A very good movie except for the wirework

Rating: 9/10 (6 September 2004)

Hero is a classic Chinese drama/tragedy.
Comparisons to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon will be made, but the two movies are very different. The cinematography in Hero was better and the tale is told in mostly flashback as opposed to "realtime" in CTHD.
I must admit, though, that I think the wire work detracts horribly from the grace and beauty of the martial arts scenes. I really don't know why Chinese directors are so enamored by it, and unfortunately American directors are becoming more enamored with it, too. And to be bluntly honest, this movie could have used at least one unarmed combat scene, instead of being all weapons.