Though, I'm quite aware there is a majority out there
who may disagree with me on this point, I'm positive
that everyone can share the same opinion that the
strongest aspect of this film and definitely most
evident is that it is extravagantly beautiful. I will
admit that this is the most beautiful film I have
ever seen. If anything, "The Legend of Zu"
is the Helen of Troy of Asian Cinema.
Beyond all the hype and expectations though, what
else can I say about this film? Other than the fact
that I loved it for its majestic structure and splendor,
"The Legend of Zu" may be too intense for
many and even too artistic for most. Where the beauty
lies is the trouble in paradise.
By relying on his story visually, Tsui Hark placed
"The Legend of Zu" on a very unbalanced
scale, sacrificing an intuitive narrative and character
development for CG generated special effects and environments.
When you have a film lopsided in this manner, you
fracture the cinematic equilibrium, providing more
awe than intellect.
Though there were some obvious problems with character
development and the flow of the story, this in no
way means that any of the characters weren't interesting.
Almost every single person in this movie is dressed
up in the most regal costumes which provide a heavenly
touch. Even the designs of the CG rendered powers
seem to be a part of their design as well, flawlessly
creating characters that not only surpass their human
being, but into gods and angels.
Ekin Cheng as King Sky is haunting and lonesome.
He is the disciple of the Kun Lun Sect and one of
Zu's greatest warriors. Even if his priorities lay
on defending Zu, his heart resides with Dawn, his
master and lover. Cheng's performance is beautiful
in very subtle ways, stoic and almost indifferent.
His stare always has a sense of loneliness to it,
very childlike and very hopeful. If there was one
character that I loved the most, it would have to
be his if not simply for the weapon he uses. The long
slithering blade that wraps around him like a crescent
moon, sliding in gorgeous circular ways, levitating
as if lighter than air providing the warrior with
virtue.
The oldest friend of King Sky is Red, played by Louis
Koo. With the charm of Aaron Kwok and the youthfulness
of Edison Chen, Koo's Red is vibrant and tough. His
angel like metallic wings cut ferociously at his enemies,
retracting back and forth almost like water. His acrobatic
kung fu skills also are present as he fights his dark
self in one of the coolest looking fight scenes I
have ever seen! As the head disciple of Omei, Red
is definitely one of the most unique character designs
known to Asian Cinema.
As the love interest to King Sky, Cecelia Cheung's
dual role as Dawn and Enigma is probably one of the
most promising and complex characters in "The
Legend of Zu." Hundreds of years ago as King
Sky's master, Enigma is now a prominent warrior for
Omei. Throughout the film, she feels a form of spiritual
connection to King Sky as she slowly recovers her
memory from her previous life. There is a particular
sense of loveliness in her role, an underlying beauty
that can easily make you fall with her.
Some of the other notable characters are played by
Zhang Ziyi, Patrick Tam and Sammo Hung. Though the
film is filled with plenty of the stars we've come
to love, most of them play minor roles. And it's a
pretty disappointing thing as well since a movie of
this magnitude should have room for many and all.
But then again, a film this enormous probably became
too big to control, too massive to even direct anymore.
I can totally understand something so ambitious like
"The Legend of Zu" can engulf its creator
and take a life of its own. With all the problems
of this film that carry on the surface, most forget
the sheer beauty of the movie, even when it's standing
right there in front of their eyes, showing off it's
exquisiteness and love.
Having the master himself, Yuen Woo-Ping on board
can raise the bar of expectations quite a bit. Though
the martial arts in this film should be the core of
the picture, the fighting scenes are few and far between.
The prominent form of action is the use of CG to represent
their powers and the usage of their weapons. While
they stand there concentrating on the manipulation
of their weapons, blazingly fast and brilliantly crafted
effects fly around them within a world of their own.
With the exception of Zhang Ziyi's Joy character swordplay
scene, most of the action relies on the ingenuity
of Hark's special effects.
If anything, "The Legend of Zu" is an updated
version of "Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain."
Almost twenty years later does Hark revisit his masterpiece
reinventing everything known before into a more precise
world filled with colorful landscapes and even more
intriguing characters. And it's an amazing feat to
watch this director grow and mold Asian Cinema into
what it is today. With some of the most important
movies to come out of Asia being created by him, it's
no wonder that "The Legend of Zu" is two
decades in the making. So beautiful in creation and
so marvelous in thought, I personally think "The
Legend of Zu" is one of the most vital films
to come out this year, if not a new benchmark in Asian
Cinema for its capacity and scale in the new Millennium.
If I may, I want to become the Champion for this
film. I truly believe that the good outweighs the
bad and that this film is more significant than everyone
thinks. Just like the original, "Zu: Warriors
from the Magic Mountain," breaking all the rules
and giving us a spectacle, transcending the mere genre
of a fantasy film, "The Legend of Zu" will
perhaps be considered twenty years from now, one of
the most impressive and grand films of its time.
