Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain

Tsui Hark's film, which changed the direction of Hong Kong fantasy cinema. The story is set in old China. While armies fight each other a soldier deserts and finds himself in another world entirely: flying swords, sorcerers battling in the sky, and a dark power about to swallow the world. Salvation requires two legendary swords to be joined. The importance is technical. Tsui Hark brought effects technicians then working in Hollywood to Hong Kong and built a new visual language out of wire work, optical effects and mechanical rigs. Hong Kong fantasy films were made that way from then on. Seen today the visuals do not hide that they were made by hand, and the effect comes from that. The narrative is fast and at times hard to follow; the film moves from one scene to the next without detailed explanation. Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung and Adam Cheng are in the cast. It left a mark on American cinema too; its influence is cited in some later Hollywood ventures into eastern fantasy. An important stop in the history of the genre for anyone who likes Hong Kong cinema and handmade effects. For a viewer expecting a coherent plot, the narrative is scattered and the film is untroubled by it.