Legend of Zu

Starring:Ekin Cheng
Studio: Msi Music Corp
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Some clarifications and a few interesting facts (warning: contains spoilers)
A feast for the senses, an adventure for the spirit. Let yourself be enlightened.
Mystical Kung Poo with side order Nonsense!
If you want to see the special effects X-men should have had
Hard to Follow but Visually Stunning

The Legend of Zu [Region 2]
Starring: Sammo Hung , Patrick Tam , Ekin Cheng , Cecilia Cheung , and Zhang Ziyi
Director: Tsui Hark , and Tsiu Hark
Manufacturer: Import [Generic]
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Zu Warriors
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ASIN: B00008G7QJ
Release Date: 2002-09-17

Amazon.com

Tsui Hark was supposedly inspired by the then-groundbreaking effects of the first Star Wars trilogy when he made Zu, a fantasy action film starring Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung, Brigitte Lin, and Adam Cheung. In a somewhat confused story line, a young soldier (played by Biao) stumbles onto a magic temple after escaping an all-out civil war battle between various armies. There he meets a magic swordsman (Cheung) and his disciples, who enlist him to help fight against the evil Blood Monster. They also run across a group of swordswomen and an ice goddess (played by Lin) who appear primarily to sprinkle in some romance and humor. The 1983 special effects look dated, but they were once revolutionary, this film forming the very first special-effects house in Hong Kong. And the playful spirit behind the effects hasn't faded. Demons (which look suspiciously like the Sand People in Star Wars) fly about in an impressive aerial ballet, and in another scene, an evil demon is bounced between pillars like a pinball. One of Tsui's earliest films, Zu is a good introduction to the fast and furious style of one of Hong Kong's most visionary directors. --Shannon Gee

Customer Reviews:

Some clarifications and a few interesting facts (warning: contains spoilers).......2006-11-24

ZU: WARRIORS OF THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN (XIN SHUSHAN JIANXIA, featuring Bridgette Lin)is a film dating back to the 1980's and is NOT to be mixed up with the much more recent LEGEND OF ZU (SHUSHAN ZHUAN, in which Zhang Ziyi appears), which appeared a couple years back, even though both are directed by Tsui Hark and both are supposed to be (I want to emphasize: SUPPOSED to be) based on a long fantasy novel entitled SHUSHAN JIANXIA (SWORDFIGHTERS OF MT SHU) by Chinese author Huanzhu Louzhu (also named Li Shoumin; 1902 ~ 1961). Many of the reviewers here seem to get mixed up between the two movies. By the way, the novel's not yet translated into English, sorry -- even though I'm perfectly confident it's more than a match for Tolkien's trilogy in terms of content. :p (Certainly the novel has exerted a tremendous influence on later Chinese swordplay fiction, such as the work of Jin Yong or Louis Cha.)

NEITHER movie is true to the original novel (which in my estimate would require at least five long films, serious). The films aren't even condensed versions of the novel. With both movies Tsui Hark has committed the unpardonable sin of whipping together a story with elements and characters selected almost at random from the novel, possibly even adding his own stuff, and naming the resultant hodge-podge after the novel itself. To give a couple examples of how Tsui Hark's movie departs from the novel, in the novel becoming a blood monster is a strictly voluntary matter; you must go through special training :p and can't become one merely by being 'infected' by a blood monster, as happens in the movie. (I don't remember the blood monster forming a coccoon of skulls around itself in the original novel, either.) Also, in the original story the green and violet twin swords were lost treasures discovered by accident by two GIRLS, NOT guarded by a female immortal who then handed them to two BOYS, as in the (earlier) film. And that's just two examples, mate.

