Production Year: 2002 - Martial Arts - Director: Yimou Zhang - Original Language: Mandarin - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Maggie Cheung, Ziyi Zhang more
Set 2,000 years ago, during the time of the Warring States, when seven kingdoms were battling for dominance, and one leader--the king of Qin (Chen Dao Ming)--was determined to end... more
Red Lantern,Shanghai Triad) to the high-kicking kung fu genre. A nameless warrior (Jet Li,Romeo Must Die,Once Upon a Time in China) arrives at an emperor's palace w...
Red Lantern,Shanghai Triad) to the high-kicking kung fu genre. A nameless warrior (Jet Li,Romeo Must Die,Once Upon a Time in China) arrives at an emperor's palace w...
Hero (Jet Li) DVD
One man will challenge an empire... In pre-Imperial China feared warrior Nameless (Jet ... more
Li) is granted an audience with the ruler of the most powerful of the seven warring kingdoms (Chen Daoming). Posing as a minor official Nameless sets about his mi...
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Production Year: 1972 - Martial Arts - Director: Bruce Lee - Original Language: English\Cantonese\Chinese - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Bruce Lee, Nora Miao, Chuck Norris, Robert Wall, Jon T. Benn
Production Year: 1981 - Martial Arts - Director: Kenji Misumi, Robert Houston - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Kayo Matsuo, Minoru Ohki, Akiji Kobayashi, Shin Kishida, Masahiro Tomikawa, Tomisaburo Wakayama
A review by DarkMark on Hero (DVD) October 22nd, 2004
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Loved it
Story
Good
Characters / Performances
Good
Special Effects
Outstanding
How does it compare to similar films?
Outstanding
Advantages:
beautifully shot, performed, presented . A sublime and unique experience
Disadvantages:
the way the story is told may confuse
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Those who are big fans of world filmmaking instead of that of just Hollywood; with its predictable rom-coms, heavy handed dramas and ‘scary’ teen flicks, and of course let’s not forget our very own, British film industry to which the majority of projects fall into three categories: James Bond; crime capers and Hugh Grants films. Anyway, those who are world cinema fans will no doubt recognise the long name of one of Asia’s most successful and popular films: “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (its English title). Starring Chow Yun Fat, who’d proven to be moderately successful in his stint in Hollywood (“The Replacement Killers”, “The Corrupter”) it was a sweeping Oscar winner of an epic, a period style drama of love with graceful fight scenes to keep the pace going. This can also be said for now international superstar Jet Li famed for his fast kung-fu dexterity rather than his John Woo style gun fighting (Chow Yun Fat’s calling card). After numerous Hong Kong successes, Li made his Hollywood debut in 1998 with being the mysterious villain in “Lethal Weapon 4”. He then went on to front big action projects like “Romeo Must Die” and “The One” proving that can be just as intense on the acting front with overlooked films like “Kiss Of The Dragon”. But this year, we see Jet Li returning to the realm of Hong Kong cinema to star in the biggest film in Hong Kong history to date: “Hero”.
The film bravely revolves around the brutal, bloody and somewhat controversial beginnings of China, the six kingdoms that after much war finally came together to form the country we now know today. Jet Li plays a man called nameless, a warrior/mercenary who is invited to the palace of Qin to tell the king of Qin (Daoming Chen) about how he killed the three assassins who were planning to murder him to stop the bloodshed that he is creating in order to unify the other five kingdoms. We hear (and see) how Nameless defeated three of the kingdom’s most dangerous individuals and provides proof by bringing with him their infamous weapon, broken. With each heroic tale he tells, he is allowed several paces closer to the king. No one has ever come within a hundred paces of the king for the last three years, the last attempt on his life and with each story of killing, Nameless is granted to get closer and closer as a sign of respect by the king of Qin.
But, the king is not entirely convinced with Nameless’ story and reckons that there is more to it than what Nameless is letting on. Thinking that Nameless is also an enemy, trying to get closer to the king with the intent to kill; he invents his own version of what happened, implicating Nameless as an enemy also. As their fairly civilised conflict continues we then get the true account of events and see them unfold to the final, emotionally charged conclusion.
