The Legend of Zu (2001)

Moving at a delirious pace and with constant mind-boggling CG effects, writer/director Tsui Hark's Zu Warriors is both a gleeful visual feast and a head-scratching mess. The follow up to his 1983 film Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain, this film features mostly new characters and an all-new, completely confusing storyline once again taken from ancient mythic Chinese legends. Legendary martial arts star Sammo Hung plays the only returning character and gets the glory to be featured in scenes where his incredibly long white mustache flows several feet away from his face. His exact role in the overall story is one of an all-seeing great master type, and just adds to the overly complex nature of the film. Those familiar with Chinese mythology may even have a hard time keeping up as the film's nonstop CG effects and "slap you in the face" attitude become more abrasive as the film goes on. Hark's previous film work has always had a deliciously unpredictable, rapid-fire nature to it, yet here it backfires and almost ruins the entire experience. The film does feature several bright spots such as the amazing fight choreography by the always incredible Yuen Woo Ping, and the many scenes where our heroes gracefully fly in the heavens may bring tears of joy to super hero fans. While far from perfect, Zu Warriors is likely to stun any avid video-game player or hardcore enthusiast of the kung fu/sci-fi/fantasy film genres or anyone just simply wanting to see a guy named King Sky using a mystical Moon Orb weapon for a couple hours. Zu Warriors was acquired in 2001 by the Miramax studio along with Shaolin Soccer and Hero for an eventual American release. ~ Jason Gibner, All Movie Guide