Nameless, Broken Sword and Flying Snow

Rating: Null/10 (24 July 2008)

I've liked most of Yimou Zhang's movies. 'Ying Xiong' (a.k.a. 'Hero') may not be one of his finest films but it's the execution that is fascinating. The visuals are breathtaking and the camera-work is energetic. Yimou's use of symbolism through elements like water, earth and wind and his use of colours (namely red, blue, white and green) is very amusing. The fight scenes are well choreographed but the slow motion and gliding in thin air is overdone (though not as irritatingly as was in 'Wo Hu Cang Long'). The background score flows beautifully with the ongoing sequences.
However, the main problem is the story. The first hour or so focuses on 3 different versions of one event most of which weren't true. The last 20 minutes shows us what really happened/happens and the conclusion is pointless. Well, the entire story has no point. Had Yimou picked a compelling story to tell, then 'Ying Xiong' may have been a masterpiece.
Jet Li fails to impress. He fails to show any emotion at all. Ziyi Zhang's expressions look forced. She lacks spontaneity. Daoming Chen is strictly alright. Donnie Yen does well in a small role. However, the best performances come from Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Maggie Cheung. They beautifully display the love between Broken Sword and Flying Snow and make it easier for the viewer to sympathize for them in spite of their flawed characters.
So, 'Ying Xiong' has almost everything going for it. It only needed a good story and better performances from some of the cast.