Performances are good throughout, with Jet Li playing to his strengths of being the modest yet deadly Nameless. Watching him spin his lies (and his sword) is a pleasure to watch. The performance from Qin king, Daoming Chen) is equally bold, appearing to be a man of experience, who cannot be fooled easily. As previously mentioned, nothing in this story is what it seems. The three assassins, named Sky (Donnie Yen), Broken Sword (Tony Leung) and Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung) also put in some good performances showing both aggression and emotion. Not so much so from Donnie Yen as Sky as his screen time is minimal but from the other two, Broken Sword and Falling Snow. We see some varying emotions from these two as they are indeed lovers. There is a love triangle element between these two and Broken Sword’s adoptive servant girl, Moon (Zhang Ziyi – “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, “Rush Hour 2”) and this makes for some interesting viewing, especially as it isn’t horribly spelled out like in most films. Arguably Ziyi puts forward a performance far greater than Jet Li himself but that would be for you to judge.
However “Hero” is criticised (and it has been), there is one thing that remains unanimously clear: The fights rock socks! A major criticism with previous period epic “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” was that some of the fights were a little too over the top, spoiling one’s enjoyment. This is the only disadvantage to the otherwise wondrous eastern style of wirework fights. With “Hero” it is a relief that the wirework is somewhat more believable and also inspiring a higher emotional quality to the action leaving you in the rare position of actually caring about the result. One particular stand out moment is Falling Snow and Moon fighting in the yellow leafed orchard, gracefully filmed, choreographed and performed. It is also the unique style of “Hero” that will make it a memorable experience. The cinematography is probably the finest I’ve ever seen, I will definitely be looking out for DP Christopher Doyle in future (the man responsible for remake “Psycho’s” near noir presentation, other work includes the beautifully shot “Rabbit-Proof Fence”). The film’s scenes are colour co-ordinated to the degree that it is impossible to ignore. The orchard scene again as an example has the two ladies wearing flowing red clothing, fighting amongst yellow and orange petal like leaves. Very striking indeed.
However, the unique visual look for the film does serve a greater purpose. Although it looks stunning and absorbing to the eye, it also helps break up the numerous different interpretations of the same story going from red to green and blue and finally to white. When the colours and tones change, it tells us that we’ve moved on to a different interpretation from whomever. This is only a hunch, but I think the colours may have something to do with context of the story being told. For example: the story told by Nameless (Jet Li) uses reds and other vivid visuals. With red being a colour associated with danger, lies, wrongdoing etc; does the colour scheme actually play to these very basic themes or is it all a coincidence? (those who have seen the film, I’d like to know what you think). The final account for example is done in white, with white being associated with purity and therefore truth; does this associate with the final interpretation that is in fact what really happened? I think it does. Finding out what really went down with all the characters involved wearing white can’t be coincidence, can it?
Director Yimou Zhang (“House Of Flying Daggers”) has poured his heart and soul into this project and it shows, every aspect is executed perfectly, every shot counts, every angle counts, every word of dialogue counts; it is not often you find a film with so little flaws that are worth commenting on. Although I wouldn’t be able to say that it was the perfect film, as that can not exist. There can never truly be a ‘best ever film’, of course a majority vote can exist (I think “The Shawshank Redemption” would be in the running for such title) but as long as different people have different interests, likes and dislikes, you’ll never please everyone. I know people who thought “Hero” was absolute trash, fair enough, it’s their opinion. If they don’t have the cinematic maturity to indulge in world cinema then it’s their problem. Quentin Tarantino; who quite strangely; presents the film once said: That if you hated a particular genre like slap-stick and then he went on to make the greatest slap stick film ever made, no matter how good it was, that one person would never like it.
