Hero
|
List Price: Our Price: $4.64 You Save: $10.35 (69%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.03 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Hero
Movie Review: Stunning Visuals: A Film with Deep Meaning, Culture, History
Summary: 5 Stars
With indelible impressions of the subtle beauty and depth of "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" and "House of Flying Daggers" still fresh on the mind, this viewer approached "Hero" with caution, anticipation and wonder ... could another WuXia film leave a similar impact? The answer is a joyful and reverberating "Yes!" The special features section of the DVD is just as important to view as the film itself. It is important to understand how the film was born and came to life on the screen. First, the decision to include some of the best and most famous Asian actors and actresses is highly critical. The fact that it took almost 24 months to complete the screen play, which was written by the Director, Zhang Yimou along with Li Feng and Ang Bin is most amazing and unique. It is a joy to hear Zhang Yimou, the director explain his view point in writing this unique story, which is crucial to understanding the deeper aspects of human nature. The creative process comes alive and it is just as fascinating to hear and understand as viewing the stunning film and scenery of different locations in China ...
The story line is subtle and simple: a Chinese swordsman is brought before the King of a province of China to explain how he managed to kill three assassins and arrive before the King within 10 paces of his throne. The king analyzes his story and through keen questioning, in a most legal and lawyer-like fashion, he dissects the truth. There is Confucious-like depth to the manner in which the story unfolds as the King is told the three different versions of the swordsman, Nameless's experiences.
Each story has one of these colors associated with it: red, blue, or green. Different aspects of the story are emphasized with other visual artistic wonders, for example, leaves falling during a fight between Nameless and Snow. In the final scene our "Hero" b helps unite China for future generations. The meaning and depth of the story and visual cinematography are priceless and beyond word descriptions. One must view the film for total appreciation where words do indeed fail. Erika Borsos [pepper flower"
Movie Review: Beauty for the Mind and Spirit
Summary: 5 Stars
This mythical account of the first emperor of China, Yinzheng (259-210 BC.), who started the Qin Dynasty, and who many attempted to assassinate, is glorious in its visual poetry, its flying martial arts, and the charisma of its actors. Yinzheng's desire to conquer his six neighboring provinces and unify the country led to years of bloodshed, and in this film, there are 2 men and a woman, who are mentally powerful enough and adept in their fighting skills to go against him. Jet Li is marvelous as the Nameless one, and Maggie Cheung gorgeous as Flying Snow, but it is Tony Leung ("Chungking Express") who shines above all. A man who exudes strength and beauty in many of its forms, he is fantastic as Broken Sword. Also excellent are Chen Dao Ming as the Yinzheng, Zhang Ziyi as Moon, and Donnie Yen as Sky.
For director/writer/producer Zhang Yimou, a master of dramas like "Raise the Red Lantern, " this was his first endeavor in the action genre, and he creates scenes that seem as though they are being sculpted, with flowing curtains and walls that tumble with ethereal grace. Christopher Doyle's cinematography of vast panoramas is a feast for the eyes, and added to this scenic banquet is a musical score by Tan Dun that is a delight, with violin solos by Itzhak Perlman. The story is also cleverly told, with various versions of the same plot presented. Satisfying on many levels, "Hero" is a stylish epic that can be seen repeatedly, with more to be gained with each viewing.
It is interesting to compare this film with Chen Kaige's exquisite "The Emperor and the Assassin," which tells basically the same story from an historical perspective. DVD extras include "Hero Defined," with interviews with the filmmakers and cast, "Storyboards," and "Inside the Action," a conversation with Jet Li and Quentin Tarantino. Total playing time is 99 minutes.
"People give up their lives for many reasons, for friendship, for love, or an ideal...and people kill for the same reasons."
Movie Review: Excellent film
Summary: 5 Stars
I feel sorry for anyone who will be seeing this film for the first time on a DVD on low-end tv set as the screen will not do it justice: not in terms of the glorious cinematography, some great fight scenes and the evocative landscape.
There are many reviews here that already talk about the plot of the film and so forth, so I mainly did this to give an opposing view on some points made by others, making it clear that I am a mere English speaker.
