Maybe it's just me, but I can't remember ever seeing a good Jet Li movie. Not that I have anything against the guy, but any movies that I've seen starring Mr. Li tended to be long-winded, predictable, and otherwise just boring.Enter Hero. Obviously, I had to watch any movie claiming to be a "masterpiece". Someone with half a mind even gave it 5 stars! Granted, that's what the critics had to say, so color me skeptical.
Well, I've watched the film, and I'm here to tell you that it's actually pretty good. Really good, in fact. The visuals are stunning, the costumes are colorful, and the action is quite entertaining.
The story surrounds Nameless (I'm not joking, that's really his name), an assassin hell-bent on killing the King of Qin. Naturally, Nameless has unspoken motives, and they are only revealed gradually.
In fact, Nameless gives a false account of events when he first meets the King, though the King gradually pieces it together. The story is basically comprised of three parts (presented in flashbacks): 1) the lie that Nameless wants the king to believe, 2) the way the King sees it, and 3) the truth.
In fact, the King only summoned Nameless because he assumed he was a good-hearted hero for killing three of his enemies. The story tells otherwise.
Ultimately, Nameless chooses not to assassinate the King, and in turn is killed by the King's army. Nameless is crowned as a hero, but that's a part of Eastern philosophy I don't really get. Maybe I'm dense, but even though I'm familiar with similar stories, I don't really understand the reasoning behind it. I don't get why he didn't kill the King, either. Maybe because he knew that he would be killed too?
In any case, I'm not going to spill anymore. You should see this movie for yourself. Highly recommended.
