Question:
Hero
Directed by Zhang Yimou
Released By Edko Films
100 Mins
Firstly I was disappointed with Hero and overall it isn't as good a CTHD.
It is however very different form CTHD and more akin to Chen Kaige's The Emperor and the Assassin in scale and theme ...
It is a full blown art movie and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. After skirting around good simple fables Zhang Yimou goes back to what brought him all the attention from the west, beautifully filmed chinese flavour specific movie making.
You won't see a better looking martial arts movie and it is everything that the legend of Zu was to SFX in Martial arts ... hmmm perhaps that wasn't a good comparison :p ...
The film runs like Rashomon and follows the same plot/theme/ideals as the Emperor and the Assassin.
The Rashomon like storytelling technique found in many hollywood whodunnits causes Hero's overall structure to suffer because Hero isn't the type of story that works in that way.
Some may see this as a spoiler if so skip it but if you know what rashomon is like then I have already spoiled it for you so read on :p ...
A much more conventional unfolding of the plot like that found in CTHD or the emperor and the assassin would have given the characters in hero far more depth because as it is now you care for nothing about the characters as they take on schizo personality interpretations depending on what angle the story is looked upon. ... saying anymore would be in spoiler territory ...
...............
Zhang Yimou hasn't failed with Hero its just that I always expect a lot from him in the same way I expect a lot from John Woo (but he would be a failure in my books). Zhang Yimou has always been a favourite of mine since seeing Ju Dou at an art cinema way back in 1990 and I have only ever been disappointed with To Live. Well now I can add Hero to that short list of Zhang Yimou disappointment especially after just seeing happy times which I loved.
It won't win any oscars and I doubt it will even be selected and I can now understand why Miramax has decided to release it in Nov 2003 ... they will definitely see it as another legend of zu failure and I can guess that their funding for chinese martial art movies will soon come to an end ...
Bit disappointing then...? I haven't got a clue about any of the movies you mentioned :confused:
Still a must see movie for me though :D
OH OH OH no spoilers but what was the Jet Vs Donie fight like.
I always though the one in Once Upon A Time In CHina 2 WAS way too short
Hmmmm, interesting.
Still! I can't wait to see it either. :)
Originally posted by kcxdev
Bit disappointing then...? I haven't got a clue about any of the movies you mentioned :confused:
Still a must see movie for me though :D
Hero deals with the same historical characters as Chen Kaige's The Emperor and the Assassin (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/index.cgi?page=Review&id=657&story=2821) (link to my DVDTimes review), which is nothing short of a masterpiece and was always going to be a hard act to follow.
Still definitely a must see movie for me as well though.
The fights in Hero are incredibly beautiful to look at but Yuen Woo Ping is the master and he wasn't hired to do this movie.
As well as being very different to CTHD Hero is also very different from The Emperor and The Assassin. The latter has a very complicated and seriously deep story, the former simplifies it to an extent where you can just switch off and marvel at what is onscreen.
Having had time to digest this movie over night I still feel my initial impressions of disapointment holds true. The general public in HK also feel the same and are queuing up in droves to see Harry potter 2 instead this christmas.
There was so much anticipation and expectation for this movie. It was always going to be hard to live up to it. Still looking forward to it (Maggie Cheung, Zhang Zi Yi :norty: ), and will no doubt buy the eventual HK dvd release. :)
Does ZZY get he kit off?
Originally posted by Ono
Does ZZY get he kit off?
She gets used and abused :norty: :nuts:
Didnt the HK market hate CTHD though to begin with as well ?.
When can we expect a HK DVD release?
Hero opened strongly in Hong Kong, grossing $945,000 (HK$7.34m) over a four-day period (December 19 – 22) from 46 screens.
The film came in third at the weekend box office behind Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets with $1.13m (HK$8.77m) and local action vehicle Infernal Affairs with $989,000 (HK$7.68m).
However, Hero had the highest screen average of $20,600 (HK$159,700), compared to $16,400 (HK$127,100) for Harry Potter and $16,500 (HK$128,000) for Infernal Affairs.
Originally posted by Rohail
When can we expect a HK DVD release?
I think Febuarary :D
Originally posted by unrealnils
I think Febuarary :D
Virtually confirmed as 20th February 2003 :clap:
All i can say is ..............................
:rocker: :rocker: :rocker: :rocker: :rocker: :rocker: :rocker: :notworthy
Are the fights real fights, or are they art house slow motion blurred jobs?