So does that automatically make ZU: WARRIORS OF THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN a bad film? Yes and no. Yes, because it's nothing short of sacrilege to mar a work of literature in this way. No, because the film actually does have a lot of cool and spectacular effects, such as fighting with swords of lightning ;) and the visually impressive and lovely interior of the palace/fort of the 'Ice Queen' (though I doubt these appear in the novel at all), and the film's own plot is not too bad, either (I personally would have much preferred that the 'Ice Queen' could eventually cure the hero who turned into a blood monster, though). Tsui Hark has a very annoying knack, however, for rushing the story so much that all you have to do is blink and you'll miss out on a huge chunk of what's going on. Can't you have at least a few slower and calmer moments, for Heaven's sake? (This gets even worse in LEGEND OF ZU, so much so the plot is in danger of being utterly lost to the viewer.) Also, sometimes the acting just doesn't feel emotionally appropriate. When you learn that your beloved martial arts teacher is in danger of turning into a blood monster and no one can do anything to help, what would you feel? How would you act? The one playing the role of the teacher's disciple in the film acted like a stupid idiot at the point of learning that hard truth. Really. Tsui Hark really should have known better, for goodness' sake. Also, would you not feel at least some sorrow when learning of your teacher's death, even though he has turned into an evil creature? In the film, the idiot apparently didn't. Yeah, he died, now let's move on. Sure, right.

My overall assessment: superb graphics, passable plot, atrocious handling of human emotions. And that's not taking into consideration the violence done to the original novel.

A feast for the senses, an adventure for the spirit. Let yourself be enlightened........2006-10-13

The original Hong Kong version really is an incredible piece of work. I enjoyed the heck out of it. However it does require that you view it with a certain frame of mind. Most importantly you have to understand that it is not a character drama. There is little range of depth to any of the characters. They exist only to serve their various roles in the story. Think of it as if it were a legend passed down through the ages (like classic Greek mythology). In such legends you always hear the story told through a series of actions and outcomes. You're never given any insight into what drives the characters and we never see more than one side of them. They just represent these sort of unchanging idealized personas. The stories that come from this are fascinating nevertheless. So in this way The Legend of Zu is literally told in the style of a legend.

That said the story is actually quite awesome. The basic premise is again very, very similar to classic Greek mythology: There is a mythical mountain range in China called Zu. Its highest peak, shrouded in mists, reaches up into the heavens. This place is populated by immortal beings who, in their scattered temples, have devoted themselves to various schools of thought. Across centuries they've honed their skills in the martial arts and have attuned their spirits to the forces of the universe. It is their task to maintain order and balance in the universe so that man can live in harmony with nature. Their actions influence the fates of the mortals below. Trouble arises when an unstoppable entity of pure evil calling itself Insomnia threatens to overthrow the most powerful school in the heavens, the Omei clan, and throw the world into an eternity of discord.

The story is steeped heavily in Chinese lore so some parts are a bit esoteric, granted, but for the most part it's easy to follow if you can just keep up with it. There is a user on imdb who wrote "The most soulful, spiritual film I've ever seen," and I think I might have to agree with him. One of the more interesting aspects of the mythology is that just as the warrior has a spirit, so too does his or her weapon. As the warrior achieves mastery with the weapon their two souls act as one; until finally their sword is no longer a physical object but rather an extension of the warrior's own spirit, capable of unleashing devastating effects and allowing the possessor to fly. The weapons are all so unique in form and function that it makes the battle scenes quite unlike anything you've ever seen before in a martial arts film.

The visuals and CGI effects, while perhaps not up to the level of say Lord of the Rings, are utterly stunning to behold. Every frame is like a painting straight from the mind of a creative genius. Matched to the superlative audio the film is quite a treat for the senses. All of this carried along by an engaging, complex, epic narrative and we have ourselves a little gem of a film! But like I said - you have to be willing and able to both divorce yourself from western conventions and to appreciate the sensibilities and beliefs of a different culture. Step out of yourselves for an hour and fourty minutes and just allow yourselves to enjoy this fun, lighthearted spiritual journey into the world of Chinese legend!

Mystical Kung Poo with side order Nonsense!.......2006-07-05

Despite this movie being about 1. magic, 2. kung fu, 3. general weirdness and cheap funny props, 4. lots of flying in colorful outfits, 5. a spattering of cutie Chinese girls who also know magic- all of which attributes people who love kung fu think should/MUST be a really great combo- it was actually so boring to me (a diehard kung fu fan) and hard to follow that i didnt' want to watch anymore of it half way thru.

