Synopsis
Fifth-century western China is tearing itself apart in civil war when Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983) begins. This fantasy adventure is available to watch online on iFILM. Ti, a young scout fleeing certain death, leaps into a crevice in the Zu mountains and lands in a hidden realm where heavenly masters battle an ancient Blood Demon bent on consuming the world.
Tsui Hark directs, and the film was his breakout — the launchpad for a whole new style of Hong Kong fantasy. Ti falls in with immortal swordsmen, hunts the pair of magic swords that can seal the demon away, and crosses paths with an icy sky queen played by Brigitte Lin. Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao handle the acrobatics and fight staging while the screen erupts with flying blades, colored beams and shape-shifting monsters.
As a story it's basically a fairy-tale chase, but as spectacle it's a landmark: the wave of wuxia fantasy that runs all the way to Crouching Tiger starts here. The effects look quaint now, yet the invention and pace still carry it. Stream Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983) online on iFILM.
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