Hero

Zhang Yimou’s Hero is a master work of art. Naturally, the martial art is spectacular and the cinematography is visually gorgeous; however, what strikes me the most is the intriguing storyline. My jaw dropped at the end of the film. It’s such a clever piece of writing with an inspiring philosophy behind it. To be honest, I can’t think of anything to write down without spoiling it. So you will have to take my word for it and find out for yourself. Either you’ll get it or you don’t. Apparently, some Western audiences don’t get it.

In term of visual effects, Hero has plenty of them and I just love the way they play with colors and color schemes. Noticeably, the outfits from the characters compliment the scenes surrounding them. I’ve always been inspired by use of bright and rich colors by the Chinese art and this film is no exception. As far as computer-generated effects, the rain of arrows is quite impressive. Furthermore, the battle between Nameless (Jet Li) and Broken Sword (Tony Leung) is just amazing, especially the water drop effect.

In term of characters, Tony Leung gives an outstanding performance as a highly respectable swordsman. He has convinced me with his multidimensional talent. Zhang Ziyi is as striking beautiful as always and Jet Li is pretty much Jet Li.

If you love Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragons, you’ll adore Hero. If you enjoy martial arts and visual stimulations, you’ll appreciate Hero. As for my recommendation, I urge you to pay close attention to the storyline. So bookmark this page, go enjoy the experience then come back here and we’ll discuss.