Zu Warriors | DVD Review

This sequel of Tsui Hark’s 1983 classic Zu:Warriors from the Magic Mountain (Suk san: Sun Suk san geen hap) is a CGI-filled martial-arts fantasy extravaganza. Although made in 2001 and shelved for nearly five years by Miramax Films, this film was acquired alongside other martial-arts features like Zhang Yimou’s Hero (Ying xiong) and Stephen Chow’s Shaolin Soccer (Siu lam juk kau). These films were intended to cash-in on the huge success of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (Wo hu cang long), directed by Ang Lee.

As I mentioned, Zu: Warriors is kind of a sequel to Tsui’s earlier Zu film but actually it’s more like a updated version than a legitimate sequel. The complicated plot revolves around various characters from two different clans, most of them are immortals from an ancient race who lived inside the Zu Mountains. The Zu mountains are sort of a magical place that seemed to float somewhere between heaven and earth. The powerful Zu warriors have magical powers and the capabilities to reincarnate their spirit into another. The two clans battle each other to sought eternal life into the same body.

One of the main problems with this picture is that it relies almost entirely on headache-inducing and silly-looking CG special effects, especially when you compare them with today’s standard. For the martial-arts fans, there’s sadly only one brief fight sequences that is actually without wire-fu. That’s really a shame especially when you bring along the master of the genre like Yuen Woo Ping as the fight choreographer. Overall, it’s not entirely bad but really a letdown especially when you consider that this film was made immediately after Hark’s brilliant Time and Tide (Seunlau ngaklau).

This edition includes two versions of the film. The original and complete Asian cut as well as the heavily-butchered and completely different and exclusive dubbed version that was originally set to be release in theaters years ago. It’s kinda fun to compare the two versions and the main difference relies on the shortened version being narrated by the Zhang Ziyi mortal character (not more than a supporting character in the Asian version) who tends to over-explained everything. The only other extra is an 18-minute making of segment that feels more like and extended featurette than anything else.

Unless you’re an avid die-hard martial-arts fan and completist (and if you are, you probably already have the Hong Kong release version anyway) and want to compare the two versions of the films, this DVD is definitely not a keeper.

Movie rating – 2.5

Disc Rating – 1.5