I’ve read awful things about this film, a fair amount focused on the director. He presents things uniquely people, much more talent than many of the Hollywood directors working today: he beats Stephen Sommers any day. Zhang (who also had a part in writing “Hero”) at least sees the film as a whole aesthetic piece of cinema as do other Asian directors like Ang Lee and Takeshi Kitano. In America, you get directors like Sommers who gladly ignore the fibre of the script in favour of the next big visual. Here, Zhang presents a breathtaking story dealing with the simple concepts of honour, loyalty and passion so subtly played out without having to follow through with huge Bruckheimer explosions and cheesy retorts concerning heroism. Nameless is a hero and throughout the whole of the film, I don’t think it is mentioned once and to be honest, it doesn’t have to be, everyone can tell through his actions and decisions.
The soundtrack is just as sweeping and beautiful as the film itself, really playing with your thoughts in the unlikeliest of ways. The best example is in the stunning calligraphy house scene where the king’s army rains down arrows, tearing through the wooden structure with ease. While the students are in panic, it is the old master who doesn’t stand up from his sand box, instead he continues as arrows dangerously hit the way, some only inches away from his head. To show their devotion in such Zen-Buddhist fashion, the students follow suit, some dying in the process. It is the fantastic score (left in the capable hands of Dun Tan) that elevates this to a far more obvious level, making it hard hitting to watch. Those who’ve seen “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” will notice similarities to the score in terms of style as: guess what? Both were done by Tan. Again, another name to watch.
“Hero” is officially the most expensive Hong Kong film, clocking in at about thirty million dollars. For a film as wondrous and as accomplished, it makes you wonder why Hollywood films (on average) are so damn expensive. On average, a Hollywood film costs about sixty million dollars to make. “Hero” on the other hand has proven to be more successful than anyone even dreamed and cost half the average cost (bear in mind that some American productions have cost up to $200 million cough> “Titanic”). A big difference with Hong Kong and Hollywood films is that Hong Kong films aren’t made so much for making money as Hollywood films are. Of course money needs to be made but Hong Kong films don’t seem to set it as high a priority as Hollywood does. How many blockbusters can you think of that should never have been made? I’m sure as hell I can think of a few…
BOTTOM LINE “Hero” is a pleasant surprise from the Hong Kong stable, a wondrous and breathtaking film that will no doubt be overlooked by many. Those who enjoyed “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” will not be disappointed, those who don’t like reading subtitles will. Although essentially a martial arts film, its story is delivered with such pace and precision that forces you to pay attention rather than doze off and be wide awake in time for the next big fight sequence. Brilliantly shot, choreographed, performed, written, captured, edited and boasting a fine oriental score, “Hero” gladly wipes away any remaining memories of the eye candy line up of summer blockbusters. Recommended viewing and like some critics have said, it is one of the most beautiful films ever made.
CERTIFICATE : 12A TIME APPROX : 96 minutes
CAUTION Frequent, moderate violence Some mild sexual references and brief, mild nudity
IF YOU LIKE THIS TRY “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” – Ang Lee’s pre “Hulk” oriental epic is a little more drawn out but thrilling nonetheless.
Advantages: Visual feast, excellent cast, unique narrative style. Disadvantages: Fights go on too long, lack of depth.
...way that I can review Hero without comparing it to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? Probably not, so we'll get it out of the way early. I wasn't a fan of that film at all, and was frankly amazed at the success it enjoyed. It deserves recognition on a technical level, and congratulations for pushing itself into the mainstream, but beyond that, it was lacking. It almost felt as if those hailing it were doing so because they hadn't seen any non-English ... ...from being a bad film, Hero still isn't particularly interesting.
In ancient China, we witness the meeting between Nameless (Jet Li) and King Qin (Daoming Chen). Qin is attempting to unify all of China under his rule in an attempt to end civil conflict. Nameless is attempting to become a trusted ally of the King after informing him that he has eliminated the three assassins who have been hunting Qin. Nameless recounts to Qin exactly how he went ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Great cast, beautiful cinematography Disadvantages: It's taken two years to come out over here
In pre-unified china two thousand years ago, the emperor of the largest of seven kingdoms forbids anyone to come within a hundred paces of him, through fear of assassination. But when a nameless sheriff claims to have killed his three most dangerous enemies, he is allowed within close proximity of the ruler. But the more the king hears of Nameless’ exploits, the stronger his paranoia becomes. Is he right to fear the nameless warrior?
