| It's no surprise that Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain is based on a much larger and extensive written work but Tsui Hark, in his seminal special effects fantasy adventure, employs a lighting pace to the narrative that somehow makes the spectacle seem reasonably logic in the end. While Zu only is a decent effort, with special effects to carry it nicely into good entertainment territory, it is the special effects that makes this seminal, and a definite must for any serious fan of Hong Kong cinema.
No one had attempted something this extensive before and even if time has not been kind to Tsui Hark's 4th film as a director, it nonetheless merits a viewing, even if some, perhaps rightly, only will see this as a curiosity. Truth be told, there are better Tsui Hark movies but few are as essential, historically, as Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain. Outside of the main cast, familiar faces such as Brigitte Lin, Damian Lau, Fung Hark-On, Corey Yuen, Norman Tsui and Dick Wei appear. Tsui Hark himself logs a cameo by the end also, fighting Sammo Hung.
The Hong Kong Legends dvd features, as an extra, the 30 minutes of footage Golden Harvest shot for the International Time Warriors version (Tsui had pushed to redo some of the special effects and also asked if he could direct the new footage. In his own words: I was ignored), changing the plot into one where Yuen Biao, as a modern day fencing champion, goes back in time after a car accident. Tsui reportedly has never dared to look at this footage. |
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