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Ying xiong (2002)

A defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors.

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Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 37 wins & 36 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Credited cast:
...
...
...
Flying Snow (as Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk)
...
Moon (as Zhang Ziyi)
...
...
Sky
Zhongyuan Liu ...
Old scholar
Tianyong Zheng ...
Yan Qin ...
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Xia Bin ...
Qin Guard #4
Hua Cao ...
Qin Guard #2
Heizi ...
Qin Guard #1
...
Qin Emperor (voice)
Ma Wen Hua ...
Xu Kuang Hua ...
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Storyline

In ancient China, before the reign of the first emperor, warring factions throughout the Six Kingdoms plot to assassinate the most powerful ruler, Qin. When a minor official defeats Qin's three principal enemies, he is summoned to the palace to tell Qin the story of his surprising victory. Written by Yocke

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

king | china | flying | sword | palace | See All (121) »

Taglines:

Kono kuni wa mada, hontô no hero wo shiranai [Japan] (This land doesn't know a real hero. Yet.) See more »


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for stylized martial arts violence and a scene of sensuality | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

|

Language:

Release Date:

27 August 2004 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Jet Li's Hero  »

Filming Locations:

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Box Office

Budget:

$31,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$687,653 (Hong Kong) (27 December 2002)

Gross:

$84,961 (USA) (18 September 2015)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (extended) | (TV) | (unapproved cut) (USA)

Sound Mix:

|

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally released in 2002 in Asia, it would not be another two years until this film was released in the United States. Studio executives were concerned that the foreign-language film would not be successful at the box office with American audiences. When the film debuted in August 2004, it surprised many by opening at #1 with $18 million in receipts. It would go on to gross $53 million, becoming the 3rd highest grossing foreign film to date in the United States. See more »

Goofs

When Nameless goes outside to help Flying Snow to fend off arrows, he shuts the door. Then later we still can see the door open. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Nameless: [voiceover] I was orphaned at a young age and was never given a name. People simply called me Nameless. With no family name to live up to, I devoted myself to the sword. I spent ten years perfecting unique skills as a swordsman. The King of Qin has summoned me to court, for what I have accomplished has astonished the kingdom.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Ying xiong: Cause - The Birth of Hero (2002) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Beautiful.
13 December 2004 | by (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) – See all my reviews

In all honesty, Hero required a bit more patience than I thought. Tarantino wanted to present this movie to North American audiences so I thought there would have been more action, but surprise! There is much drama in Hero and the movie begins with one intention and unfolds, in a deceptively beautiful fashion, into a legend that is much larger than the characters themselves are involved! Why did it have to take so long to prove such a point?

Anyway, a man who shall remain Nameless has dispatched the kingdom's three top assassins, thus easing the King's mind that he could sleep at night. But the King is curious and we see the true story and how the tale unfolds.

The fights are beautiful. The battle between Snow and Moon, though lopsided, was a joy. It was art in itself. But overall, be patient. With the many changes in the story, I lost my concentration adjusting to it. But any fan of martial arts and drama must see this movie. It is that elegant.


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