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Hero
Hero
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Hero

Hero

2002
Romance, Drama
2h 0m
The time: two thousand years ago. The place: the violent dawn of the Qin dynasty. The story: the soon-to-be First Emperor of China is on the brink of conquering a war-torn land. Three opponents are determined to assassinate him and one loyal subject stands in their way. (Miramax)

Hero

2002
Romance, Drama
2h 0m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 62.69% from 7796 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(7847)
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Rated 18 Jan 2008
1
6th
It tries to be something epic and poetic, but really it's just artificial and silly. Occasionally it achieves a moment of visual brilliance, but that's the only compliment I've got for it (and I think it's mostly overrated in that department anyway). The story is boring, and its structure is pretty horrible. As it goes on it tries to reveal that the characters have more emotional motivation than you first realized, but still I couldn't care less.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
94
96th
A stunningly beautiful movie with an interesting plot. The color schemes really sold this one for me.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
75
59th
Looks absolutely fantastic (even better than Crouching Tiger), and has an interesting narrative structure and matching color scheme. But the story seems fairly artificial and not all that interesting.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
8
93rd
My favorite of the recent string of overly lushly filmed Chinese martial arts super-epics. The story is deceptively shallow, but here's the thing: it's absolutely gorgeous. The use of color, the art direction, the epic sets, the flowing kinetic motion in the fight and action scenes, holy fucking wow does it look amazing. It also doesn't hurt that the fight scenes rock my cock.
Rated 10 Jan 2009
100
98th
So beautiful and illustrious it's almost impossible to breathe through.
Rated 28 May 2008
92
83rd
Modern visual poetry. If you can appreciate good choreography in a martial arts movie, and a Kurosawa inspired story, this one is recommended.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
65
56th
Hero is one of those movies that was way too short. I was expecting a three-hour epic from what I heard about the movie's plot. I didn't think the Rashomon-rip style of story-telling was done effectively, and although I enjoyed the way they defined a true hero (basically mocking off American film's version of one), it was anti-climactic. But beautiful fight scenes keep the score up.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
65
25th
Disappointing. I had high hopes -- a wuxia movie directed by Zhang Yimou with a great cast. There were scenes of exquisite beauty (especially in the color palettes), and a couple of good fight scenes, but on the whole it was all rather boring. Oh well.
Rated 25 Oct 2021
25
11th
O kadar saçmalık, propaganda ve gereksiz şiirsellik dolu ki film bitince omzumda buzdolabı taşımış gibi hissettim. verilen puanları zaten tam anlayamadım.
Rated 13 Apr 2019
78
56th
An exquisitely filmed and designed epic with a coldly mechanical plot grinding away; the superb technical elements, including a striking and inventive use of colour to distinguish the competing narratives, make you wish Yimou could tell this story with a little more genuine passion; stoic performances by most of the cast, save Cheung, don't help in this regard. There's still plenty to luxuriate in, including the genuinely staggering epic sweep Yimou brings to his battle scenes.
Rated 06 May 2013
82
93rd
One of the most stunning and beautiful films I've ever seen. Even after I watched it repeatedly over some years it doesn't loose its magic. And I don't even mention the awesome people-fighting-in-mid-air-jumping-ridiculously-far-and-high-Hong-Kong-movie-style. It's the way the scenese are shot, the story is told and the costumes are chosen. Add Hong Kong's top actors at that time and you have 1,5 hours of pure pleasure.
Rated 27 Jan 2013
100
92nd
A masterpiece. Brilliant and beautiful. Visually stunning. Emotionally powerful. Action packed. Excellently choreographed. An epic retelling of a legendary piece of Chinese culture and history.
Rated 29 Jul 2012
85
78th
A visually stunning film with excellent performances from the cast and a compelling story.
Rated 15 Jun 2012
87
90th
Blows you away with the stellar imagery and awesome set pieces all captured with graceful camerawork. Great use of color.
