A young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation.
During China's Tang dynasty the emperor has taken the princess of a neighboring province as wife. She has borne him two sons and raised his eldest. Now his control over his dominion is complete, including the royal family itself.
It's a heroic tale of three blood brothers and their struggle in the midst of war and political upheaval. It is based on "The Assassination of Ma," a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) story about ... See full summary »
Set in late 19th century Canton this martial arts film depicts the stance taken by the legendary martial arts hero Wong Fei-Hung (1847-1924) against foreign forces' (English, French and ... See full summary »
During the Japanese invasion of 1937, when a wealthy martial artist is forced to leave his home and work to support his family, he reluctantly agrees to train others in the art of Wing Chun for self-defense.
In Shanghai, China in the 1940s, a wannabe gangster aspires to join the notorious "Axe Gang" while residents of a housing complex exhibit extraordinary powers in defending their turf.
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
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.
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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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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.