Well, I just finished Musa too.
And I have to agree with everyone when I say that Ziyi is mesmerizing. Even if I take a step back, and step out of me liking her to being with, she would be mesmerizing even to someone who has never seen or heard of her before. Her first scene was great. The golden robes, the veil covering her face and then finally seeing her face as the wind blows it up makes a wonderful scene. Her beauty is accentuated and no one can help but stare.
The story itself was rather...incomplete, I felt. I felt like I was thrown into the middle of a story without knowing anything. I suppose it was the same for CTHD, but I could follow CTHD more easily. Like, the guy with the spear (I already forgot his name), if he was a slave, where did he learn such fighting prowess? He obviously has a story. You could make a movie just about him. You could make a movie about why the Princess felt "smothered" in the palace and how she came about to be kidnapped. And what was the envoy for?
The subtitles didn't help much. I only got the gist of things because of the broken English.
As gory as it was, I thought it was pretty cool. I liked the fighting. The weapons and styles of fighting reminded me of video games and anime. I think Musa would make a great anime. If any of you have ever watched any anime, the way the guy with the spear fought was straight out of an anime movie! His hair blowing over his face, his slow motion sweeps with his spear, his pose after he chopped someone's head off. The way Ziyi was introduced is classic of how mysterious women are introduced in anime movies. The wind blowing up her veil, and you only catching a glimpse of her half turned face.
I find the guy with the spear very attractive. I liked his sense of loyalty and love (is that too strong?) for the Princess. I LOVED the part where the Princess ran to him and held his head. I was like, crying! And I was SO disappointed that they didn't at least kiss once, or admit that there was some sort of connection between the both of them. (Don't get annoyed with me...I like romantic things! )
Oh! And the way Ziyi smiled at the baby! sOo cute!
I cried towards the end. Everyone was fighting with the last breath in their bodies. I cried when the interpreter died trying to save that little girl. And when the old woman stumbled out of hiding, and that guy went to go protect her, I cried then too. And I cried when the old man tried to protect the Princess.
All in all, I enjoyed it...it was an interesting movie. But so much more could have been done with it I think.
