Legend of Zu

It's easy for a Westerner to dive into many fantasy movies. You know what to expect - dragons, wizards, the occasional dwarf, halfling and ogre. Most Western fantasy seems to be based on characters that JRR Tolkin created, as well as the occasional D&D campaign. Looking to the East, there is an entirely different history of fantasy, and a viewer from the West will likely have a tough time relating and understanding much of what's going on. Take for example, The Legend of Zu. It's a film that drops all notions of realism and goes straight for new levels of outlandishness. The film is about these legendary groups of monks that live on floating chunks of mountain, fly through the air like superman, and have magical "swords" that come out of their hands. There is the tradional fight against ultimate evil, and those fights are filled with special effects, flipping and twirling bodies and the requisite sword play. I found it entirely enjoyable, if not a bit confusing at times. I never knew where it was going and loved the fresh feeling of the unexpected.

Kung Fu Cinema