One review says that the Miramax English sub-titles are terrible in general. I would hope that he/she is not comparing it to the meagre offering presented in the official Chinese release DVD, which I own. The Miramax sub-titles are an IMMENSE imrpovement as they show a far firmer grasp on English idiom. The Chinese release sub-titles read like an ESL book: short, unimaginative and vague. The only time it shows any sort of superiority is near the end where "Our Land" turns out to be the more literal (and more accurate) "All Under Heaven"; and the closing sub-titles are much less cheesy and sentimental. However the Miramax sub-titles cannot be blamed for the fascist tones in the film: the plot and ending of the movie do that very well on their own. In addition, I saw no difference between the two version plot-wise: Miramax was indeed planning to change it, Tarantino protested, and it was left alone for the most part because Miramax stipulated that Tarantino's name had to be at the head of the credits, as you an see on the DVD cover. All this can be learnt at IMDB.
Additionally to say that the movie did not do well in North America is hilariously misguided: it debuted at No.1 and stayed in that spot for two weeks. How many foreign, sub-titled "indie" films manage to do that?
I plan to buy this DVD as well...the movie is that good. :) The characters are interesting, the story is riveting and the cinematography is gorgous (and I don't usually notice such things).
Movie Review: Don't Let The Cheesy Title Scare You Off
Summary: 5 Stars
Hero is one of the most magnificent foreign films to come out in a very long time. In fact, I haven't found any I quite liked since Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (which you can't help but mention when discussing Hero).
Jet Li (y'know, the famous action dude) stars as the warrior Nameless, who was left without parents when he was very young. In the opening of the story, he is summoned to the Emperor to gather his rewards for killing three wanted assassins: Sky (played by Donnie Yen), Broken Sword (Tony Leung, of In The Mood For Love), and Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung, of The Soong Sisters). There is also Broken Sword's young apprentice, Moon (Zhang Ziyi, of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). But as the story develops, you learn there are many secrets being hidden. This is the type of film that tells the same story several times, only different in each version. Everyone has a different idea of what has happened.
The great thing about this film is that the ball gets rolling right away. As opposed to Crouching Tiger (which I did also like), there was not much character development. But in spite of this, you will still feel for them all and feel very attatched to certain ones. Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung both pull off amazing performances. I also love to watch the two of them fight. Leung is very precise in his movements, almost as if (as mentioned in the movie) he is writing calligraphy as opposed to fighting. Cheung moves very gracefully and is dressed in robes with long sleeves, which paints a beautiful portrait. Her fighting techniques almost seem to be dancing with swords rather than out to kill.
This film is highly recommended to any foreign film lover, any action film lover, and any Zhang Yimou fan. Zhang is one of my favorite directors, and this is an all-time masterpiece.
Movie Review: Best movie of the year!
Summary: 5 Stars
This summer, with movies like I Robot, Sky Captain, and AVP, all of which are pretty good, but nothing spectacular, I was wondering if there would actually be a "best movie of the year". Over the past three years, we've been spoiled by the Lord of the Rings movies, but with that over, we'll just have to except the fact that there's not going to be another spectacular epic this December. So with LOTR gone, what will be the "best movie of the year"? I think I found that out on August 27th with the release of Hero, a Chinese martial arts epic from the producer of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. I first discovered Hero in a preview before I Robot. My reaction was: "Hey, that looks cool!" Closer to the release date, I started to see articles in the paper discussing the movie, each making me more and more interested. Finally, on the 27th of August, I read the four-star review in the tribune, and decided to see it myself.
Enough with that, on to my opinion. Hero is definitely the best movie since Return of the King, and if you pretend that wasn't made, it's the best movie of the century! The story, the visuals, the fights, it's more than you could ask for in a movie of any genera! To be polite, Hero completely blows Crouching Tiger, and Enter the Dragon (my other two favorite Martial Arts movies) 10,000 feet out of the water! (I won't ever bother comparing Hero to Hollywood trash like The Matrix.) Just a warning: if your dumb (like 99% of the population), this isn't the movie for you. This is an intellectual movie that makes you think to the point of almost going insane just trying to figure out what the heck is going on. But if you have a good sized brain, you'll be able to sit back, relax, and enjoy this great movie. Buy it today. When you do, your in for one heck of an epic thrill ride.