Emissaries from Korea stumble across an attempt by Mongol warriors to kidnap a Chinese princess. Nice clean and simple premise for a Summer blockbuster, one whose marketing (and casting) coasts on the popularity of Crouching Tiger and Hero but whose execution is very different.
I saw this one by accident thinking it was Hero, the massive 2002 Oscar nominee also starring Zhang Ziyi (and, for all its dodgy ideology, worth discovering for the visual feast alone). The region 2 (Korean & French audio 5.1) looked good so I rented it... Back when that was still a thing.
First, this is not Hero, nor is it a wuxia or wire-work driven martial arts film. This is a Historical action film, and despite the prowesses of its heroes, Musa's violence is realistic and brutal. It is a very clever men-on-a-mission flick, with interesting balance and variety within the team, with echoes of Seven Samurai. Where things take an even more pleasant turn are in the interesting portrayal of our characters: a borderline unlikable "hero" (or so he seems at first) and princess, great nobility in the lower ranks, and a surprisingly likable and charismatic villain, if indeed you can call him that.
In production value terms, this can compete with anything Hollywood churns out, and the technical credits, from editing to earthy cinematography, are all excellent. Fast-shutter action, made popular by Saving Private Ryan and Gladiator, is put to brutal use here, and there is a fine balance of chaotic individual moments and interesting strategies, something that would later be explored in John Woo's Red Cliff. This film procures that very rare delight of watching a film and knowing exactly where all the money, effort and care went, because it is all up there on screen, and for once, equally distributed, performances included. Something you have got to see.
For your consideration, ladies and gentlemen: Musa.