Rated 04 Dec 2011
71
67th
Hero is (often) breathtakingly beautiful, and worthy viewing just for that. The story, however, feels empty and strangely artificial, with its Rashomon-like structure never quite working, the different perspectives it offers later dismissed as weightless fantasies. It could be a comment on how time shapes legends and myths, leaving us with only a shadow of the truth, but it's ultimately a disservice to the characters who are never fleshed out enough for us to grasp the gravity of their decisions
Rated 19 Jul 2011
95
88th
A sumptuous movie that'll excite your eyes if not your heart.
Rated 05 May 2011
85
93rd
A spectacular and extravagantly ridiculous martial arts epic, "Ying xiong" is one of the most visually stimulating and over-the-top films ever made. The fighting scenes are even more handsome than those in "Wo hu cang long" and emotional resonance is achieved thanks to some very fine acting. The conventional story is unconventionally told, using multiple layers. Zhang's direction is remarkable. When it comes to pure spectacle, few films can compete this in terms of sheer visceral glee.
Rated 07 Mar 2011
82
92nd
I found this to be an incredibly beautiful film.The use of color not only adds a distinctive flair but it is also part of the story.The frequent fight scenes while not realistic have a very fluid and graceful look to them and are well choreographed.The icing on the cake for me was the well done and layered story that kept me engaged and thinking by the end about the subtle ways we twist the truth and use events and people to further are own ends.
Rated 01 Jul 2010
80
22nd
Visual poetry. Gorgeous cinematography and framing of scenes. Good Music. Good acting (esp the younger actress). But some actors were a bit dramatic at places. In a few scenes I was smiling, when I was not supposed to. Too much flying via invisible ropes that it was ridiculous at times. The entire film is a bit too long for my taste. But a worthy effort that I guess can be enjoyed better on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Rated 25 Jan 2010
85
92nd
Zhang takes the flawed narrative and creates a grandiose dramatic story of recruiting warriors to assassinate the first emperor of China. Everything about this is supposed to represent a dream like mythical story of the past rather than a portrayal of reality. Zhang probably received inspiration from traditional scroll art to weave a living and breathing painting with his mastery over visual effects and color. Quite simply a beautiful and interesting story.
Rated 19 Jan 2010
40
33rd
It's interesting if you look at it as a communist propaganda epic. Not much else happening besides a lot of billowing curtains.
Rated 19 Dec 2009
70
48th
Starts off with silly hats, people flying around fighting, but then it shows there is actually a story and maybe even a moral in the whole thing.
Rated 23 Aug 2009
90
90th
I love how this movie manages to build itself around a simple but profound concept. Visually about as entertaining as it gets, the soundtrack is great, and the story is surprisingly good.
Rated 01 Jun 2009
78
27th
Great kung-fu. Terrible ending. But that was the point. Don't agree with the philosophy.
Rated 24 Sep 2008
65
22nd
Like a beautiful woman with no conversation and an annoying laugh. This is a lovingly made picture that feels slow and wooden.
Rated 23 Aug 2008
94
95th
Art Direction is simply phenomenal.
Rated 06 May 2008
81
61st
I don't usually have a thing for Kung-Fu movies but something about this movie appealed to me. The story is very moving and complex. The visuals are all mind blowing. I look forward to more Kung-Fu movies of this kind over the usual beat-em-up style.
Rated 23 Feb 2008
95
92nd
Arguably the greatest of the Chinese martial arts fantasy films, loosely based on actual history, very well acted & exceptionally photographed. An absolute visual revelation, & one of the best films of any kind so far this century.
