Good, but a tad overrated.

Rating: 7/10 (30 April 2007)

What many people probably don't know is that Zhang Yimou's "Hero" spent 2 years on the shelf before finally making it to the big screen, in America, anyway. Before it made it to American theaters, It was a smash hit in China and has already garnered a Best Foreign language Oscar nomination. I can say with absolute certainty that "Hero" is one of the most aesthetic films ever made. You'd be hard pressed to find a movie more visually breathtaking than this one. Every single frame of this film is like a Van Gogh painting. It simply has to be seen to be believed.
As a life-long martial-arts film enthusiast, I expected more in terms of entertainment but found the film a bit on the slow side. I'm not gainsaying that fact that the film was very well-made, I just wasn't very entertained by it. The story could've been a bit better. It was a bit too simplistic and prosaic for my liking. There isn't much to this film plot-wise. The fight sequences were a bit of a letdown for me. I prefer the fast and furious type of martial-arts fight sequences as opposed to the Peter Panesque, slow-mo ballet dance.
There were certainly several moments of sheer brilliance in the film, and for that reason, I'm recommending it. The performances are impressive. Jet Li isn't exactly a great dramatic actor but he's effective here. The beautiful acclaimed actress, Maggie Cheung, never fails to impress. She shines as "Flying Snow". Zhang Ziyi is wonderfully understated as "Moon". Tony Leung Chiu Wai, who appeared in Kar Wai Wong's masterpiece, "In The Mood For Love", with Maggie Cheung, also makes his presence felt. Donnie Yen, an accomplished martial-artist, had such infinitesimal screen time, much to my chagrin. I was hoping he had more fight sequences featuring him and Li.
In the final analysis, this is a very good film, but it isn't the masterpiece "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was.