i heard about hero over a year ago from friends when it was huge in china, but never got around to actually seeing it. so, when it finally came to north american theatres, i finally got off my lazy ass to watch it.

first of all, why the hell is quentin tarantino putting his name all over this movie? the whole “quentin tarantino presents…” is just a marketing ploy to get people watch hero, in hopes that it might be similar to kill bill. a lot of people are saying, “well, it’s a good thing that he put his name all over it, because now the movie will be enjoyed by north americans!” most north americans are idiots. when i saw this movie in the theatres, i heard so many people whispering, “why are they jumping off trees and fighting on water? that is so weird! that could never happen in real life!” yeah, and movies like face/off just reek of reality. i’ve seen my fair share of chinese cinema, so i’m pretty used to the conventions of films like hero and crouching tiger, hidden dragon. i just hate the way people come into a chinese film and think it’s going to be john-woo-crazy-action and people-fighting-and-chopping-off-heads for the entire time.

that being said, i didn’t think hero was an amazing movie. it has been hailed by critics as the best martial arts film and has grossed the most money ever for chinese cinema. i’m all for intricate storylines, but the one in hero was a bit too complex. i thought jet li’s character was too emotionless for me to sympathize with. the love story between broken sword and flying snow, which is a big part of the film, was also not very convincing. i didn’t feel for any of the characters. crouching tiger, on the other hand, presented characters with personal backgrounds and emotions that i could feel from their interaction and dialogue. hero lacked that intimacy. on a positive note, the cinematography was just breathtaking. the shots of china, the fighting sequences… beautifully done.