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Art tips and techniques, reviews and interviews from my studio. Archived here and at World Famous Comics. Comics 101 for 09/23/2004 Movie Review - Hero 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 - Sky, Broken Sword and Flying Snow - he is summoned to the palace to tell Qin the story of his surprising victory. A series of Rashomon-like flashback accounts shape this story of how one man defeated the three would-be assassins who sought to murder the most powerful warlord in pre-unified China. I recently checked out Hero starring Jet Li (Once Upon a Time in a China, Black Mask, Kiss of the Dragon), Donnie Yen (Iron Monkey, Blade 2) and Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragn, Rush Hour 2) and it was simply in a word 'beautiful'. Not just only on a visual level with it's gorgeous cinematography, convincingly passionate performances or it's incredible fight choreography but beautiful in it's execution of it's challenging and sophisticated storytelling from differing points of views of the main characters. The film delivers an inspired message with such fervor and purpose elevating it to much more than just an action movie like commercials or trailers might lead you to believe. It's an epic war movie told from more personal viewpoints where the lines are easily blurred between right and wrong choices and good and evil, just like war in real life. So even though the movie is an ancient, albeit exagerrated and stylized romantic Chinese period piece it felt very timely in that regard. It's themes reminded me of what my friend Jan Duursema and her writer John Ostrander are currently doing with the comic book Star Wars: Republic with it's own motifs of sacrifice, questions of the greater good and the 'grey' aspect of right and wrong. This is one of Jet Li's best performances to date. It should allow anyone to forgive him for the misfire that was Romeo Must Die and whatever that DMX movie was about. Jet really simmers and shines at all the right moments which is no doubt a testament to the technique and control of the film's pacing by director Zhang Yimou. But I really enjoyed Tony Leung as Broken Sword. He was a great counter balance to Jet's 'Nameless' character and had such intensity and controlled restraint in his character. Those two, if they could have got on the same page (and probably in a different movie) would have kicked so much butt together. Donnie Yen was super-cool in the beginning as Sky too. I've been entranced with the fiery Zhang Ziyi since Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and she is superb in this film as well. With Hero, Miramax also used Quentin Tarantino's name to promote their earlier Asian cinema imports, the utterly excellent Iron Monkey and Sonatine (from 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano). If you like moody Yakuza, gangster movies on the violent and graphic side with sometimes unconventional storytelling then check out Beat's Sonatine or even Fireworks. If you enjoy Hero, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Iron Monkey I recommend checking out The Storm Riders. It was another insanely popular martial arts film released a few years ago that's very accessible to comic book fans. Though it's somewhat lighter superhero fare compared to the other films it's just as engaging and inspiring fueled by it's own inventive, fantasty based martial arts mythology. I can't recommend Hero enough though since it's so incredibly passionate, intimate and epic. There's enough in this movie to appeal to anyone in the audience whether on a primordial or spiritual, edified level but you don't need to be seeking cultural enlightenment to get your money's worth. You'll definitely be thinking about it as it stays with you well after you see it. See you next week for a new Comics 101 feature! -Joe Recent Columns:
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