Ying Xiong (Hero) is a masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (7 September 2004)

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.