Zu Warriors From The Magic Mountain
Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain is a wholly unique film which stands as of the zaniest adventures in the history of Hong Kong cinema, and a major influence for John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China. Now arriving on Blu-ray for the very first time, it’s fun to revisit the charm and appeal of a bonafide cult favourite.
1983’s Zu Warriors was the fifth feature helmed by visionary “new wave” filmmaker Tsui Hark (who later spearheaded Jet Li’s Once Upon a Time in China franchise, among others) and is still considered a crucial cinematic achievement in the long and varied history of Hong Kong cinema.
Contextually, this marked a new era in blending modern SFX (mixing practical and early computer-generated imagery, easy to spot the influence on Big Trouble…) and it integrated the fantasy and horror inspired mythology that played out in many other Hong Kong films of the 1980’s, perhaps to greatest comic book effect here. Notably, the film was nominated for five awards at the coveted Hong Kong Film Awards, so it’s impact and influence, then and now, is undeniable.
Featuring a young ensemble star cast including Yuen Biao (Dragons Forever, Wheels on Meals), Sammo Hung (Ip Man 2, Dragons Forever), Adam Cheng (The Legend of Fong Sai-Yuk, Painted Skin), Brigitte Lin (Chungking Express, New Dragon Gate Inn) and a host of other familiar faces, the story begins with a young soldier caught in a war between two rival armies during the Tang Dynasty. Taking shelter in a cave within the mysterious Zu Mountain, he finds himself lost and becomes entangled in a complex battle with supernatural forces.
Firstly, Zu Warriors is eccentric and bonkers in the best possible way, no doubt familiar territory for fans of much of Tsui Hark’s fantasy-based work. I was thrilled to interview him in my original Life of Action book but unfortunately we didn’t get into his unique style of quirky world-building that time around. The plot is fun but becomes so convoluted, wrapped in the strangeness of the magic and spell sequences, monsters and general fantasy, that it’s better to get lost in the madness and go for the ride, rather than scrutinise plot points. It’s a lot of fun if you simply go with it, whatever that looks like.
Available on Blu-ray for the very first time in the world, this version of the film looks excellent and the new collectible release includes:
Limited Edition O-CARD with new artwork
Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film
1080p presentation on Blu-ray from a brand new 2K restoration
Cantonese and English soundtrack options, original monaural presentations
Newly translated English subtitles
Brand new and exclusive select-scene audio commentary by critic and Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns
Brand new and exclusive 2020 interview with Tsui Hark
Zu: Time Warrior - the export cut of the film produced for European theatres, featuring a wraparound segment with Yuen Biao as a modern-day college student who is transported, Wizard of Oz style, to 10th Century China
Tsui Hark episode of Son of the Incredibly Strange Film Show originally aired on British television in 1989
Alternate opening credits, restored to their original Western presentation
Archival interviews with Yuen Biao, Mang Hoi and Moon Lee
Trailers
With the opportunity to see this alternate opening, European edit (and new scenes with Yuen Biao transported through time), to the vintage TV doc and new and comprehensive one hour long interview with the masterful Tsui Hark, this is undoubtedly the definitive version of one of the most influential and brilliantly bonkers Hong Kong fantasies ever made.
With its top ensemble cast, unique vision and wild spectacle, it’s still a whole heap of fun. Put into further context, it shines a spotlight on this period of Hong Kong cinema when a new wave of younger talent was riding in and wildly reinvigorating the market following more traditional films (and straight-forward genres) of the 1970’s. Things would never be the same again!
Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain is out now on Blu-ray from Eureka Entertainment