Review – Hero

On the surface this looks like yet another Crouching Tiger production, a flying-swords-of-kung-fu-death picture with good production values and extra added prettiness. But this one also packs a modern moral under the choreography and cinematography. An expert swordsman (Jet Li) gains an audience with the Emperor after slaying three assassins who posed a threat to the throne. As soldier and statesman talk, different versions of events unfold. I can’t get too far into the conclusion without at least partially spoiling the picture, so suffice it to say that this seems better geared for Chinese audiences than for the potential North American market. Mildly amusing