Product Details

• Actors: Biao Yuen, Hoi Mang, Adam Cheng, Moon Lee, Brigitte Lin
• Directors: Hark Tsui
• Writers: Jerrold Mundis, Shui Chung Yuet
• Producers: Leonard Ho, Raymond Chow
• Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Mandarin Chinese (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Vietnamese, Japanese, Georgian, Chinese, Thai
• Region: All Regions
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Image Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: January 19, 1999
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305261385
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #262,825 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

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

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tsui Hark's landmark HK film of special effects and fantasy, April 27, 1999

By 

George Edward Purdy ([e-mail]) (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain (DVD)

Tsui Hark, who went to film school at the University of Texas, is one of the most influencial filmmakers of Hong Kong. In this film, he made an effort to attract Hollywood special effects artists to come to Hong Kong and not only create a visually impressive film, but also to teach his team how the effects are done. This film was the result of that effort, and it shows. By the way, the previous mention of computer effects is incorrect. Not only does this film pre-date extensive use of computer-generated effects, but the suggestion that Lightwave is made by SGI instead of Newtek is also incorrect. Zu is a fantasy film, and the influence it (and other Tsui Hark films, like A Chinese Ghost Story) has had on other filmmakers is highly evident.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Visually innovative, November 16, 2001

By 

Bradford Daniels (Redmond, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain (DVD)

Does it have a disjointed plot? Yep. Poor continuity? You bet. Incomprehensible ending? Sure. Cheesy effects? Yes again, by modern standards, anyway. Is it a massively cool film? Hell, yes!

Do not watch this movie expecting deeply moving themes, great acting, high art, or really just about anything you'd normally watch a movie for. If you do, you'll be disappointed. This is not a normal movie. Watching Zu is really more of a life Experience. Think of yourself as Winne-the-Pooh Watching Surreal Fantasy Images.

This film achieves a level of fantastic strangeness rarely equaled in live-action cinema. Where else will you see a man imprisoning an evil demon using his eyebrows, or a man chained to rocks being sucked into the mouth of hell? No, none of it makes much sense, but just go with it, and you won't regret it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The birth of the fantasy genre, July 14, 2000

By 

Phil Flores (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain (DVD)

When watching this film, consider the fact that it was made in the early 80's, so adjust your views accordingly.

Having said that, Zu is a busy movie with a lot of subplots, and twists. It is enough to almost confuse the viewer. Within 3 minutes, the whole movie changes scenery while the characters change attitude.

This is one of the few films where I enjoyed Sammo Hung. His character seemed to fit the ambience of the whole film. Yuen Biao was great, as usual, and a younger Brigette Lin also adds to the cast. In addition, the cameo by Tsui Hark was a welcome surprise.

I would rent this film before you decide to purchase it. It's an older film, so if you're used to some of the later stuff, you may be disappointed.