IMDb user comments for
Ying xiong (2002)

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17 out of 24 people found the following comment useful :-
Beautiful., 13 December 2004
Author: Ebert-s_Worst_Nightmare from Canada

In all honesty, Hero required a bit more patience than I thought. Tarantino wanted to present this movie to North American audiences so I thought there would have been more action, but surprise! There is much drama in Hero and the movie begins with one intention and unfolds, in a deceptively beautiful fashion, into a legend that is much larger than the characters themselves are involved! Why did it have to take so long to prove such a point?

Anyway, a man who shall remain Nameless has dispatched the kingdom's three top assassins, thus easing the King's mind that he could sleep at night. But the King is curious and we see the true story and how the tale unfolds.

The fights are beautiful. The battle between Snow and Moon, though lopsided, was a joy. It was art in itself. But overall, be patient. With the many changes in the story, I lost my concentration adjusting to it. But any fan of martial arts and drama must see this movie. It is that elegant.

14 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
Superb, 17 November 2004
Author: jc2ho from Markham, Canada

I just watched Hero a second time. The first time was done about two years ago. I wasn't too impressed then. Perhaps I liked Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon more and I was constantly drawing comparison to it while watching Hero. I also had extremely high expectation. As a result, I was quite disappointed.

The second viewing experience was very much different. I knew what the story was about. So I focused more on the camera style, cinematography and acting skills etc. And I liked it much more.

It's an excellent movie. Must-see for every kung-fu movie fan, or those who like fantasy or history or drama or romance. Well, that's almost everyone.

17 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :-
I hate to be the one that spoils the party, but is this really one of the best movies of the year?, 30 November 2004
Author: Graham Deans Williamson from Middlesbrough, England

First things first - Zhang Yimou is a very, very good director indeed. Let's get past the amazing number of extras for the army scenes, because 'Troy' (2004) could boast the same stuff and that didn't get people in as much of a froth as this film. It's the little things, really. Any old hack can shoot a hundreds-strong army in an interesting way, but finding strong visual interest in a falling raindrop and a slight breeze? That's genius. That's true talent. And it goes without saying that the bigger visual aspects are well-chosen too; the scenery is stunning, the costumes scarcely less so (though the 'white robes' segment oddly put me in mind of the Polyphonic Spree).

What most people don't seem to have mentioned which really impressed me is the use of sound, though. Yimou carefully selects which 'natural' noises he wants to use in amongst the expected chanting, percussive beats, strings etc, creating a weird kind of symphony from the reverberations and clangs of the fighters' swords. In many ways, the action scenes aren't action scenes - they're anti-action scenes, with the water-surface fight in particular creating more of an impression of grace and beauty than excitement. That said, he also drops in a fight between Maggie Cheung and Zhang Ziyi which is so vicious the two fighters create a tornado of leaves around them.

Such is the beauty of Yimou and cinematographer Chris Doyle's work that many reviewers engage in an amazing fan-dance to avoid mentioning the film's problems. For instance, Jeremy Heilman of MovieMartyr.com, says of the conversations between Nameless and the King:

"Zhang almost explicitly acknowledges this framing device's stodginess, opting to shoot all of the duo's conversations in a decidedly non-flashy shot/counter-shot style."

Yes, that is one interpretation. Another is that Yimou has actually significantly overestimated his cast and script's ability to hold the viewer's attention on their own.

My problems with the film aren't the same as other reviewers. The fights are no more unrealistic than a superhero film, and the overall effect is so surpassingly beautiful it overrides all objections. As for the supposed Communist message, taken on its own terms it's nothing more subversive than a call for peace and unity. Certainly the Chinese authorities probably funded this with the idea of improving their country's image, but I couldn't shake the pleasant feeling that Yimou had pulled a fast one on them - the image of the library collapsing, for example, struck me as a slyly witty take on what the Chinese government would like to do to all repositories of learning.

