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arkham
13-01-2002, 10:19
Hi all

Has anyone seen this film? The HKL disc looks excellent and i dont know whether to buy it or not

Help me decide

Cheers all:D
kanedaa
13-01-2002, 10:57
Personally I really enjoy Stormriders but it is one of those films, or really the entire fantasy swordplay genre i find, that really splits fans of HK Cinema, or indeed any form of Cinema.

Its not actually a Hong Kong Legends release, but is still an accomplished if not completely satisfactory effort from Hong Kong Classics, an MIA Genre label.

My review is here...Stormriders Review (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/index.cgi?page=Review&id=331&story=2283)

dave.
arkham
13-01-2002, 11:01
if its any help, i loved legend of zu. Is it anything like that?
kanedaa
13-01-2002, 11:11
If you enjoyed Zu i'd say you'll most likely enjoy, and probably prefer Stormriders. The main difference is that despite the obvious fantastical setting Stormriders has a far more comic book style too it, and a comedic overtone in places (anything with Shu Qi in it) compared to Zu's mostly dry approach.

For comparisons sake I found Zu an Audio/Visual feast that lacked substance and had pacing issues, Stormriders on the other hand was also an Audio/Visual feast but had more substance and good (but not great) pacing.

dave.
arkham
13-01-2002, 11:16
Cheers dave

i think i might just invest in it :)
BigHairyScotsman
13-01-2002, 12:20
Id just like to add that I too thought it was a great film, and if Zu is your cup of tea then definately watch Stormriders........

BHS
Dagada
13-01-2002, 15:40
I found it very dull, with some interesting ideas thrown in. I also didn't like A Man Called Hero too much. However, I do like films such as Chinese Ghost Story and Zu Warriors, so it suprised me.

I was very jetlagged at the time I watched it, though - Maybe I should give it another go.
Cirrus888
13-01-2002, 16:20
Legend of Zu tries too hard to be stylised and arty leaving it a complete mess storywise.

Stormriders is very commercial with little in the way of originality, polished but lacks any real substance.

A man called Hero is plain bagof****e!
arias90210
13-01-2002, 16:49
I'm not a big fan of the genre generally, but i saw the dvd going cheap, so i bought it on a whim.
Have to say it was pretty good fun...not exactly 'rocket science' in terms of the script, but if you approach the movie with an open mind, i think you'll enjoy it.

Incidentally i got mine for a tenner at blockbuster, so you might wanna look around your local store.
Shingster
13-01-2002, 16:58
I have seen both Zu: Warriors from The Magic Mountain & it's sequel Legend of Zu & enjoyed them, but thought they were nothing special. Both are complete nonsense, but are fast paced & imaginitive enough to pass the time effectively.
I felt that Stormriders was one of the crappest HK films i've yet seen. From it's bland acting to the crappy skills of it's director, Andy Lau, the film has 2nd rate written all over it. It just didn't draw me in like the Zu films, also the pace was slow & the action scenes seemed to be a mess of CGI colours more than anything. TBH, the same criticisms can be made of the Zu films, but i felt that they had a certain charm to them, whereas StormRiders had the atmosphere of a damp squid.
It might be worth renting it first though, as it seems to be one of those love it or hate it - no middle ground, type of films, and there's enough people who recommend the film to suggest that you'll like it a lot more than I did.
I just felt disappointed that i didn't like this film as much as other people on these forums! :(
KeyserSoze
13-01-2002, 18:43
i saw this in the cinema, blew me away, absolutely loved it, bought the VCD.

i got the DVD when it was released, i didnt enjoy it as much i did back in 98. i must say the DVD version drags too much, the one i have on VCD is not the international version, it is longer but has little bits cut out like the little musical bit with Cloud and Charity and the love scenes.
Chefsalad
13-01-2002, 22:05
I too thought the film was dull. Poor pacing, acting and script. Great visuals though, very striking and rich even though the MIA disc is not anamorphic.
arkham
14-01-2002, 22:43
JUst watched stormriders and i didnt overly like it. I though to be honest it was a bit of a non event

Oh well, bck to woolwoths for a refund