Think "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"

Rating: 7/10 (2 December 2004)

"Hero" is by all accounts a very big if not huge movie with plaudits aplenty from critics and public. The film tells a sort of epic adventure fairy tale about an assassin (Jet Li) and a handful of cohorts who conspire to kill a king which is high melodrama Chinese style and not likely to have a great appeal to westerners. What sets "Hero" apart from most other martial art films is the spectacular locations, sets, costumes, music, CGI, and state-of-the-art production value. Lyric, beautiful, and very Asian, "Hero" will play best with fans of "Crouching Tiger..." who don't mind watching people flying around like Peter Pan while flailing away with their swords. (B+)