Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain is a 1983 Hong Kong Wuxia supernatural fantasy film directed by Tsui Hark, starring Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung, Brigitte Lin and Moon Lee in her film debut note .
During the warring periods of the Tang Dynasty, army deserter Dik Ming-kei (Yuen Biao) flees the battlefield, and ends up in the deep caves of the mystical mountains of Zu, where he encounters flying skeletons, magical warriors, an Ice Queen (Brigitte Lin), and the powerful Blood Demon who is awakening from his once-eternal slumber.
One of Tsui Hark's classic fantasy masterpieces, Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain earns five nominations at the 3rd Hong Kong Film Awards: Best Action Choreography for Corey Yuen, Best Actress for Brigitte Lin, Best Art Direction for William Chang, Best Film Editing for Peter Cheung, and Best Picture Award, as well inspiring Wuxia cinema in general to turn on a more high-fantasy-esque shift in genre, which could be seen in later films of this genre such as The Magic Crane, Butterfly and Sword and the Swordsman trilogy. For her portrayal of the Ice Queen, Brigitte Lin would leave an impact that have her branded as the "wuxia queen of the 90s", showing up in New Dragon Gate Inn, Deadful Melody and all three installments of the Swordsman trilogy.
John Carpenter has admitted that Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain is one of the main inspirations behind Big Trouble in Little China.
A sequel / Spiritual Successor, simply called Zu Warriors, comes out in 2001, starring Ekin Cheng, Cecelia Cheung, and Wu Jing. It is set 200 years after the events of the original film, with only Sammo Hung reprising his role as Chang Mei.
Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain presents examples of:
- Battle Aura: Ming-kei and Yi Zhen in the final battle after absorbing all the qi into their body.
- Big Badass Battle Sequence: One which opens the film, where the Jin Dynasty Imperial soldiers and barbarian army clashes in a dense forest region. And Ming-kei, the deserter, ends up being caught in the middle of the chaos.
- Big Ol' Eyebrows: Chang Mei sports impressively long eyebrows which spans for yards and yards. Eyebrows which can be used to ensnare opponents and bind his enemies in place.
- Body Horror: Briefly happens to Ming-kei when having qi pumped through his body, where his torso and limbs swells and briefly fuses together into a blobby form. It quickly reverses back to normal, however.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Ding-yan, after being poisoned by the Blood Devil and turned completely by the Dark Force.
- Chekhov's Gunman: The chubby Red Army soldier that Ming-kei briefly fights at the start of the movie, before they decide to put their differences aside when the Imperial and Barbarian army starts clashing all around them seemingly disappears after the first ten minutes of the film, only to show up in the last few seconds in another unrelated battle scene. He is completely oblivious to Ming-kei silently watching him from the sidelines.
- Cloth Fu: The Ice Queen, who dons a white scarf some several hundred meters long, and can use her qi to manipulate and control the scarf to constrict her targets. This also extends to curtains and drapes in her domain by the way.
- Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: During the big battle scenes, the only way audiences can tell who’s on who’s side, is by the colours of the soldiers’ uniforms. So, for soldiers in the big fight scenes, all they need to do is to pick a fight with someone wearing a different-colored uniform than their own.
- Deadly Disc: The Co-Dragons attacks Ding-yan with these sort of weapons
◊. - Dem Bones: The Ice Cavern’s entrance are guarded by flying skeletons, created by some rather impressive special effects.
- Face-Revealing Turn: While hiding in a cave, Ming-kei unintentionally disturbed the flying skeleton guardians who resides in them, the first who reveals itself to Ming-kei using this method.
- Flaming Sword: During the final battle, the possessed and evil Ding-yin Dual Wield fire swords to fight Ming-kei and Yi Zhen.
- Heroes Gone Fishing: A rather literal example, after escaping from the first battle sequence, Ming-kei ends up alone in a waterfall region, where he then spends quite some time swimming after fish and trying to catch some for dinner.
- Human Popsicle: The Ice Queen’s entire entourage of handmaidens ends up being frozen in position when the entire cavern freezes over.
- In the Hood: Master Chang Mei’s outfit includes a white hood, matching the colour of his robes.
- Ki Attacks: Ding-yan, using his qi, can fire rainbow-coloured Sword Beam from his sword.
- Laser Sword: In the climax, the excessive overload of qi in Ming-kei, Yi Zhen and Ding-yin actually causes both combatants to summon lightsaber-like protrusions from their hands, which they then use to slash at each other while flying all over the place.
- Magical Barefooter: The Ice Queen.
- Master Swordsman: Ding-Yin, but by the end of the film Ming-kei and Yi Zhen have since surpassed him.
- Nothing but Skulls: Master Chang Mei’s cavern is littered with hundreds of skulls, which he can actually control and manipulate, even forming them into a massive ball of skulls.
- Playing Possum: When caught in the middle of the opening battle scene, Ming-kei accidentally trips, and decides to stay lying down until the battling soldiers around him had left. When the coast is clear, he quickly gets back up and makes a split for it. And shortly afterwards, a few "corpses" of soldiers near to Ming-kei actually got up too, having decided to imitate his trick of playing dead.
- Playing with Fire: The Co-Dragons can summon massive pillars of flames from their enchanted caps.
- Scenery Porn: Happens all over the movie, from the setting in the Ice Queen’s cave to the sunset after the final battle. See for yourself.
- Storm of Blades: Ding-yan can unleash his swords sheathed behind him into a rain of blades, unleashing an entire wave of blades which can combine together into a single fan-like barrier and slice apart his targets. Oddly enough his dozens and dozens of blades all fits into one sheathe.
- Taking You with Me: In the penultimate final battle, the Ice Queen sacrifices herself to destroy the Blood Devil possessing Ding-Yan. They both end up Together in Death.
- Total Eclipse of the Plot: The Blood Devil’s awakening is sparked off by a sudden eclipse, which allows him to take over Ding-yan as his host.
- Wire Fu
Zu Warriors presents examples of:
- The Ageless: King Sky, who after the 200-year Time Skip early in the movie, still looks like a man in his thirties.
- Badass Cape: King Sky.
- Distant Sequel: After a 200-year Time Skip.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Dawn giving her life so that King Sky can destroy the demon Insomnia.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: King Sky, played by Ekin Cheng fresh off The Storm Riders.
- Sealed Good in a Can: The resurrected Hollow takes the form of a young monk named Ying, who needs to train himself to unleash his true potential.
- Wire Fu
