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Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Better Late Then Never

Best movie of this year hands down!

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

I do like a good historical epic and it's a truth that nobody makes them quite like they do in Asia. Over the past decade, the genre has flourished since the success of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, and while I don't like that particular film very much, I've absolutely adored some of the others that have followed. These titles include HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS and CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER. As a viewer, I'm always drawn slightly away from the wuxia genre (I'm no big fan of the wire work you see in these movies) in favour of the grittier, more realistic genre films like THE WARLORDS. MUSA is such a film, a Korean epic that focuses on realism and crucial believability throughout.In essence it's a familiar story about a group of highly skilled and diverse warriors attempting to protect a princess while battling an evil general and his small army on their tale. Some say it's like Kurosawa, with the superficial similarities to SEVEN SAMURAI on show. I disagree. MUSA is a firmly modern, action-focused epic which is all about the battles and the swordplay, and anyone who thinks otherwise is mistaken. The good news is that these scenes are tremendous, veering on the right side in terms of the editing, which is fast but allows you to actually see what's going on. The battle choreography is stupendous and there's all manner of fighting involved. There's a particular emphasis on cool weaponry (high-powered bows, a massive spear) and also on the wounds inflicted by these cruel weapons. This ain't PG-fare; it's one of the bloodiest historical epics out there and I'm still trying to figure out how they achieved the brilliant arrow-in-the-neck special effects.It's a rare film that succeeds through action alone, but there's far more to MUSA than just that. The simple journey storyline allows for plenty of character arcs and development, and it's refreshing to see a film where characters aren't as clear cut as you might expect. People make mistakes and people die because of those mistakes, but these flawed characters are all the more gripping because of that. My favourite is a case in point: Joo Jin-mo's general, who's a truly noble good guy despite the errors of judgement he sometimes makes. The rest of the cast don't disappoint either, and Zhang Ziyi is particularly good in a role that allows her to take a break from the martial arts for once.There are three main backdrops to the unfolding story, and each of them seems fresh and unique. The first is a shifting desert landscape, the second an extensive woodland, and the third a ruined castle on the coast. There's a particular emphasis on the visual scenes and the costumes look stunning. Despite a long running time, this is engaging throughout, building up to a classic climax in which many of the good guys die bloodily and heroically. As a film, MUSA blows SEVEN SWORDS clean out of the water.

MUSA (aka THE WARRIOR) was the Korean film which kick-started the recent K-films boom -- and it's easy to see why. Set in the Middle Ages, it follows a diplomatic embassy (soldiers and bureaucrats) to China who get turfed out. Finding a Chinese princess captured by Mongols, they embark on a rescue mission, hoping that in returning her they will be able to complete their diplomatic mission, only to find themselves chased relentlessly into the desert by the Golden Horde. They end up trapped at a broken-down old fort where the heroes have to decide whether to hand the princess over or fight for her. The result is a beautifully shot (people say that a lot but I mean it) action epic which combines universal human concerns with super-cool Asian flourishes and some great martial arts sequences.

Epic battle scenes, remarkable backdrops and scenery, excellent cinematography and photography. This movie is beautiful to look at. Even the gruesome battle scenes are poetry in motion. Whomever is in charge of filming this deserves attention.The acting is pretty good by the principals. Sung-Kee Ahn was very good at his portrayal of the Sergeant who takes on a more prominent role as the movie progresses. The movie seems to shift is focus from the general, to the slave, to the sergeant. Zhang Ziyi plays the princess but her range seems more limited here (in one of her early roles) compared to now. It's actually quite surprising because I thought she did an excellent job in "The Road Home" which was her first major film. Perhaps here she didn't have as much to work with?9/10Story wasn't too complicated but the character development is interesting. The battles were amazing. And the scenery, choice of camera angles, and lighting were all impressive.

Nine people stop and slaughter the Mongol troops. The only reasonable guy in the film is the leader of the Mongols. The heroes are immortals and can do whatever they want without any backwards. The scenery is nice but that is all what can compensate at least 1% to watching this boring movie. I don't know why I watched it (the only reason that I got it like a gift) and why I didn't stopped in the beginning where one can start to fill nothing interesting will happen. Personally I dislike Ziyi Zhang and as usual she plays a conceited unbearable person like a princess which however forms through the film but this "forming" is so artificial too ...In sum the whole film is a slaughtering but it makes time for nine people to kill the whole Mongolian horde..