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Highly regarded Chinese director Zhang Yimou, like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's Ang Lee, always wanted to make a martial-arts movie that had a stronger story and more emotional resonance than the typical chop-socky offerings. He succeeds beyond his wildest expectations with Hero, which stars Jet Li as a warrior known only as “Nameless.” Nameless is called before the king to explain how he killed the three fearsome assassins who had threatened the throne; and what unfolds is a Rashomon-like recounting of his exploits, which the king comes to regard with suspicion. The three killers are played by Asian stars Donnie Yen (as Sky), Tony Leung (as Broken Sword), and Maggie Cheung (as Flying Snow), with Crouching Tiger tigress Zhang Ziyi thrown into the mix as Moon, Broken Sword’s devoted servant. With its fable-like story line, engaging romantic subplots, intricate action sequences, and painterly visuals, this stirring film transcends the genre. We should note one of this DVD's numerous supplemental features: "Inside the Action" begins as a conversation between director Quentin Tarantino -- who gets a "Quentin Tarantino Presents…" credit above the title -- and top-billed Jet Li, but it spreads beyond them to encompass remarks by others involved with the production. The focus here is on the martial-arts sequences, the preparations for which are described in painstaking detail. Somewhat surprisingly, Li reveals to Tarantino his admiration for Uma Thurman's fight sequences in the Kill Bill films; he explains that the genre's best performers convey emotion through their physicality, something he believes Thurman accomplished quite skillfully. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

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 kingdoms 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, All Movie Guide

Product Details

• UPC: 786936789188
• Source: MIRAMAX
• Region Code: ABC
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Editions: Special Edition, Subtitled, Dubbed
• Time: 1:39:00
• Sales Rank: 8,095

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Ultimate Force of Four

Features: