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Hero

Ying Xiong (Hero)

2002

Zhang Yimou

Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi ...

7.3

35,202

Action. Drama 2003 Foreign Language Oscar nominee. At the height of China's Warring States period, the country was divided into seven kingdoms: Qin, Zhao, Han Wei, Yan, Chu and Qi. For years, the separate kingdoms fought ruthlessly for supremacy. The Qin King was obsessed with conquering all of China and becoming her first Emperor. He had long been the target of three legendary assassins. To anyone who defeated the assassins, the King promised great ... [+]

	Media	Author	Review
		Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times	"A film like "Hero" demonstrates how the martial arts genre transcends action and violence and moves into poetry, ballet and philosophy (...) a visual poem of extraordinary beauty (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"
		Manohla Dargis The New York Times	"If 'Hero' proves to be less than the sum of its attractive parts, it's nonetheless generally pleasurable"
		Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times	"The most artistically sophisticated, most formally beautiful martial arts film the genre has seen"
		Michael Wilmington Chicago Tribune	"Swooningly beautiful, furious and thrilling, Zhang Yimou's Hero is an action movie for the ages"
		Adam Smith Empire	You'll be hard pressed to find anything as visually dazzling as this in cinematic history."
		Mike Clark USA Today	"One of those pictures in which the hypnotic visuals are the movie, and the viewer has to decide whether this is enough (...) Rating: ★★½ (out o 4)"
		Scott Tobias AV Club	"As a technical achievement, Hero finds Zhang at the height of his powers, effortlessly expanding into complex genre filmmaking without losing his command"
		Peter Travers Rolling Stone	"Just don’t expect another Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (...) Ravishes the eye without quite touching the heart (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"
		Carla Meyer SFGATE	"'Hero' might have gotten by on looks alone. But filmmaker Zhang Yimou complements the action with a serious examination of the nature of heroism"
		V.A. Musetto New York Post	"Full of passionate performances, sizzling swordplay, bold and dazzling hues, and breathtaking landscapes."

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