The Usual Suspects entering The Matrix in China

Rating: 7/10 (27 February 2006)

The fans of this movie may tar and feather me for my opinion: But i am not a fan of all the exaggerated fighting-scenes. Of course, they are well made and really beautiful (i.e. the impressionistic "Duel in the yellow forest" remembers me to the gorgeous autumn-leafs-scene in "Bambi" ;-), but they are disturbing the story of the movie for me: The fighters "dancing" on the roofs, running over the water, flying trough the air... It looks like "Matrix in China" for me, but in "Matrix" all the fighting scenes are in a logical context, because the complete world in which they fight was only a simulation. But the story of "Hero" played in the real world. And i think, that even the best swordsman can't simply ignore the gravity laws. Maybe this is the way such stories was told in China; more like the traditional Chinese theater?
On the other side: The story, the core of the movie, was very good: The story was told trough different eyes in different versions, and if you think, you got it and know the truth now, another version of the same incident comes up and all is open again. It was sophisticated and twisted like "The usual Suspects". The "good guys" and the "bad guys" are not separated. Every new point of view give you new hints... and sometimes the wrong hints.
IMHO this movie would work better with less "Matrix-like" special effects and with a closer view on the captivating and twisted story. I give him 7 out of 10.