The problem with Hero is that it's so bloody serious, and like so many films which refuse to even countenance the idea of laughter, it becomes frequently unintentionally funny. Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi at one point partake in the most hilariously dreadful sex scene outside the works of Paul Verhoven. There's a crowd of messengers who all shout the same things at exactly the same time, making me briefly wonder whether this was also a musical. The King of Qin is played by Daoming Chen, whose acting ability consists of SHOUTING A LOT!!! There are so many other scenes which enter a nearly-parodic level, but rather than acknowledge the inherent melodrama and silliness that a wuxia can slip into, I felt like I was being scolded for laughing.

Speaking of actors, it's nice to see Jet Li back in a Hong Kong movie, but his Man With No Name proxy crossed the line between 'enigmatic' and 'dull' too many times for me. Zhang Ziyi hints that, if given the right vehicle, she might have the chops to back up the looks - '2046' (2004), perhaps? As usual, Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung outclass everyone. Their scenes are so good it drains any remaining interest out of the main story.

Yimou can certainly mount a battle scene - his device of allowing a distant cloud to coalesce into a swarm of arrows is stunning. The scene with the calligraphers should be shown in every English class in the world as a heartbreaking tribute to the power of human intelligence and the written word. And perhaps I'm judging him so harshly because his ambitions are so high - maybe I should just be grateful someone's trying to make a classic out there. But when this film is sold as being superior to 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' (2000), I expect an evolution. Despite producing the best-looking wuxia ever, Yimou's work is a regression on 'CTHD' in so many ways - such as emotional involvement, or allowing actors to actually play characters rather than Expressions Of Important Ideas About Nationhood. As a result, I found this film felt so much longer than its slim 90min running time.

Still, I look forward to 'House of Flying Daggers' (2004), wherein Yimou is said to lash his undeniable brilliance to a sense of humour, a sturdier plot and a greater focus on romance - especially welcome since the Leung/Chung/Ziyi love triangle is easily the best thing about this film, despite that sex scene. Let's see it.

11 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
Some of the most astonishing cinematography I've ever seen., 15 November 2004
Author: Chuck Anziulewicz (PolishBear@aol.com) from West Virginia

Some reviewers have suggested that the storyline of this movie is a bit plodding and portentous, and I'd be willing to allow that. But even if this film had absolutely no plot to speak of, I would have considered the money I plunked down yesterday to see "Hero" to be money well-spent, because I have been witness to some of the most achingly beautiful film-making I've ever seen. As in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," the characters here fly through the air and dance across water, but "Crouching Tiger" surely could have benefited from the sublime camera eye of "Hero." One scene of swordplay in particular that takes place in a grove of trees amongst swirling yellow leaves almost stopped my heart in my chest: It was that gorgeous. And yes, there is a plot also, one that involves various assassins with names like Sky, and Broken Sword, and Flying Snow. I have to admit that the tales and counter-tales told were a bit confusing at first, but by the time the film is over, all the pieces have fallen into place, and this chapter of ancient Chinese history has assumed a truly mythical quality. At a time when movie theaters show a lot of utter dreck, we ought to be supporting movies like this.

6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Space, 8 September 2004
Author: tedg (tedg@alum.mit.edu) from Virginia Beach

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Spoilers herein.

Two things interesting about this project. First, the sad news, at least for the Chinese, that the Japanese have finally won. This is a Japanese film in all important respects: the theming by lush color, the rather modern notion of benevolent conquest (genuinely originating in the Persians but only used since as justification for selfish empire, specifically in this case Japanese conquest - and adopted by the Chinese only since the war) and of course the wholesale swallowing of Kurosawa.

Kurosawa is here obviously in the story: it is half 'Rashomon' and half 'Ran.' But more important is Kurosawa's theory of film as a device to capture space. As with Parisian impressionist painters, the thing painted is not the point. It provides an origin only; the painting is about all the magical things that happen in the space between the subject and the viewers eye. The paintings, and Kurosawa's films are about that space.

Kurosawa invented the technique of shooting from very far away with a telephoto so as to flatten space, and at the same time creating (usually three) layers of space. Often, he would engage the space directly.

This masterful film is obsessive about the point and may be the most lush swim in dimensional space you are likely to find with the technology we have. Every shot is oriented around not the action, but the space that contains the action. Falling water, dust, lots of blown fabric and hair, feathers, arrows, even book tablets and those leaves! With lots of bamboo screens, all these are used to show the space, plus the usual fantastic mountains, clouds and forests - even at the end the Great Wall and of course the moving waves of soldiers and courtiers.

