''Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain'' ( zh, t=新蜀山劍俠) is a 1983 Hong Kong

supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

wuxia ( ), which literally means "martial heroes", is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fiction, its popularity has caused it to be adapted ...

fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction ...

directed by

Tsui Hark Tsui Hark (, vi, Từ Khắc, born 15 February 1950), born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong film director, producer and screenwriter. Tsui has directed several influential Hong Kong films such as '' Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain'' (1983), the ...

and based on the xianxia novel '' Legend of the Swordsmen of the Mountains of Shu'' by Huanzhulouzhu. The film has been noted for combining elements of

Hong Kong action cinema Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. Action films from Hong Kong have roots in Chinese culture, Chinese and Culture of Hong Kong, Hong Kong cultures including Chinese opera, storytelling an ...

with special effects technology provided by a team of Western artists including

Robert Blalack Robert Blalack (December 9, 1948 – February 2, 2022) was a Panamanian-born American mass-media visual artist and producer. One of the founders of Industrial Light & Magic, he received the Visual Effects Academy Award for his work on the origin ...

. It served as an influence for the 1986 American film ''

Big Trouble in Little China ''Big Trouble in Little China'' (also in known as ''John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China'') is a 1986 American fantasy action comedy film directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun and James Hong ...

''. ''Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain'' received five nominations at the 3rd Hong Kong Film Awards: Best Action Choreography for

Corey Yuen Corey Yuen (; born Ying Gang-ming (殷元奎); 15 February 1951) is a Hong Kong director, film director, producer, action choreographer, and former actor. Yuen was a member of the Peking Opera Schools and one of the Seven Little Fortunes. As an ...

, Best Actress for

Brigitte Lin Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia (; born 3 November 1954) is a Taiwanese actress. She is regarded as an icon of Chinese language cinema for her extensive and varied roles in both Taiwanese and Hong Kong films. Biography Lin was born in Chiayi, Taiwan. ...

, Best Art Direction for

William Chang William Chang Suk-ping ( zh, 張叔平; born 12 November 1953) is a Hong Kong production designer, costume designer and film editor. Along with cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Chang is an important collaborator with Hong Kong film director ...

, Best Film Editing for Peter Cheung, and Best Picture.

Premise

During the

Sixteen Kingdoms The Sixteen Kingdoms (), less commonly the Sixteen States, was a chaotic period in Chinese history from AD 304 to 439 when northern China fragmented into a series of short-lived dynastic states. The majority of these states were founded by ...

period, army deserter Dik Ming-kei, who was chased by vampires in the mountain of Zu, is rescued by Master Ding Yan and becomes his pupil. When they were ambushed by the Blood Devil, devil chaser Siu Yu and his pupil Yat Jan came to their assistance. They managed to hold off the Blood Devil but they need to find the Dual Swords to destroy it. Master Ding took the wounded Siu Yu to Celestial Fort and sought help from the Mistress, but was in turned poisoned by the Blood Devil and he surrendered to the Dark Force. Will Ming-kei and Yat Jan find the Dual Swords and destroy the Blood Devil?

Cast

Sammo Hung Sammo Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a fight choreographer for ...

as Chang Mei, a Red Army soldier *

Yuen Biao Yuen Biao (born Ha Lingchun; 26 July 1957) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist and stuntman. He specialises in acrobatics and Chinese martial arts and has also worked on over 80 films as actor, stuntman and action choreographer. He was one of ...

as Di Ming-qi / Dik Ming-kei *

Adam Cheng Adam Cheng Siu-chow (born 24 February 1947) is a Hong Kong TVB actor and Cantopop singer. Career Cheng started his career in the 1970s, where he gained a reputation for playing the lead roles in TVB ''Wuxia'' drama series based on the works ...

as Ding Yin / Ding Yan *

as the Ice Queen *

Moon Lee Moon Lee Choi-Fung (; born 14 February 1965) is a former Hong Kong actress and stuntwoman who frequently played roles related to the Hong Kong action and martial arts genres in films and TV serials. She was particularly notable in the sub-gen ...

as one of the Ice Queen's guards * Judy Ongg as Lady Li I-chi *

as Devil Disciple Leader *

Damian Lau Damian Lau Chung-yan (born 14 October 1949) is a Hong Kong film and television actor, executive producer and film director. Lau has starred in many television drama series of various genres, produced by Hong Kong's TVB and ATV. Biography ...

as Xiao Ru / Siu Yu * Mang Hoi as Yi Zhen / Yat Jan *

Norman Chui Norman Chui Siu-keung (; born 16 October 1950) is a Hong Kong actor. He was best known for portraying heroic protagonists in many martial arts films from the 1970s to 1980s and later portraying villainous roles in the 1990s. Chui was contracted wi ...

as the Heaven's Blade * Chung Fat as a Blue Army Commander *

Dick Wei Dick Wei (, born April 15, 1953) is a Taiwanese actor, director and writer who specializes in martial arts and action films. Early life and career A Hakka, he was born in the town of Pingtung in southern Taiwan and began studying martial art ...

as a Blue Army Commander * Ha Kwong-li as Ji Wu-shuang / Chi Wu-chuang * Ka Lee as an Orange Army soldier * Fung Hak-on as a Devil Disciple leader * Yuen Miu as an Orange Army soldier * Sai Gwa-Pau as the boatman *

as a Blue Army soldier

Reception and influence

In a 1991 ''

Fangoria ''Fangoria'' is an internationally distributed American horror film fan magazine, in publication since 1979. It is published four times a year by Fangoria Publishing, LLC and is edited by Phil Nobile Jr. The magazine was originally released ...

'' article by Tim Paxton and Dave Todarello, ''Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain'' is referred to as "a film which freely intertwines Chinese myth and lore with Hollywood special FX and comic-book action. It's the proverbial rollercoaster of

kung fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to commo ...

, magic, monsters, humor, tension, visual spectacle and gruesome bits." Craig Lines of

Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a bi-annual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ...

wrote that ''Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain'' "was a significant film for the Hong Kong 'New Wave' movement that revolutionized the industry in the late '70s", characterized by "young filmmakers hobroke free from the traditional studio system to create weird, energetic and experimental movies". Lines praised the actors' performances and the martial arts choreography, and noted the film's "warm, full-hearted message of kindness and acceptance". American filmmaker

John Carpenter John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, actor, and composer. Although he worked in various film genres, he is most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. He ...

has stated that ''Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain'' was an influence on his 1986 film ''

''.

Home media

The U.K. release of the DVD by

Hong Kong Legends Hong Kong Legends was a United Kingdom DVD distribution company, based in Hertfordshire and operating from the UK and Australia between 1999 and 2007. Hong Kong Legends was initially part of Medusa Communications, who, along with Soulblade bough ...

features an audio commentary with Tsui Hark and film critic Bey Logan. The Hong Kong release of the DVD by Fortune Star Media features the Cantonese version of the film's trailer, as well as an interview with actor

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zu Warriors From The Magic Mountain 1983 films 1980s action films 1983 martial arts films 1980s fantasy adventure films 1980s supernatural films Hong Kong New Wave films Hong Kong action films Hong Kong martial arts films Hong Kong fantasy films Wuxia films Martial arts fantasy films Films directed by Tsui Hark Films set in Sichuan Films set in the Jin dynasty (266–420) Sixteen Kingdoms in fiction 1980s Hong Kong films