Originally posted by At The Gates
Are the fights real fights, or are they art house slow motion blurred jobs?
Wire work fights generally - like Crouching Tiger.
The fights are balletic slow mo fights in general ... they look amazing especially the water one ... none of your MTV fast editing rubbish ... :)
Cirrus888, are the pirate copies released in HK yet ? :D
Originally posted by KeyserSoze
Cirrus888, are the pirate copies released in HK yet ? :D
:nono:
:nono: :nono:
:nono: :rocker: :nono:
:D
:rocker: :| :nono: :nono: :| :rocker:
:lol:
Whats a pirate? :confused:
:dork:
This better be a 2-disk special editon with DTS sound like they did with the touch ............:rocker:
I hope the movie DOES really well in Korea becuase i can just imgaine how great the dvd they make would be.
Korea make some of the best dvds gotta love there 2-disk spcial editions :rocker:
arrh matey.
Originally posted by unrealnils
This better be a 2-disk special editon with DTS sound
According to Monkeypeaches the DVD and VCD will be the extended edition with an extra 22 mins added.
:thumbs:
Thats goodnews Ono
I can't wait for this dvd.
Has to be one of the most eargly awaited dvds for me.
:notworthy
Notice Icalled it the extended cut rather than the Director's cut.
That should keep Jimmyboy quiet. :lol:
Shut it you Narc !. :lol:
lol
:lol: :nuts:
I see it didn't even win the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language film. :|
This film might not even be getting an official release on dvd next month. Taken from monkeypeaches.com...
We know HERO has been scheduled for a DVD / VCD released one month from today. But giving the incident of the "official bootlegged VCD", I am not so sure the release is 100% guaranteed. Last year, two companies Weijia and Feishi, paid big bucks for the Chinese video distribution rights at an auction (a third company, TCL, jointed their bid but later quit the deal). With HERO's popularity soaring up to the ceiling, managers of these two companies have started to feel the heat. In China, to counterstrike the piracy, a movie is usually released on video only weeks after the first day of theatrical release. But for HERO, there are two full months between the first day of theatrical release and the first day of video release, more than enough for the market being flooded with pirated CDs. The two companies has asked Beijing New Pictures, the Chinese distributor of HERO, for an early video released but was refused. Then quietly, 800,000 set of VCDs containing a bootlegged HERO video, camcorded at a theater, being shipped out of these two companies. Days after the "official bootlegged VCD" showed up, the Ministry of Culture ruled that the VCD is pirated product because before February 20, Beijing New Picture owns all copy rights of HERO. While a forced recall of the VCDs is underway, the two companies have suffered a loss of millions due to the incident. Will the official DVD and VCD being released on time? That is the question.
Love the YesAsia review Ono :thumbs: :lol:
Originally posted by kcxdev
Love the YesAsia review Ono :thumbs: :lol:
Well, it *had* to be said really. :noid: :D
I was also a bit ****** off with the lack of DVD release. :|
Yeh, the reviews at YA are 99% by 'fanboys' (and girls), puts the site down really :oh-hum:
:lol:
Just saw this last night, and I personally thought it was really excellent - I agree that some more character depth would be good but I think I'd put it on a par with CTHD.
At the end I really felt for Flying Snow and Broken Sword despite having alot of different personalities during the film.
It's a very artistic film, but that's one of the things I loved about it - all the colours are carefully thought out and experimented with and the settings look gorgeous. The score is great too and fits the film perfectly.
I really liked the fight Filying Snow and Moon (Zhang) the whole thing looked amazing
Anyway I began watching it not expecting much at all really as I hadn't been following the hype for it, so that might have helped me enjoy it so much - not sure. But it comes highly recommended from me, I look forward to the extended version.
I've just ordered the official VCD of this seen as though the dvd release keeps getting delayed. Anyone else doing the same as me? :)
KFC (http://www.kfccinema.com/reviews/kungfu/hero_jetli/hero_jetli.html) have their review up.
Originally posted by kcxdev
KFC (http://www.kfccinema.com/reviews/kungfu/hero_jetli/hero_jetli.html) have their review up.
Not any more they don't, at least for another week:
Kung Fu Cult Cinema Closed till March 1st
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We cannot afford this, we limited the option on the new message board but it did not change anything. The database kept getting bigger, so we had no choice but to delete the whole thing.