The matter is not lost in the copious allusions to mental space: the game of Go, music, calligraphy, politics, and love. All these are defined, exercised and conflated with one another in terms of space and the intrigue of space with a little more effort in the latter items on the list. Then, waving lamps are used to make 'murderous intent' spatial.

Unlike 'Crouching Tiger' which this resembles not at all, the camera is static, not dancing. Where Lee emphasized the ballet of the fight by engaging his camera, Zhang stands back in the space. Where Lee conceives fights not among the participants but their masters, Zhang shows us not the fights, but the battles among the true worlds of the fights - the worlds of different colors.

What we see could be the imaged Go game, or the imaged fight within it, or the imaged story Nameless tells, or the one the King tells and on and on with nestings of imaginations.

Every nation creates their own movie to explain themselves. We in the US seem to like more militarist stuff. Except for the thuggish motive (my war for my kind of peace), we would do well to have stories about stories like this one through four layers until they reflect back on the origin. Complex story space in rich real space.

If you are going to see this, you really must see 'In the Mood for Love,' which features Broken Sword and Flying Snow in something of the same relationship they have here. It is one of the best films ever made and truly spatial in a purely Chinese manner. It will completely transform your enjoyment of this.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

6 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
The best martial arts film ever made, 24 February 2004
Author: rcropperUK from Leeds

Rarely have I been so astounded by such a magnificent, awe-inspiring film. If you have not yet placed your eyes on this masterpieceof chinese film then I cannot recommend this highly enough. 'Hero' is by far the best chinese film I have ever seen, and already a firm favourite of all time. The imagery is unparrelled, simply draw-droppingly near perfect scenes, with bold and vibrant use of colour, symbolism and scenery. The fluent flow of the storyline, the delicate direction of the sword slicing action, the chinese cultural concepts and the emotionally charged scenes between characters combine to produce a simply remarkable achievement. This film has a few elements from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, but is far, far superior in every way. The sleak direction from Yimou Zhang is so perfectly done, just imagine two martial arts experts ensuing in battle against each other, defying the laws of physics as we know it, and yet following them in 360 degrees in slow motion as one deflects a droplet of rain from one sword to the other, at the same time spinning and leaping over water... simply beautiful. The attack sequences are also superbly set, with hundreds of thousands of the King's warriors in formation, simultaniously firing enough arrows into the city which literally cover the sky, in addition to the viewer being able to watch the journey of a single arrowhead aimed during this event. The build up to the attack along with the unnerving tune of a chinese stringed instrument help you, as the audience, to become firmly engrossed in your seat. The special effects are simply out of this world and need to be witnessed as you really only know they are special effects, not because they look slighty out of place, but because it is just impossible to film otherwise. This is how SFX should be done. The individual martial arts is also second to none, as i know you would want to see, the distant shots of the whole battle sequence showing the true skills involved with fighting, such as footwork, perfect timing, aggression, counter attacks and defense. Jet Li shows he is truly the grand daddy of martial arts. I cannot stress enough how much you need this film in your life. The colourful imagery imposed by the director will take your breath away with luscious, vivid, bright, wind-blown, draped backgrounds as the setting for the important progression of the story. Even the story itself is brought to the audience in such a way which ensures your undivided attention, as there are twists in the tales and hidden plots which do not develop until the end of the film. Even short individual scenes are memorable due to their sheer awesome display of skill and speed. hope I have sold this film to you enough as this film even holds a political message which is relevent to all times, especially in today's American-lead world dominance. This film has absolutely everything - incuding an extremely sexy young Ziyi Zhang who simply is the most refreshing thing to come out of china since SARS. This film was released in 2002, but this is certainly one of my all time favourites and will probably be the best film I see all year. I have never been more enthusiastic to pursue films in this genre in my life.

2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
visually stunning piece of art, 19 January 2005
Author: daisuke69 from California

This movie, contrary to many Hollywood movies, focuses as much on the visual style as it does on the story behind the beauty, perhaps even too much so.

