Near Unwatchable

Rating: 4/10 (6 March 2007)

Utterly dire. Whilst fearless has an interesting plot behind Chinas subtle bid for the Olympics, Hero will again and again remind you of how the only occupation of modern Chinese film-making is to reinforce national propaganda.
The comparison to Rashomon is not slight, however the entire plot for Hero could be written on one page without missing a single detail. The film relies on extended drawn out sequences of slowed choreography which were impressive in many of Jet Li's other works but lose all meaning when such vast quantities of CGI are added that the actors themselves seem detached reciting their lines.
Whilst the cinematography is not to be laughed at and the landscapes, both natural, man made and their juxtaposition in certain shots are more than impressive I found it impossible to really appreciate either whilst surrounded by a narrative that repeatedly attempts to glorify the ideals of one dead and many living fascist dictators.