a forest night sequence is clearly filmed in daylight with the use of some blue filters to make it look like night-time.
The choice of sepia colour grade for some scene seemed a little strange, as not all the scenes feature the colour grading.
Visual Effects
To my surprise The Lost Treasure manages to squeeze in a couple of well-paced visual effects. These compliment the story perfectly and are a great achievement. The small budget did show through in one scene where there is a creative use of coconuts instead of guns, that made me giggle!
Attention to detail has been paid to the costume theming, From little cogs on Tanya’s glasses, through to a small stylised pistol being used. It gives the film a sort of steam punk vibe and makes it visually interesting.
Now sitting here in damp England, one thing that I thought was odd was Tinucci chose to wear a short skirt and low cut top in the jungle. Surely she would have been eaten alive by jungle insects – or is this just what the locals wear while jungle exploring?
The Lost Treasure Overall Thoughts
I love that The Lost Treasure began as a crowd-funded project filmed across Hawaii’s stunning locations like the Polo Club in Waialua, Makapu’u Beach, Nu’uanu and Waikiki. It features local actors and crew, adding to its charm.
However, as an independent film, it feels the most ‘amateurish’ of the ones I’ve seen. The budget constraints, sound quality and overall acting experience make it more more like an amateur dramatic play than a family movie.
Despite this, Tinucci’s story of mythical legends and the dangers of power abuse is inoffensive and accessible for young families. Plus, being inspired by local folklore, it’s bound to resonate with young people in Hawaii.
For a wider international audience seeking higher-quality entertainment, there are better-produced indie films available. So, if you’re looking for something more substantial, you might want to skip The Lost Treasure.
The Silver Hedgehog Rating:
2.2 Avoid
The Script / Screenplay
🦔🦔 2
Casting
🦔🦔 2
Music / Score
🦔🦔🦔 3
Video Quality
🦔🦔🦔🦔 4
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About Garry
I’ve been writing in‑depth reviews since 2020 and I’m a proud supporter of independent cinema. I’m a lifelong Sci‑Fi fan, and I probably spend far too much time photographing anything that catches my eye.
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