Hero - w/ Jet Li

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Der Alta

Der Alta

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DerAlta
Went to the 12:30 showing last night. Made it home and crawled into bed after 2am.

If you've seen and ejoyed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, go see this movie.

Jet Li does and excellent job. The supporting cast is excellent. You will never see a movie like this come from Hollywood. Whilst I enjoyed CT, HD immensely, this one does it a few steps better. They trimmed the love story down a supporting role, instead of taking a 20 minute jaunt into the desert like CT, HD. The action scenes were very poetic and incredibly flawless. The music was done as a supplement to the film, and you almost didn't notice that it was even there.

All things told, and excellent movie to take a date too.

Rich storytelling combine with beautiful poetry.

A most definite keeper when it comes to DVD.

AO
 
Its been out on dvd for a long time.This movie is 2 years old, its just new everywhere except asia.I think it looks like an amzing movie, after all it did win best foreign film at the 2002 oscars.
 
Chris Hendriks
Its been out on dvd for a long time.This movie is 2 years old, its just new everywhere except asia.I think it looks like an amzing movie, after all it did win best foreign film at the 2002 oscars.
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The winner for Foreign Language Film in 2002 was "No Man's Land." Is this another title for Hero? I'm not sure...
 
I didn't see any advertising for it, but my friends say it was advertised incorrectly. It's not a movie about fighting. It's actually a movie about the history of China, and uses several fight scenes which involve significant sword play.

I thought it was ok. Good for a discounted price (: Would have been better if I knew how to speak their Chinese.
 
I have seen a Hong Kong film called Hero with Jet Li at least 4-5 years ago, but I'm thinking this one is a different one that just happens to have the same name for some stupid reason. The one I've seen was one of Jet Li's better flicks, but not quite what you describe - I wouldn't link it to CT, HD anyways.

I'll look into it.

EDIT: nope, that's definitely what I saw back then - maybe a remake, but otherwise definitely a re-release. I lived in the center of Amsterdam from 1997 to 2001 and discovered Jet Li in that period, and my local videostore had two racks full of Asian imports, including pretty much all of Jet Li's movies. I think one of the few I didn't see back then was Tai Chi master, which I still want to see, but now with a friend who's proficient Tai Chi herself.

EDIT: watching the trailer now, awesome! Definitely a remake, not a rerelease! Quentin Tarantino as director, that's very fitting. :) I'm glad Jet Li gets another shot at a high quality movie, he can and should carry slighly more serious roles than Jacky Chan. I loved him in Fist of Legend (remake of Fist of Fury, interestingly this story has been done by Jet Li, Jacky Chan AND Burce Lee), which is my Jet Li all-time favorite. Then come the Once Upon a Time in China films, which are great too ...
 
I saw it on opening day and was very impressed. The cinematics of the film were beautiful. The way the fights scenes looked and how every scene could be a picture in itself was a true testament to the skills behind the film.

What i liked more than anything was the use of language. They never said anything that didnt need to be said. Every word was to the point ahd left you to just enjoy the film. IMO, its the best foreign film ive seen in a long time. Good stuff.
James-
 
Arwin
Quentin Tarantino as director, that's very fitting.
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Quentin Tarantino didnt direct this movie, as it says on the trailers PRESENTED BY QUENTIN TARANTINO.He just bought it from the original makers and is releasing it in north america.This most likely is the movie u saw because nobody has ever remade it so there is only one hero movie.
 
Thanks Chris, missed that.

But I still don't think it's the Hero I saw. That movie was much, much more rough ... the story is very familiar though. Maybe I'm mixing up Last Hero in China with another film in which there's some massive battles involving some very hectic stuff. But they definitely all precede this one, this one is looking several notches more polished.
 
Der Alta
They trimmed the love story down a supporting role, instead of taking a 20 minute jaunt into the desert like CT, HD.
AO
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Ah, so I'm probably not the only one who uses the "skip" button to pass that part of the movie.
 
Arwin
I loved him in Fist of Legend (remake of Fist of Fury, interestingly this story has been done by Jet Li, Jacky Chan AND Burce Lee), which is my Jet Li all-time favorite.
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Yeah. That was a great, great movie. Probably my favorite Jet Li flick as well.


I haven't had a chance to catch Hero in the theaters yet, but I have seen it on DVD. Highly recommended. One of the best looking movies I've ever seen, I loved the colors. 👍
 
I saw this film on Friday and can't rave enough about it. What a brilliant, beautiful and moving piece of filmmaking. I'm deeply impressed. I especially enjoyed how each telling of the story revealed more and more about each of the characters and how they became entirely different people as you watched their different facets on display--yet each facet being somehow true to the core character. Bravo.

Does anyone know if the imported DVDs will work in Region 1 players?


M
 
I saw this film on Friday and can't rave enough about it. What a brilliant, beautiful and moving piece of filmmaking. I'm deeply impressed. I especially enjoyed how each telling of the story revealed more and more about each of the characters and how they became entirely different people as you watched their different facets on display--yet each facet being somehow true to the core character. Bravo.
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I watched it last night. I did enjoy it quite a bit, although I have to admit that the crouching tiger effects took me out of the fight scenes a bit.

There was one effect that was either embarassingly taken from the Matrix Revolutions, or the other way around.

It was certainly an attractive movie and I enjoyed the story and the acting.

///M, what movie did this remind you of that we both liked?
 
danoff
I watched it last night. I did enjoy it quite a bit, although I have to admit that the crouching tiger effects took me out of the fight scenes a bit.

