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Musa: The Warrior
2001; directed by Kim Sung-Su

Musa was South Korea's first major entry into the world of historial epic films. It doesn't do anything all that different from similar pictures from Hong Kong and China like Curse of the Golden Flower. But with a solid cast that includes Zhang Ziyi and lots of spurting blood and severed limbs, Musa should be more than enough to keep fans of the genre entertained.

Loosely based on historical events, Musa takes place in 1375 China, where relations between China and Korea have broken down, which leads to a Korean diplomatic envoy being taken as spies and sent into exile. While taking refuge in a remote village, the Koreans come across a Chinese princess (Zhang Ziyi) who has been captured by the Mongols, who are led by Yu Rong-Guang. The princess promises the Koreans safe passage to their home along with riches if they can rescue her, and so, despite their small numbers, they begin a taxing series of battles with the Mongols.

Musa falls prey to some of the trappings of the historical epic genre. Namely, like many films of the type, there is a big story and a lot of characters to take in. Even the more minor characters have their own plotlines, and combined with the somewhat dense layers of the story (both from a historic and filmic standpoint) it can be a lot for the viewer to process. Thankfully, director Kin Sung-Su keeps matters flowing smoothly enough so that the picture never feels too convoluted. Even though Musa runs well over two hours, it rarely feels sluggish or pointless in how it handles the story.

And if you're the type of person that doesn't really care about a movie's story or the performances of the actors, there's still lots of action sequences to keep your interest up. The battles don't match the scale of some of the bigger entries in the genre like Red Cliff, but this actually turns out to be a good thing. There's a refreshing lack of CGI trickery, and Musa's liberal use of "practical" special effects which show the blood and guts of ancient combat in all their gory detail steps up the action a few notches. Overall, Musa isn't an extraordinary release, but it is a damn fine film that's well worth your time.

RATING: 7

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