Tonight we are going to shut down the entire KFCC site, we are really sorry about this but it is our only chance to try to avoid a bill that we won't be able to pay.
We estimate the site will be down for an entire week to kill our transfer rates.
Also and unfortunately, we cannot pay for the EZ Boards since we are so much in the hole. We would like to extend our arms out to all our faithful readers and ask for help in the form of donations to possibly help out KFCC and to hopefully reactive our old NON POP UP boards again. If things do not get better, we will have to revert to the Free Pop Up Forums.
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:brickwall
i really badly wanna see this now :(
It's been delayed again as well :suspect: Are di$ney involved :mad:
Anyone know which version dq102 is referring to here:
&threadid=165429
Nice screengrabs though (EDIT - apart from Jet Li). :norty:
I can wait. I have gotten away from this "must see this now" manner of thinking. :D
He's on about the theatrical version on a single layer disk that should be out ni a few weeks in hong kong
I think it's just the dual layered longer version that will be delayed :(
watched it today.
Bad Points for me where,
Donnie Yen, I wanted to see more of him :( - what you do see was great though.
The crap names "Flying Snow" indeed.
The scene were the woman blocks 100's of arrows with her dress :D
The scene with all the leaves was rubbish. Moon was going ballistic and Flying Snow just flys off and stands there summoning swirling leaves.
At the end of the day its not going to be everyones taste, with all the pretty colourful scenes and flying people its like something straight out of a cartoon. It turned out ok in the end though, watchable.
Goblin - after not liking Crouching Tiger because of the fantasy elements and "flying", this probably wasn't the best film to buy if you think it all looks rubbish.
I personally loved the scene with the autumn leaves it looked stunning also loved every fight sequence. I'm not sure about the names though, I guess they could've come from some of the chinese legends the film was based on.
I agree about Donnie Yen though, it's doubtful but hopefully we'll see some more in the extended cut.
About Jet Li
I think it would be a sign of weakness if the emperor just let him walk out after plotting to kill him. He had hundreds of loyal troops watching things unfold, so he needs to set an example. Also it's based on a legend so maybe it has a moral to it or something
I think at the end of the day if you liked Crouching Tiger you'll enjoy Hero, if not it's probably best to give it a miss.
I thought CTHD was good, just not keen on the wirework.
I agree the leaf scene looked nice, reminded me of Brotherhood of the Wolf. Im always in two minds over these films ... I just think they spoil great movies with comical touches.
Thats what I thought about Jet Li, but seen as how he hadnt done anything, he could have showed mercy and proved his point that he wasnt the bad guy. :D
Originally posted by Splinter
I think at the end of the day if you liked Zhang Ziyi in Crouching Tiger you'll enjoy Zhang Ziyi in Hero, if not it's probably best to give it a miss.
Cheers mate. That's put my mind at ease. :nuts: :norty:
:lol:
Yeah I think Ono's stamp of approval is a given. I look forward to your unbiased review ;)
Goblin -
yeah i guess that's the other way it could have gone. Suppose he's a evil tyrant after all :nono:
Originally posted by Splinter
:lol:
Yeah I think Ono's stamp of approval is a given. I look forward to your unbiased review ;)
:lol:
What does the opening titles / roller read as?
This bit isn't subtitled on the dvd. Am I missing anything here or is it just the actors' credits?
thanks.
It's kind of a historical introduction about what the film is based on. I'm surprised it's not subbed.
thanks Splinter, that's what I thought it might be!
Can anyone provide a translation of this opening section?
The first English subs on my disc (The Chinese R0, from dddhouse) are where Jet Li's first line of voice-over comes in.
Here's the what opening section says,
HERO
Two thousand years ago.. during the Warring States period, China was divided into seven Kingdoms.
For years they battled for supremacy while the people suffered.
The King of Qin was the most ruthless in his efforts to conquer the land and unify all under heaven.
He was regarded as a common threat by the other six Kingdoms.
The annals of Chinese history are abound with tales of the assassins sent to kill the great King.
This is one of the legends...
thanks very much Splinter :clap:
I wonder why they didn't subtitle this :confused:
Yeah it's wierd it's not subbed - they better sort it out for the extended eition
they didnt subtitle whatever was said at the end either ... although I gathered what it would say.
