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Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, Chen Daoming, Ziyi Zhang, Donnie Yen ... see more see more... , Prithviraj , Yami Gautam , Srikanth , Tony Leung Chiu Wai , Daoming Chen , Yimou Zhang , Tianyong Zheng , Zhongyuan Liu

Hero is two-time Academy Award nominee Zhang Yimou's directorial attempt at exploring the concept of a Chinese hero. During the peak of their Warring States period, China was divided into seven kingdo... read more read more...ms all fighting for supremacy. Most determined to dominate China was the kingdom of Qin, whose king (Chen Daoming) was wholly obsessed with becoming the first emperor of China. Though he was an assassination target for many, none of his would-be killers inspired as much fear as the legendary assassins Broken Sword (Tony Leung), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung), and Sky (Donnie Yen). In hopes of thwarting his death, the king has promised endless wealth and power to anyone who defeats his would-be murderers. No results come until ten years later, when a man called Nameless (Jet Li) brings the weapons of the three assassins to the Qin king's palace. Nameless claims to be an expert swordsman who had defeated Sky and destroyed the famed duo of Flying Snow and Broken Sword by using their love for one another against them. Once Nameless comes face to face with the king, however, it looks as if the situation is more complicated than he had thought. Also featured in Hero is actress Zhang Ziyi (The Road Home, Crouching Tiger, Hiden Dragon) as Broken Sword's devoted servant, Moon. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

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85% liked it

224,981 ratings

Critics

95% liked it

191 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 33 min.

Directed by: Diphan, Yimou Zhang

Release Date: August 27, 2004

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DVD Release Date: November 30, 2004

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Stats: 13,513 reviews

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Hero Hero Maggie Cheung Hero Hero Hero Sky Hero Moon Hero Hero With Maggie Cheung in Hero Among the Leaves Broken Sword and Flying Snow Moon Flying Snow Flying Snow Hero
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Flixster Reviews (13,513)

  • axadntpron
    April 25, 2012
    axadntpron
    I may not be a giant fan of wuxia, but I can appreciate an insanely detailed & stunningly beautiful film. Narratively speaking, it isn't the most engaging of films. However, it is an exercise in lavish cinematography in which Christopher Doyle does not disappoint. From the fight ... read morescene on the lake to the battle in the palace, one cannot help but be swept up in the exquisite color schemes & the stirring shot compositions.
  • garyX
    November 29, 2011
    garyX
    A lone warrior enters the palace of his emperor and tells the tale of how he defeated the three most feared assassins in the land. The most obviously striking element of Hero is its sheer visual beauty as it is packed to brimming with stunning costumes, colours and sets and uses ... read morethe same kind of graceful wirework that we encountered in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The fight choreography is also beautifully executed making for a very poetic martial arts film. Although clearly languishing in the back seat of Zhang Yimou's concept, the plot is actually a rather interesting hybrid of Rashomon and The Usual Suspects which adds a different twist to the usual "heroic warriors making noble sacrifices" formula of this type of thing. Because Zhang is so concerned with the visuals, the flashback format does mean that we don't really get enough time to get to know the protagonists which means there's little in the way of emotional involvement but as a sheer visual spectacle, Hero is second to none.
  • fb1216165431
    September 18, 2011
    fb1216165431
    Inspired by the assassination attempt on the King of Qin in 227 BC, Hero is a visual, emotional, social, and political triumph that overwhelmingly marvels with rhythmic movements, metrical narrative, and picturesque cinematography amplified by a palette of contrasting colors. Ove... read morerwhelming.
  • fb100002384654145
    June 11, 2011
    fb100002384654145
    This movie is truly a feast for the eyes. The fights are expertly choreographed and brilliantly filmed. These, combined with vibrant colors, turn the gravity-defying nature of the fights into a graceful art.

    Their are many beautiful scenes in this movie. One scene shows th... read moree protaganist Nameless(Jet Li) and Broken Sword(Tony Leung) sword battling while jumping on water. Another scene consists of a city getting showered with arrows while a calligraphy school goes on with their daily tasks.

    All this would mean little, however, if the movie didn't have a great story to back up the visually-exciting scenes. The story is mainly told through flashbacks as we see Nameless's journey of revenge to kill the Emperor. The story is brilliantly told and can be emotionally charging at times. Everybody in the film gives a great performance.