Rated 17 Sep 2007
87
81st
Beautiful visuals - just flies you through some of the most amazing scenes ever seen.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
96
93rd
Simply beautiful. The colors!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
92nd
Absolutely amazing camera! Wow
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
91st
Very good action film that tends to fill the gaps between action sequences with interesting scenes.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
61
40th
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Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
26th
The problem with hero, is that it tries to force-feed its view on the beuty of battle to the crowd. One becomes weery pretty quickly from the close-ups one leafs during swordfights.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
98th
This is THE WAY greatest movies of all times are made. Biggest and the most expensive Chinesse film ever. And if it was hollywood's most exensive it would be definatelly crap. Great story, fabulous acting, scenography fascinating, directing perfect. bravo! Touching and beautiful, extremelly beautiful. Way to go China!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
53rd
Excellent choreography and story, but I felt like I was simply watching a tribute to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with a new plot and characters.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
74
53rd
Lots of flash, no substance.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
73
62nd
I'll admit it, in the midst of all the flashbacks/pseudo flashbacks, I was getting confused. But when the movie finally got through all of it, and I had a firm grasp on what was going on, I found a good movie. It's nothing groundbreaking, but it's a good experience nevertheless.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
95th
Gorgeous, with a great story that unfolds in layers. Plus, some amazing fantasy martial arts sequences. Donnie Yen vs Jet Li is a rare treat.
Rated 18 Mar 2007
65
33rd
This art-style and subject matter is a little tired and Hero does nothing to distinguish itself from the rest of the pack.
Rated 27 Feb 2007
68
49th
Visually stunning film but I'm simply tired of such much over the top wire-fu.
Rated 17 Feb 2007
70
39th
The main selling point here is of course the imagery. It's absolutely beautiful. The story isn't the best, but it didn't ruin the experience for me, and neither did the acting. It got tedious in parts, though.
Rated 30 Jan 2007
89
85th
Hero is elegant and full of great action. The story is great, and the whole movie is quite breathtaking. Really good!
Rated 18 Jan 2019
90
91st
To be honest I didn't expect the story to be as emotionally potent or as narratively interesting as it was. That was a nice surprise. And then on top of that, the choreography was wonderful and the scenery was beautiful, with enough wind (you must always have things blowing in the wind) to satisfy all wind-lovers (?). Seriously, this film is gorgeous and nails everything it sets out to do. I might up this to a 95 in the future.
Rated 29 Aug 2015
98
79th
In this visually arresting martial arts epic set in ancient China, an unnamed fighter (Jet Li) is being honored for defeating three of the king's most dangerous enemies. When Nameless recounts his battles with the assassins -- Broken Sword (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk) and Moon (Zhang Ziyi) -- the king begins to question some of the details. As Nameless goes on, the king challenges the tales, interjecting his own take on these perhaps suspect version of events.
Rated 29 Mar 2015
69
70th
3.44/5
Rated 07 Sep 2014
92
92nd
Exciting and intellectual, Hero raises moral and social issues with its unique perspective
Rated 11 Aug 2014
97
98th
The film manages to spark the chemistry between martial arts and other forms of arts, such as music and calligraphy. It also experiments with the power of human imaginations on how tales are being perceived with traces of exaggeration. A true masterpiece. An inspiring breakthrough from conventional martial arts films. Must Watch.
Rated 09 Aug 2014
77
64th
This is a well made film. Jet Li is great in this movie, his performance and action skills are fantastic. The story is interesting and the fight scenes are a thrill to watch.
Rated 09 Jul 2014
85
85th
super pretty. story was awesome. couldn't get into the fight where they danced off the water.
Rated 29 May 2014
89
85th
- 10/10/10
Rated 25 Mar 2014
70
77th
Entertainment 4/4. Spirituality: 2/3. Sustainability: 1/3. A beautiful fable, with lots of action fighting but not violent in terms of being bloody or brutal. Lots of food for thought re: principle vs emotion.
Rated 02 Mar 2014
90
71st
Stunning choreography and cinematography.
