Brilliant

Rating: 9/10 (28 December 2004)

Before I give my review, let me offer one suggestion that will help you appreciate this film. DO NOT SEE IT JUST ONCE. Watch it twice and then pass judgment. The film is so visually and artistically captivating that the plot can be harder to grasp the first time around. The second time around you'll get a better appreciation for the film.
I viewed this film with high expectations. People were comparing it with Crouching Tiger and I really enjoyed that film. Within the first 10 minutes you understand why the comparisons are made. The cinematography, editing, music and special effects are similar. The stories, however, are quite different, and I found the story to be better than the one in Crouching Tiger.
The story is about an assassin who concocts a plan to kill a king who had been trying to conquer his home land in pre-unified China. His assassination plan requires him to get close enough to the king to strike him dead. The movie shows the assassin's plan through a series of flashbacks, and culminates with the assassin getting his chance to kill the king.
The beauty of this film is the how the assassin becomes a "Hero". I won't spoil how he achieves this, but that is what made the film great for me. It made the film more than just a visual and musical masterpiece. It also made it more than just a Kung Fu picture. It actually added a decent plot to the film which made it worth while. Honestly, I was just expecting a good Kung Fu picture. Hero is actually a great overall movie which just happens to accent the film with some of the best Kung Fu action in recent years.
Definitely the best movie that I have seen this year. I hope it wins big at the awards ceremonies. It was impressive.
-- DP.