    Even if one is not a fan of martial arts films, this film should still be given viewing. The film gives the audience great fight scenes, art house cinemetography, and a compelling story.
  • jennifxu
    April 28, 2011
    jennifxu
    Not my cup of tea. Too "epic," too magic-steeped to make way for any kind of story or character development. I can't stand watching action sequences for too long, and this is stuffed to the brim with pointless kung fu.
  • flixsterman
    January 30, 2011
    flixsterman
    Looks like Crouching Tiger but plays out like Run Lola Run through a series of scenarios designed to keep us (the viewers) on our toes. Hero is admirably entertaining in spite of the fact that the whole sub-genre of gravity defying martial art films is weari... read moreng a little thin.
  • binky013
    January 24, 2011
    binky013
    What a cast! As some of you may know who've seen my past comments, I'm not a huge fan of wire work in martial arts movies, but I think it is spectacularly appropriate in this movie, in the same way it adds a great deal of visual excitement and poetic imagery in order to move the... read more story along in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Wire work simply for the sake of wire work pretty much undermines the purpose of martial arts movies. What I really want to see is some very accomplished practitioner, like Jet Li, do his thing without any kind of bogus wire enhancement. Practitioners like Li are so stunning all on their own that wire work is often superfluous, even distractingly stupid, in many films.

    There are loads of beautiful martial arts scenes here that are greatly enhanced by said wire work. Two fine examples of how good it can be when done right are the sorrowful lake fight between Li and Tony Leung, and the one-sided forest fight between Ziyi Zhang and Maggie Cheung -- neither of which actually take place, apparently. As such they present themselves along the lines of lies or dreams, and the wire work enhances these fabrications leading to the playing out of Li's grand deception. Definitely worth seeing multiple times.

    Again, what a cast! In the history of martial arts films, this one stands out as being among the very best.
  • sanjurosamurai
    January 15, 2011
    sanjurosamurai
    the film gets even better with extra viewings, the photography and use of color were mesmerizing and the action sequences shot extremely well. the film suffered from redundancy by necessity due to the story, but the idea and execution were phenomenal.
  • cosmo313
    January 11, 2011
    cosmo313
    A compelling story rooted in history, strong performances, thrilling action sequences, and absolute gorgeous cinematography join forces to create this beautiful and entertaining film that is a real work of art. As wonderful (and wonderful to look at) as this movie is, I'm refrain... read moreing from giving a higher grade because even though the wire work is cool, I got tired of it. I would prefer less wire work and more swordplay grounded in reality. Wire work in and of itself is cool, but sometimes I would prefer less artsy farsty and whimsy.

    I do appreciate the stylized nature of thigns though, and see a lot of this as haunting and beautiful poetry, but it was hard for me to really get in the mood with people flying around. For all my bitching though, I have to give major props to the choreographers-this is some crazy stuff to do and do well. Our story concerns a man who supposedly killed three assassins. While telling his sotry to the king, the true nature of events begins to be revealed. In a way, it seemed like Rashomon to me, which is cool and warranted.

    Li and the cast do a great job, and it is nice for me to see him in a non-American film as that is something I rarely get to experience. I am now feeling like I should see mroe films like this. The camera work, as stated above, is brialliant, and perhaps the best thing this film has going for it. This is a real feast for the eyes and ears, and the better screen and audio systems you have, the better this is. This is a film that deserves to be seen in a theater with state of the art technology. I'm bummed that I had to watch it on my tiny TV.

    The music is just as sweeping and poetic as the visuals, and complements things nicely. The story, while good, is a bit muddled though, so you have to pay attention, whic h can be hard if you have to read subtitles. All told, this is an incredible and unique film, but it left me drained, but also wanting more. A little more coherence, and a little morew realism, and this would be a real masterpiece on all levels.
  • MizturY0da
    September 8, 2010
    MizturY0da
    4 stars

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Critic Reviews

Andrew Sarris
September 9, 2004
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

I wouldn't have missed this spectacle for the world, and neither should you -- despite an admitted quirk in my political sensibility in these contentious times that keeps me from admiring the film who... Full Review

Richard Roeper
August 30, 2004
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

This is a fantastic film. Full Review

Peter Rainer
August 29, 2004
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

So deliriously chockablock with high-flying, color-coordinated fight scenes that non-aficionados may find it all a bit bewildering -- a gorgeous abstraction. It sure is gorgeous, though, and it has a ... Full Review

Charles Taylor
August 28, 2004
Charles Taylor, Salon.com

It's not too much to say that Hero is one of the most ravishing spectacles the movies have given us. Full Review

Geoff Pevere
August 27, 2004
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

If martial arts movies have always seemed like musicals with full body contact, Zhang Yimou's Hero is the closest the form has yet come to a full-blown Vincente Minnelli MGM extravaganza. Full Review

Carla Meyer
August 27, 2004
Carla Meyer, San Francisco Chronicle

Bursting with luscious color and stunning visual effects. Full Review

Joe Baltake
August 27, 2004
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

A film of one memorable movie moment after another. Full Review

Peter Travers
August 27, 2004
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Ravishes the eye without quite touching the heart.

Roger Moore
August 27, 2004
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Though Yimou never achieves the romance of Ang Lee's dabble in martial arts, he reaches new heights of spectacle with the combat. Full Review

V.A. Musetto
August 27, 2004
V.A. Musetto, New York Post

Full of passionate performances, sizzling swordplay, bold and dazzling hues, and breathtaking landscapes.

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