There was one effect that was either embarassingly taken from the Matrix Revolutions, or the other way around.

It was certainly an attractive movie and I enjoyed the story and the acting.

///M, what movie did this remind you of that we both liked?
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*SPOILERS AHEAD*



Braveheart, actually. Except in this case the two heros give up their lives in order to establish a tyranny, rather than fight one. Wallace fights Edward the III, but in the end, Nameless gives up his life for the King so he can unify the country. The story even incorporates an uncompromising Wallace type character in Flying Snow, who becomes a tragic character because she is so uncompromising.

I find this theme fascinating from a philosophical stand point, because it turns the idea of what it is to be a patriot completely upside down. The two DVDs sit right beside each other in my movie collection.


M
 
Incidently, to anyone considering purchasing this DVD, I should report that it is a lousy transfer. Lots of grain. Too much noise. It does the original material little credit. I can over-look it because it is an increadible story and I would prefer a substandard version rather than not having it at all.

Hopefully, Miramax will remaster the original prints one day and issue a proper release.


M
 
Incidently, to anyone considering purchasing this DVD, I should report that it is a lousy transfer. Lots of grain. Too much noise. It does the original material little credit. I can over-look it because it is an increadible story and I would prefer a substandard version rather than not having it at all.
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I completely agree it was very grainy and that took away from the major-camera-pullback scenes. I was pretty dissapointed by that.


Braveheart, actually. Except in this case the two heros give up their lives in order to establish a tyranny, rather than fight one. Wallace fights Edward the III, but in the end, Nameless gives up his life for the King so he can unify the country. The story even incorporates an uncompromising Wallace type character in Flying Snow, who becomes a tragic character because she is so uncompromising.
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I guess one could consider these two movies opposites. They start out the same, with the different characters wanting to wipe out a tyranny but they end oppositely.

I have to say that it goes against my grain to define a patriot as one who wishes to protect the lives of his country at any cost. I can understand the viewpoint and it made for an interesting movie, but for many, it is better to die than live under a tyranny. Though the circumstance in this movie was different.

In Hero, the cause that the "good guys" (they were kinda all good guys) were fighting for was that their king have the tyranny instead of the other guy's king. Nobody was fighting for freedom, they were simply fighting for their homeland's tyranny. In the end almost all of the characters realized that it was all the same - and so they chose the way of minimal bloodshed. That they never realized that freedom is possible is perhaps the real tragedy.
 
Looks like I'm THE minority here, but I didn't care that much for this film. The major flaw in the movie for me was when they kept telling different version of how the three great warriors had died. After the third version of the story, I was little annoyed. Visuals were beautiful, but I thought some of the special effects were an overkill, especially those arrows.

I thought the movie was ok, but nowhere near the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Just my opinion.
 
I couldnt find a thread about this film, so i thought i'd start one.

I will start by saying i HATED Crouching monkey hidden dooda. And only recently saw Flying Daggers and was plesently suprised so i thought i'd try Hero.

It is hard to review this film, so i wont call this a review, more of a simple, my opinion. ITs hard because i thought it was one of the best films i've ever seen, yet i found so many things to be wrong with it!
Bad things:
1, the wire work. I dont mind it when they use to enhance a kick/punch, but when they do that flying/floating thing, especially the bit over the water, i truelly hate it!
2, the supposedly beautiful use of colour. How is making one room all green, then another all blue, then the next red beautiful?? All it is, is odd to look at and hurts your eyes.
3, the ending was a bit limp. (I refer to the bit with Nameless, not anything before it).

But, and this is a big full rounded J Lo style but. The film was absolutely superb, brilliant, excellent!!
Good things:
1, To start off, i loved the fights (when they wernt using wires).
2, the actors. All of them were excellent, Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Maggie Cheung, Toney Leung & the lovely Ziyi Zhang.
3, the story/ plot telling, simply it was just very well made!
4, the end bit with Maggie & Tony, amazing! i actually cried!

All in all, a film with major flaws, that i thought was absolutely excellent! lol, not my best summary, but i'll stick with it.
8/10

What does everyone esle think??
 
I enjoyed this film. I can see why people don't like the "floating" in Crouching Tiger but personally, I thought it was integral to the style of the movie. This movie had some very good filmmaking, I liked the scene with the leaves.
 
The original Hero thread. :p It's OK though, I missed it the first time too. I just remembered this old thread, because I think I was the only one who didn't like the movie. I enjoyed the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", but hated "Hero".
 
I think that all movie's that have been mentioned above are fantasticle, this is why there is flying :D weeee... But I can see why people didnt like it, Me? I loved it. CTHD was a very nice movie, only gripe was the name of the sword "Green Destiny Sword" a bit lame IMO. House of the flying daggers I also loved good acting and good story look stupendus too. Hero again I liked the movie on the whole but i agree with 555 that the ending let it down.

CTHD 8/10
Hero 7/10
HFD 8/10
 
I liked CTHD but didn't think it was great, HoFD I thought was great, all exept for the ending, I thought the girl survided too many times. Hero, I've not had chance to watch all the way through, what I have seen was good but I've only seen half an hour of it at best.
 
Wow, the amount of times people have said, "i can see why some people dont like the floating/flying thing, but i liked it" lol. Does knowone else actually find it as infuriating as i do??

Hero - 8/10
HOFD - 7/10
CTHD - 3/10
 
I don't like it, I think the films would all have been better without it, but they didn't ruin any of thoes movies.
 
I liked Hero, but I found HOFD to be better.

The Hero storyline confused me no end.

Wasn't a great fan of CTHD.
 

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