I was completely impressed and blown away by the changes of color, the amazing backdrops (unlike some current Hollywood movies where everything is left to CGI) and the sets used, the acting of everyone involved is excellent and the action sequences are very well played out with a lot of detail given to minor things in those scenes even when they're likely to pass unseen.

It's irresistible to compare this movie to crouching tiger, hidden dragon, but the fact is that they're pretty much in different genres, crouching tiger is a pure action fantasy that follows a linear plot. Hero resides more in the realm of artistic and independent films, using a less conventional or linear script mixed in with visual cues and metaphors. While I do love the movie and would give it a 7.5 or 8 out of 10, the plot itself plays against it as much as it helps it, I found myself falling asleep while I lay in bed watching it, probably because the movie revisits the same place and story over and over again with different twists to change the tempo. I believe that the plot would have made a better book than it did a film, but then again, and I can't seem to stop mentioning it, the use of such stunning color contrasts and backdrops would be lost to a reader. For the record, I have fallen asleep to other great but slow moving films in the past.

This movie is a must watch, just don't rent or buy it expecting an action movie because that's not what it's about.

2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Ying Xiong (Hero) is a masterpiece, 7 September 2004
Author: chris-1004 from SC, US

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Most people are quick to compare Ying Xiong (Hero) to Wo Hu Cang Long (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon). They are both in the same genre, but entirely different movies.

While it is important to note that both films are masterpieces of cinematic opera, Wo Hu Cang Long is a throwback to the classic action epics of early Chinese films, similar to the swashbuckling films out of Hollywood. It makes no apologies for the silliness of the early films, including flying swordfighters. Ying Xiong is more of a play on those films and the stories that inspired them.

Jet Li plays a nameless assassin who offers the King of Qin the weapons of his three greatest enemies. In doing so, he tells a fanciful tale of how he defeated them with both his sword and his mind. Following this, the King explains what he believes took place. It is a tale of deceit aimed at getting the assassin in place to kill the King. Their stories are enacted on screen through a feast of color and sound.

Knowing a touch of Chinese history, it is clear that the King of Qin cannot be killed. He unites all of China under one ruler. Like watching Titanic while knowing that it would sink in the end, it is still captivating to see how the nameless assassin will react as the King uncovers his secret motive.

It is also important to note that all of the fanciful swordplay and flying takes place in the stories told by the assassin and the King, not in the parts of the film intended to be on a real world foundation. For those who were turned off by the unrealistic stunts in Wo Hu Cang Long, it is easy to accept the same actions in Ying Xiong.

3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Review, 3 December 2004
Author: nicholas741 from Australia

Hero is a visually stunning canvas of energetic movement and dancing colour caught up in an emotionally reminiscent battle of wits between a king and an assassin. Most of the amazingly captured fight scenes may leave you wondering what actually happened, therefore my best advice is to pay attention and note what colours are being worn during each scene. The story is historic and purposely confusing and would set a contemplative mind into much reflection, which in my opinion is the avenue to which the moral makes it's point. Besides the intellectual, the actual "Hero" of this film is the fight scenes themselves and the brilliant use of colour. Now I know the point of the movie I may now go back without my reading glasses (sub-titles) and just sit and watch the amazing martial arts. I would give this one a 7 out of 10.

5 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
A tribute to Chinese Dictators, 30 August 2004
Author: eric1

As a Chinese, I can not believe the movie got a rate this high in U.S. And I don't think you guys get it. It's not fantasy, the Emperor in it is the first guy to conquer the whole land of China, to do that, his army left a lot of bloodshed. A couple of times,they buried hundreds of thousands people alive.That's why there are so many killers aiming him, they want revenge. But in the movie, this chinese Hitler became the good guy, his side is the good, the killers are all wrong. So according to me and a lot of chinese moviegoers, Hero is a tribute to the chinese dictators behind the Tian-An-Men massacre.Its main idea is that it's everyone's duty to sacrifice himself for the emperor a.k.a the dictator. If you guys love the combat, give it 6 or 7, but don't give it a 10.

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