Shu shan zheng zhuan (2001)

Director:

Hark Tsui

Writers:

Man Choi Lee (writer)
Hark Tsui (writer)

Release Date:

9 August 2001 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Fantasy

Tagline:

Surrender Your Illusion , Fight For Your Destiny

Plot:

Among the heaven and the earth exist the Zu's mountain range, where live the immortals of Omei, the highest mountain of Zu...

Plot Keywords:

2000s | Fantasy | Chinese | Asia | China

Awards:

4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Ekin Cheng	...	King Sky
Cecilia Cheung	...	Dawn / Enigma
Louis Koo	...	Red
Patrick Tam	...	Thunder
Kelly Lin	...	Amnesia
Sammo Hung Kam-Bo	...	White Eyebrows
Ziyi Zhang	...	Joy (as Zhang Ziyi)
Jacky Wu	...	Hollow / Ying
Lan Shun	...	Master Trascendental (as Lau Shun)
Gang Wu
Tian Zhuo
Kai Shi Chen
Kai Kang
Tan Jian Chang
Yi Zhao

Also Known As:

The Legend of Zu (Hong Kong: English title)
Zu Warriors (USA)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for fantasy action violence.

Runtime:

104 min | Germany:78 min

Country:

Hong Kong | China

Language:

Mandarin | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Malaysia:U | South Korea:All | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | USA:PG-13

Company:

China Film Co-Production Corporation

Trivia:

One of three Chinese films acquired by Miramax in 2002 for major U.S. distribution following the success of Wo hu cang long (2000). The other two films were Siu lam juk kau (2001) (Shaolin Soccer) and Ying xiong (2002) (Hero). The latter films were eventually given U.S. theatrical releases in 2004. This film was released straight-to-DVD in August 2005.

Movie Connections:

Remake of San suk san geen hap (1983)

Colorful and inventive filmmaking

I rented this film in DVD form without knowing anything at all about it, part of a winter marathon of watching a film every night. After several awful American action adventure films (Ballistic, Daredevil, Cradle of Life) Zhu Warriors struck me as brilliantly original filmmaking. The story is complete nonsense, but I found the film's sincerity, good- heartedness and complete lack of irony refreshing, and the film looks spectacular. Sure, the special effects are not technically as flawless as those produced by Hollywood, but the filmmakers wisely are more interested in color, composition and movement than realism and so many of the shots are breathtaking. In one shot, two of the superhuman characters stand on craggy spires of rock, a huge moon rising before them, the image perfectly balanced by the three elements. In another, a princess-warrior spires through the heavens behind her glowing sword like a heat-seeking missile. And the colors explode from shot to shot, used to express emotion rather than to represent reality.

The characters have the same simplicity and directness of comic book characters, offering no great depth in themselves but referring to archtypes that resonate more deeply. Physically, several of the actors are astonishingly beautiful. They play their roles straight up, without irony or guile, and so are believable.

Most strange of all, despite the clumsiness of plot and thin characterizations, I found myself very near tears at the end, moved by the beautiful simplicity of the actors and the wildly original, good-hearted vision of the director.