Knocks Crouching Tiger... into a cocked hat.

Rating: Null/10 (10 September 2003)

Now, I don't purport to be any great fan of Chinese period Martial Arts films, nor do I know much of them, but I found Crouching Tiger a little underwhelming. The stilted nature of the leads relationship, although deliberate, grated somewhat with the platonic love idea. I could at no point detect why there was, or ever had been, any feelings from either towards the other. This distraction, and the incomprehensible significance of the sword, pulled me away from engaging in what was otherwise a wonderful film.
Hero shares none of these faults. The story, although similarly told in flashbacks, and in multiple permutations, was far more engaging, linearly easy to grasp, while not being dumb. The photography was beautiful, the effects magnificently well used, and the scale of film beggars belief.
I could find no fault with this film, and only stop short of proclaiming it the best period martial arts film ever, because, well, it's just about the only one I've ever seen. The clarity of the story, the uncluttered, simple yet unforgettably beautiful cinematography and the functionality of the fight/battle sequences are, for myself at least, something of a benchmark.