Director and ... ...flair and lyrical style. Like many Chinese directors, he makes films that focus on universal themes. “Hero” is a film that is both very Eastern and very Western reflecting the multi-national crew that put it together. It is an epic mystical tale of heroism, loyalty, love and sacrifice. Its subject is intrinsically Asian, based as it is on historical folklore but does not require knowledge of Chinese history to appreciate it. It is a lavish movie ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Great Story, Beautiful Cinematography, Great Acting, Jet Li at his Best, Musical Score Disadvantages: Maybe too similar to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Some may find Martial Arts a bit OTT
...period of the 7 kingdoms, Hero or ‘Ying Hung’ (as it is pronounced in Cantonese), is the story of Nameless (played by Jet Li) who after defeating all the potential assassins to the King of the Qin, the 7th Kingdom, finally meets the king himself to tell his triumphant story. Nameless has the honour of sitting and dining 10 paces away from the king and the king is anxious to know how Nameless managed to wipe out the fear which has kept ... ...CTHD, you will either love Hero or loathe it. If the thought of watching people fighting kung fu whilst tip toeing from tree to tree or bouncing off water, basically anything that defies gravity doesn’t bother you then you’re in for a treat. If on the other hand, you don’t buy it, and find it a tad bit OTT, then you will probably think no better of this film. It is very similar in many ways; the great landscape visuals, the martial ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Beautiful locations, wonderful acting Disadvantages: Fight scenes a little too long
...I had wanted to watch Hero for several years; I was enchanted by ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ and knowing it was under the ‘wuxia’ genre in addition to hearing its rave reviews I knew I could be confident in getting it. The story is the tale of pre-united China, and more specifically of an assassin – Nameless (Li) – visiting a paranoid king (Chen) to tell of the other assassins he killed to protect him in order for a reward. As the film progresses ... ...that she is fictional.
Hero is the kind of film you can just sit down to and watch from start to finish – everything around you seems to stop and you become addicted to the screen and the events. I’m not surprised that this was the first foreign language film to be No.1 at the US box office, although hopefully it won’t be the last. ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: The amazing choregraphy, the use of colour Disadvantages: The romance can get a bit boring
Hero is director Zhang Yimou's first attempt at martial arts after several dramas and other genres of film, and since this he has also made House of Flying Daggers, which is supposed to be even better than this amazing film (I haven't seen it yet but I can't wait). Hero cost $30million to make, which may not seem much, but it is the most expensive Chinese film ever made. It went on to take $173million at the worldwide box office, and it was nominated ... ...romantic side to the story, Hero is worth watching for the genuinely breathtaking fight sequences. Go out and buy it for an experience that will stay with you for a long time!
Other stuff
Running time: 96 minutes
Classification: 12
Starring: Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, Donnie Yen, Chen Daoming
Director: Zhang Yimou
The DVD is fairly easy to buy from all good online retailers, the ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Absolutely Fantastic Disadvantages: May take a while to watch
...I heard about Heroes quite a while ago from a friend in the states. After waiting a while and watching a few trailers on the show I couldn't wait for it to come on the television. So as soon as it came onto the Sci-Fi channel I began to watch it. I loved it right from that start. The fact that there are so many different characters all wanting something. The characters powers are always interesting especially Peter Petrelli's. The mix of effects and a great storyline makes the show work so well. It leaves you wanting more after each episode.
Main Story
The main story line of the first season is "Save the cheerleader save the world".
After watching a few episodes it makes more sense. Some scenes may be too violent for young children as it can involve horrific deaths.
In England, the new second series has started on BBC 2...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: Great CGI, action, very realistic, well evolved Disadvantages: Weak story compared to other two seasons.
