When ZU: WARRIORS OF THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN first appeared in 1983, Hong Kong audiences were shocked by the level of sophistication of the film's special effects. Determined to raise the production values of Hong Kong films to that of the United States, director Tsui Hark hired special effects experts from Hollywood to help him create a mind-boggling fantastical adventure with flying swords, staffs made of pure energy, a pulsing blood monster, and a wizard with bushy eyebrows that act as long whips. Set in the sublime crags and peaks of Szechuan, during the midst of a senseless war between blue, red, orange, and green factions, ZU is adapted from the 64-volume novel THE LEGEND OF ZU. The story follows unlucky soldier Ti Ming Chi (Yuen Biao), who becomes entangled in a quest to save the Earth from evil spirits. Also featuring the portly Sammo Hung and the graceful Brigitte Lin (whose flowing robes and martial arts skill resemble her Invincible Asia character in SWORDSMAN II), ZU is a non-stop spectacle that recalls the mythopoetic fantasy CLASH OF THE TITANS. Eastern myth and fantasy, Western technology, and Hark's perpetual motion pacing combine in a film that ends in a plea for unity.