|
Cast:
Ekin
Cheng
Louis
Koo
Cecilia
Cheung
Patrick
Tam
Jacky
Wu
Zhang
Ziyi
Kelly
Lin
Sammo
Hung
Lau
Shun
Action:
Yuen
Woo Ping
Producer:
Tsui
Hark
Director:
Tsui
Hark
Score:
 
|
THE
LEGEND OF ZU
AKA:
Zu: Warriors From The Magic Mountain 2
|| Zu Warriors
Year:
2001 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
Tsui
Hark's 1983 classic 'Zu
Warriors Of The Magic Mountain' remains a film that had an
impact few could deny. Even if some critics didn't like the
actual end product, they had to admit that Hark had given the
East a film that would change Hong Kong cinema forever. The
innovative director gave audiences a slice of his
awe-inspiring imagination and would continue to do so
throughout the 80s and 90s. Now in the year 2001 and with
local productions utilising CGI, it was perhaps inevitable
that Tsui Hark would return to the cinematic world of Zu. Many
of the visual ideas that had once been impossible were now
able to be presented on celluloid. The result of this mammoth
production, 'Legend Of Zu', is something that, while certainly
not perfect, is a quite incredible visual explosion that needs
to be seen.
Powerful
force Insomnia has one intention: the destruction of the
righteous forces that inhabit the Zu mountains. A number of
heroic fighters, each with their own very special abilities,
join together to battle against this superhuman foe. King Sky
(Cheng) is a warrior who controls the Moon Orb he inherited
from his dead teacher Dawn (Cheung) who he also held a deep
love for. Though she had died 200 years previous, King Sky
meets a dead ringer in the shape of Enigma (also Cheung) who
is one of the chief warriors at Zu's Omei clan. Along with her
brother and the recreation of dead warrior Hollow, Enigma vows
to battle Insomnia and protect Omei. However, the memories of
a previous life as dawn begin to emerge in Enigma's mind and
make her ask questions about her relationship with King Sky.
Meanwhile, loyal warrior Red (Koo) is asked to guard the
entrance to the Blood Cave and ensure that Insomnia or his minions
do not escape. Falling foul of a trick though, Red
finds himself drawn to the dark side despite himself. A final
battle between the forces of good and evil is created when the
opposing forces begin to escape their refuge and launch a full
scale attack on the Zu mountains. In the intense showdown,
King Sky must face his close friend Red and the Omei allies
must draw on all their strength to destroy Insomnia.
'Legend
Of Zu' has come in for a barrage of criticism from some
reviewers. Some have accused the plot of being uninvolving and
uninteresting. Although it is complicated and sometimes
difficult to comprehend, there is plenty of scope for audience
involvement. No doubt viewers familiar with the convoluted
original will not have the mental barriers up in the same way
many have had. The real point is that 'Legend Of Zu' is a
visual cornucopia and should really be appreciated on these
grounds. In light of some Hong Kong films that have been
critically lauded and forced many to conform to a positive
viewpoint, 'Legend Of Zu' is the chance for this brave
reviewer to speak out and say that it's a must see. Anyone can
splash CGI liberally throughout a film, but few can do it with
the sheer mind-blowing imagination of Tsui Hark. Images and
scenes featured here will stay long in the mind of the
attentive viewer. Some of the critics' repines do have grounds
and this is not a perfect film by any means. Although the
effects are quite astonishing, there is an overuse in certain
scenes that leaves the viewer unnecessarily numbed. With a
little more subtlety here, the overall impact would have been
even greater. Zhang Ziyi is also shoe-horned into the
narrative with little purpose; her popularity means an
increased audience, but she is ineffectual here.
Nonetheless,
'Legend Of Zu' is something very special in terms of cinematic
experiences. Characters may be merely functional, but the
definition of each through their powers is well realised. The
star-studded cast are well-used (apart from the aforementioned
Zhang Ziyi) and although pretty much playing to type, are
highly watchable. The real treat is the sights and sounds that
engulf the viewer and absorb them into Hark's astonishing
world. Judge this definite milestone for yourself. It has its
faults and no-one could call it the greatest movie ever made.
Importantly though, this is a fabulous example of how a
combination of technology and innovation can still wow the
jaded viewer. It's good to see Hong Kong making so many
different types of productions and this deserves credit as a
significant epic that demands an audience.
|