..., and his powers take on a whole new level.
Powerless Sylar survived being stabbed by Hiro, and embarks on a quest to regain his powers, tagging along with Maya and Alejandro, as they attempt to find Dr. Suresh.
The Boxset
The series is split over 3 DVD?s and there is a fourth with the special features. It comes in 3 thin DVD cases, which are contained in the box, which keeps it nice and neat in your DVD collection. It is overall certificate 15, and you can pick the collection up for the £34.99 from HMV. It is also available on Blu-ray (which is much more expensive). I imagine that in HD heroes would be AMAZING!!
On each DVD, there is an audio commentary available for each episode, which is done by the various different actors and actresses in the series, as well as the directors, producer etc, and some with Tim Kring- the creator...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Good Story, Great acting, Oddball! Disadvantages: None come to mind
...Kelly?s Heroes is a film which I have never actually sat and watched the whole way through, it has been on the television so many times and I have caught bits of it and so hubby finally persuaded me to sit and watch it with him.
The film is about Private Kelly an American solider fighting in World War 2. He is very bossy and cannot stand the fact that he used to be a Lieutenant but got busted down to Private and still thinks he has the authority to do as he wishes. He kidnaps a German Officer who is in possession of some paperwork and Kelly soon finds out that it is details of where over 16 million Dollars of Gold is being kept.
Kelly sees an opportunity to get something out of the war and decides he is going to go after the gold. Kelly asks Sgt. Joe to translate the Garman paperwork and they soon realise that the gold is being...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Plot: Zhang Yimou, the director of such Chinese epics as RED SORGHUM, RAISE THE RED LANTERN, JU DOU, and SHANGHAI TRIAD, takes his first stab at a period martial arts film and succeeds wildly, making an intelligent, carefully crafted drama that pays tribute to the genre while taking it to another level. The story is set 2,000 years ago, during the time of the Warring States, when seven kingdoms were battling for dominance, and one leader--the king of Qin (Chen Dao Ming)--was determined to end up victorious and unite all of China as one nation. The proud king is forced to live trapped alone in his palace as a remarkable trio of villains--Broken Sword (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk), and Sky (Donnie Yen)--are out to kill him. But one day a simple country prefect (Jet Li) shows up, announcing that he has killed all three assassins. Identifying himself as Nameless, the prefect tells in great detail how he got rid of the king's sworn enemies. However, once Nameless is finished, the king has some interesting questions for him, pointing out holes in his tale. The cat-and-mouse story continues as Nameless and the king seek to find out the truth about the assassins and the future of China. Zhang Yimou's marvelous film is enhanced by Christopher Doyle's lush photography, Tan Dunn's percussive score (with Itzhak Perlman adding violin and fiddle), exciting special effects from SHAOLIN SOCCER veteran Tony Ching Siu-Tung, and excellent acting.
Release details
DVD Region: DVD
Studio(s): Buena Vista Home Entertainment; Technicolor Distribution Services
Set 2,000 years ago, during the time of the Warring States, when seven kingdoms were battling for dominance, and one leader--the king of Qin (Chen Dao Ming)--was determined to end up victorious and unite all of China as one nation. The proud king is forced to live trapped alone in his palace as a remarkable trio of villains--Broken Sword (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk), and Sky (Donnie Yen)--are out to kill him. But one day a simple country prefect (Jet Li) shows up, announcing that he has killed all three assassins. Identifying himself as Nameless, the prefect tells in great detail how he got rid of the king's sworn enemies.
Languages
Main Language: Mandarin
Dubbed Language: English
Subtitle Language: English
Hearing Impaired Language: English
Technical information
Special Features: Inside The Action Conversation With Quentin Tarantino And Jet Li, Hero Defined, Storyboards
Aspect Ratio: 2.35 Wide Screen
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English Mandarin
Professional reviews
Review: You'll be hard pressed to find anything as visually dazzling... ever. (Empire, )
The most visually ravishing movie of the year. (The Daily Telegraph, )
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