It looked like a high-budget Chinese kung fu fantasy film from the 70's. Oh wait, it was.

There was NOT a lot of fighting/kung fu, but there was a lot of flying around in funny colorful costumes and strange,convoluted dialogue.

I got the impression they filmmakers were trying for something really epic, an -alien- Chinese mythology that didn't quite have the neatly-packaged-story nature of familiar, Western mythologies. In short, it make no sense and didtn' try to explain itself (nor should it)! It was a good try tho and if I were Chinese and kind of weird and living in the 70s i'd think the movie is like Chinese star wars.
--
One more thing:
They used saran wrap enshrouded with packing tape to depict large broken blocks of ice. I mention this to attest to the early Tsui Hark's innovative set design and creative props. It was a neat although distracting way to cut costs. Also worthy of mention in this regard is the fake, incongruent, drawn cartoon lightning interleaved with fancy acrobatics and disjointed dialogue.

If you want to see the special effects X-men should have had.......2004-08-07

This MOVIE is way ahead of its time. The special effects, or fireworks as some reviewers put it were well in advance of anything I've seen in Matrix, X-men, Hulk, Spiderman and the like. If your looking for a storyline, plot and all that pick up a book instead of watching a MOVIE. For action packed, VISUAL ectsasy this is one of the greats. CGI is the wave of the future for movies my friends. Hell, the CGI Smigel from LOTR almost got an Oscar didn't he?

Hard to Follow but Visually Stunning.......2004-07-19

This movie's plot is a bit hard to follow (or pay attention to ) but the action and effects are absolutely incredible! I bought this movie because I absolutely loved Storm Riders and was hoping this would be as good if not better. You are better off renting it if possible.

Average customer rating:

Legend of Zu

Manufacturer: Msi Music Corp
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Average customer rating:

Legend of Zu
Starring: Legend of Zu
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Average customer rating:

dissapointed
Mindless Entertainment
This movie inspires a Love/Hate relationship with it...
Nice Effects Can't Save A Poor Story
hollow and meaningless graphic junk, deserve NO STAR!!

Legend of Zu
Starring: Ekin Cheng , Cecilia Cheung , Louis Koo , Patrick Tam (II) , and Kelly Lin
Director: Hark Tsui
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

The Storm Riders
The Warrior
A Man Called Hero
The Duel
Warriors of Heaven and Earth

ASIN: B00005JKPE

Amazon.com

A remake of the 1983 film of the same name, Zu Warriors is a martial arts drama set in a fantasy world where stoic warriors battle a powerful demon. With each kill, the horrific beast consumes their souls, making himself stronger and more difficult to slay. Hark Tsui directed this film, which stars a slew of actors (Ziyi Zhang, Sammo Hung, Cecelia Cheung) that are familiar to fans of Chinese action films. After Zu Warriors was released in 2001 to great success in China, Miramax snapped up the U.S. theatrical distribution rights for the film in the hopes that it would match the success of its earlier purchase Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But after sitting in Miramax's coffers for several years, Zu Warriors never made it into U.S. theaters and instead went straight to DVD in 2006. Fans of the martial arts genre will see some awesome action sequences. The actors move with grace and skill, and they overcome the cheesy digital effects, which already look dated. But the melodramatic pauses and all too frequent far-away glances are out of place and distracting--even in this fantasy. --Jae-Ha Kim

Customer Reviews:

dissapointed.......2007-05-23

i remember when they first showed a prview of this moive in theatres long time ago in 1999. it was only playing in selected theatres and i wanted to see it pretty badly. few years later i could not find a dvd anywhere i went. finally it comes out and i buy it on amazon and man, was i dissapointed. sure martial arts in movies is great if you like it, but it was not so good in this film. also the special effects which they were praising about in this film looked like a kid in his parents garage made it. in all, this film is lucky to recieve 1 star.