Rated 20 Feb 2014
81
84th
An excellent, misunderstood film. One of the few wuxia films that understands the non-literal value of choreography. Perhaps its only flaw is that it does not commit fully enough; I would have liked to see it be even more stylized. (For example, instead of treating one of the final fights as a more literal plot point, the stylization could have carved its message about the land into the land itself with movement.)
Rated 03 Jan 2014
94
85th
A sumptuous movie that'll excite your eyes if not your heart.
Rated 06 Dec 2013
82
76th
(pt-br) http://filmedodia.net/fdd298-hero2002-heroi
Rated 06 Jul 2013
80
89th
Awesome cinemathography & choreography.
Rated 20 Mar 2013
70
70th
Way too much incredible unbelievable stuff, but still quite fun to watch.
Rated 21 Jan 2013
86
73rd
One of the most beautiful action movies to ever come out. The story isn't that remarkable, but with all sorts of well planned out action sequences and stunning cinematography, "Hero" stands out from other action films.
Rated 06 Nov 2012
74
59th
It took me three films to figure it out, but I do really like the way Zhang stages his films, even if I'm not entirely sure I like the way it suits his characters.
Rated 21 Oct 2012
85
89th
Beautiful. ?? is one of my favourite movie 'morals' of all time.
Rated 06 Aug 2012
92
97th
A great story that pieces together masterfully with the color theme present throughout. Also has the right amount of Chinese mysticism and legendary heroes to make this a truly artful film.
Rated 30 Jul 2012
5
98th
The fights lack 'oomph' but it looks and sounds incredible.
Rated 19 Jul 2012
98
96th
Beautiful film!
Rated 10 Jul 2012
9
89th
An absolutely brilliant, beautiful movie.
Rated 05 Jul 2012
75
63rd
Not Quite as good as CROUCHING TIGER, only because it lacks that movie's repressed love story and the action is somewhat more restrained. Otherwise, an equally beautiful film with a smashing color design.
Rated 27 Mar 2012
65
25th
imparator, suikast, kilic, dövüs, düello, cin, ok, yazi sanati, hat (adamlar dövüsmüyor, ucuyor resmen cok abartili fakat estetik)
Rated 26 Mar 2012
75
59th
Fantastic cinematography and art direction. Great fighting scenes. Up there as one of the best martial arts films made. Jet Li excels in this one.
Rated 30 Jan 2012
80
77th
Quite the cast, not as good as I would have wanted. Plus I had heard Dustin Hoffman was in it.
Rated 18 Oct 2011
85
88th
Great visuals and a surprisingly gripping story. The wire-fu was amusing, but probably my least favourite part of the whole thing. Way better than The Usual Suspects. What?
Rated 11 Sep 2011
74
61st
Style over substance (there isn't any at all), but it's probably one of the most beautiful films ever created visually. Too bad it's that shallow, and too bad Jet Li was cast. Yeah, he's got flair, but no charisma, ich ruins a bit for me.
Rated 29 May 2011
85
58th
The colours!
Rated 11 May 2011
60
14th
Some stunning sequences but it doesn't hang together very well.
Rated 29 Apr 2011
90
73rd
A beautifully shot and choreographed epic.
Rated 19 Apr 2011
72
83rd
[Directors Cut]
Rated 08 Apr 2011
80
61st
A sumptuous visual feast and an incredibly affecting melodrama with great performances all round, especially from Leung and Cheung as the star-crossed lovers. It's a little wishy-washy on the political front, though, its critiques of nationalist political rhetoric and 'for the greater good' mentalities undermined by every punch Zhang pulls to get the film past the censors.
Rated 25 Feb 2011
35
1st
Occasionally spectacular. Often ridiculous and pretentious. Wooden acting. Bad dialogue. Unconvincing story. Completely unbelievable ending. With this movie, Flying Daggers and Curse of the Golden Flower, once respected director Zhang Yimou has stopped making films with any meaning or social significance and simply gone after the money. Shame.
Rated 19 Feb 2011
85
90th
Great plot with stunning cinematography.