Mindless Entertainment.......2007-01-21

Zu warriors reminds me of a Saturday morning cartoon, a number of cute characters fight a number of ugly characters for the sake of the eternal balance between good and evil (TM). In this case, the good guys live in a flying mountain and are led by an old dude with eyebrows that are two yards long. The new kid on the block is Blue Wolf (Ekin Cheng). He seeks the soul of his departed mentor which has been re-incarnated on Zu mountain. Two other couples also suffer issues. One couple is a human/immortal pair. The other couple must merge to save the mountain from the evil Insomnia. The final struggle occurs between Blue Wolf and his lost friend Red Hawk who is corrupted by darkness.

Overall this is a light fluffy piece of cake action film, with some beautiful special effects. I particularly love Ekin Cheng who starred in Storm Riders, A man Called Hero, and others.

4 stars. I enjoyed it.

This movie inspires a Love/Hate relationship with it..........2006-08-11

It's "interesting" but "confusing." I think it's the continuity problems with so darn many people dying and then getting resurrected, sometimes in new bodies... It's just, well, confusing. Don't get me wrong it's kind of a cool movie once you've watched it a couple times and understand what the heck is going on.

It has some really cool special effects, but it also has some really cheesy special effects. So, I suppose I could best describe it as having "inconsistent" special effects.

On the plus side, this feature has both the American-released chop-job and the "extended" (Read: original) Cantonese version. So, in that regard, it is good. So, if you really want to watch the unedited version in subtitles, you can. Probably one of the saving graces of this release.

Video's okay, audio's okay, voice acting is so-so for the dub... It's kind of a bizarro live-action anime in some regards. Oddly reminiscent of Dragon Ball Z.

Nice Effects Can't Save A Poor Story .......2006-03-31

I have to admit, I love Martial Arts movies. Not rip off wannabe beat 'em ups like Blade or Three Ninjas. No, actual Kung Fu in your face in Cantonese movies. Being a fan of Iron Monkey, Crouching Tiger, and even Vampire Effect I was expecting great things from this movie. After all, Zhang Ziyi kicks ass in ANY movie she is in. (Literally and metaphorically)

As the title suggests, Zu Warriors takes place in the clouds of the Zu Mountains. The Omei are the most powerful gang of warriors around. But we also have two seperate heroes from the gang: Red, with metal wings which can slice and dice anything in his way, and King Sky who now controls the legendary Moon Orb after his master Dawn dies from the attack.

Attack of who? Believe it or not HIS (He sounds more like Ru Paul than a gritty evil warlord) name is Insomnia and he uses all of his souls to stop the Zu Warriors and get the one thing every villian in a movie craves: 1) the downfall of good 2) and the rise of evil. Personally, this Shang Tsung rip off couldn't do much damage if he didn't have those faker than Joan River's face skeletons floating about him.

Not to ruin the story, but as all viewers know, good always triumphs - but not before surmounting obstacles. Enigma, who holds the Heaven Sword, is actually the reincarnation of Dawn, who was killed by Insomnia earlier in the movie. Thunder, who, you guessed it, holds the Thunder Sword panics during the union of the Heaven and Thunder swords and calls upon a warrior named Ying to carry out the job. Red gets possessed by some little fairy (her name is not really important, they only say it once during the movie) and so begins one epic quest of King Sky versus Red. How cliche. Two friends for centuries battle the final epic duel. You can guess who wins that one.

This movie has it's moments with it's awe inspiring visuals, but it's not enough to carry the movie. Zhang Ziyi basically only has ONE fight scene in this whole damn movie and that is against Ying. Trailers boasted that the heavens would call apon a human being (Zhang Ziyi) to help them fight against the ultimate evil. Granted, her sword does glow beautifully, but if blinding your opponent is her greatest weapon that crap is for the birds. Even with the U.S. dubbed extended version, this movie cannot be saved long enough for viewers to want to keep watching.

hollow and meaningless graphic junk, deserve NO STAR!!.......2006-03-27

this is a ridiculous and clueless graphical junk! terrible! after watching it going mindlessly nowhere for 20 minutes, all of us, parents and teenagers, cursed loudly and decided to reject the dvd. WHAT A PIECE OF JUNK! we are very angry at the screenplay writer, director, the production and the release companies. acting? absolutely non-exist. pure computer generated junk so crappy that almost made us puke!

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