Rated 16 Jan 2011
80
41st
Strange, frilly, yet entertaining because of great choreography and jet lee
Rated 12 Jan 2011
60
36th
PRETTY COLOURS. I'm not really a kung fu guy. I find - and this may explain why I'm not a kung fu guy - that once we tip toe over the threshold of believability I get bored and stop paying attention. I don't think I'm alone in this. My bordom encompasses for visual tricks such as wire-fighting, as well as more substantive, story related scenes such as when two swordsmen defeating something like 500 (or more? I forget how many) Royal Guards without even breaking a sweat. Literally.
Rated 02 Jan 2011
90
92nd
89.750
Rated 19 Nov 2010
35
90th
"Hero is elliptical, radically disjointed and female-empowering. Everything a wu xia should be...and then some." - Ed Gonzalez
Rated 10 Oct 2010
68
65th
More fighting please. There were some stunning visuals, a strong cast but needed a lot more action.
Rated 20 Sep 2010
90
97th
Hero is a visual masterpiece. It is peaceful and calming while still being able to bring the same type of action that is expected from a martial arts film. The characters have real depth, the acting is well done, and the style it was filmed in truly is beautiful. The way it manages to portray its message is effective, allowing the viewer to look back at the end of the film and reflect on what has happened. Overall, it is a film with a broad appeal that should be watched.
Rated 20 Sep 2010
90
21st
Beautifully shot and well acted. The story was a welcome change from the typical kung fu revenge flick.
Rated 01 Sep 2010
79
40th
Spectacular visuals, but a loaded movie with questionable motives.
Rated 18 Jul 2010
10
2nd
ridiculous...
Rated 05 Jul 2010
90
66th
3 color 3 story wish it was 3 hours long..
Rated 16 May 2010
9
98th
The narrative is a bit convoluted as the story tellling of events switches between what is reported,what actually happened and what happened in the mind but it is captivating and so beautiful to look at.
Rated 12 May 2010
100
87th
Incredible visuals, storytelling and action sequences make Hero a great film. Yimou Zhang shows off his ability to create astounding worlds of colour, and blend action with drama and suspense. Absolutely must-watch.
Rated 30 Jan 2010
8
78th
(2nd viewing, previous score 6, wtf ?!) I enjoyed 'Crouching Tiger...' but Hero's story was far more absorbing and visually speaking, it's quite a treat. Those Chinese "wire work" films never disappoint. Recommended.
Rated 24 Jan 2010
80
30th
Amasing scenery, however the plot feels somewhat haphazard.
Rated 12 Dec 2009
38
24th
Hero is not the first movie out of Hong Kong that offers glorified, beautified bloodletting and not much else. Arguably, it's an especially spectacular one from the visual standpoint. But in essence all we are given is the mind-numbing impression that killing, and even - in numerous scenes - letting oneself be killed, is something heroic and very pretty. Even the romance is violent, and the violence romantic, but life seems to have no value and in general the style trumps the substance.
Rated 10 Dec 2009
60
68th
3/5
Rated 28 Nov 2009
53
14th
Bow down to your authoritarian overlords.
Rated 26 Oct 2009
75
40th
Beautiful costumes and scenery and camerawork, goes well with Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, House of flying daggers, and that Golden sunflwoers or what it was called movie.
Rated 06 Oct 2009
50
26th
The colors match the story you see. What, you want something else? These movies are seriously overrated and honestly not much better than the movies Jet Li was doing at the start of his career - the difference is Hero is pretentious wankery while Twin Warriors was a daft comedy with naff dubbing.
Rated 03 Oct 2009
90
97th
Looks pretty, so it's got that going for it
Rated 03 Oct 2009
70
38th
Very beautiful but boring at times
Rated 07 Sep 2009
88
89th
What a moving story that was shot beautifully and aesthetically pleasing. A bit slow at times, but it had definitely a great story.

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