Last year I was quoted as saying Hero was my most anticipated film of 2003 so the film was slipped into my DVD player today with probably more to live up to than any in recent times. Why was I looking forward so much to this film? Well, if you look at the cast (Maggie, Tony, Jet Li, Donnie Yuen and Zhang Ziyi :norty: ), the director (who is as versitile and talented as any) and the superb trailer you can't help but start slobbering over it.
Right from the opening scene where Jet Li's character walks into the Royal chamber this film exudes style which flags it as being something special.
As the film progresses Zhang Yimou has used colour in a beautiful and imaginative way to depict different versions of the same events unfolding which left me awestruck. This film is by no means an epic but some of the set pieces such as the Emporer's army marching and laying seige to a village are as grand as anything seen in The Two Towers.
The acting throughout is top notch - Maggie and Tony are accomplished and you expect nothing less from them. Jet Li puts in a performance which makes you wonder why he bothers ruining his reputation by starring in crappy Hollywood films where the language hinders his acting too much.
The fight scenes have been compared to those of CTHD in that wire work is used extensively. As Cirrus888 mentioned the fights here are balletic and I would also add more artistic - but alas, they don't generate as much excitment as the ones in CTHD which are more action orientated. The face off between Moon and Flying Snow, the fight over a still lake and Broken Sword's assassination attempt in the green draped hall. All a sight to behold but none come near the roof top chase fight or the weapons dojo fight in CTHD for heart pounding greatness.
Make no mistake. This is a brilliant film. One that is rewatchable several times over. Did it live up to my expectations?
No. But that is because I wasn't expecting the film to be like this at all.
Ono gives this 9 out 10.
Unmissable. :notworthy :notworthy
http://www.ono.barrysworld.net/forums/hero01.jpg
http://www.ono.barrysworld.net/forums/hero02.jpg
http://www.ono.barrysworld.net/forums/hero03.jpg
http://www.ono.barrysworld.net/forums/hero04.jpg
http://www.ono.barrysworld.net/forums/hero05.jpg
Oh, almost forgot:
Ono's Babe Watch - well ... anyone who knows me will remember that before a certain Korean lass came along my absolute favourite was Zhang Ziyi. Nothing has changed in my adoration for her. She gets 10 out of 10.
Maggie is a bit too old for my taste and she doesn't really have the look I go for - 4 out of 10. :D
Maggie is a bit too old for my taste and she doesn't really have the look I go for - 4 out of 10
Yeah right, too old. Maggie is like fine wine. :D :norty:
Yeah, can some kind soul translate what is written at the end (over the Great Wall of China)? Thanks :)
Nice review Ono, I agree the fight scenes are less action orientated CTHD. I think for me the reason I love hero so much is the artistic scenes which give it its uniqueness.
At the Gates - Give me a bit and I'll get the ending subs written down.
Translation of ending credits...
Nameless was executed an assassin but buried a hero...
Sky gave up his sword in honor of his fallen friends...
In 221 B.C., the King of Qin conquered all six kingdoms and unified China.
He ceased all expeditions and built the Great Wall to protect his subjects from the Northern Tribes.
The Qin Empire became the first dynasty of China...
And Qin Shihuang... the First Emperor
Lazy DVD subtitling because the theatrical version I saw had everything subbed with very good translations of the dialogue as well.
Splinter, thanks for the translation of the ending credits, it makes more sense of the end, as
I wasn't really sure who the 'hero' of the title was. I had guessed the King was / became first emperor [due to the shot of the Great Wall of China] who founded the first Dynasty, but that text does explain it all.
It completes the film nicely.
Cheers,
Boink!
Thanks Splinter :thumbs:
Just watched the film again (louder this time :D ) - great use of sound and stirring music indeed. Can't wait for the DTS version.
:notworthy
It will be interesting to see what gets added on in the Director's Cut because I think the story flows very well as it is. Maybe a bit more with Sky (Donnie Yuen) in maybe?
Ono lent me this film today and I have just finished watching it. I knew nothing of this film except the bits that Ono told me about. i was expecting something similar to that of CTHD.
I was therefore a little dissapointed with the fight scenes which were not nearly as intense and exciting as CTHD...but I enjoyed them none the less as they had an artistic quality to them surrounded by stunning scenery and music.
I agree with ono that this film has a lot of style and character to it.
The colour variations and expansive scenery are quite something.
The Emporer's grand army was absolutely superb. The enormity and power that was demonstrated was staggering.
I was also pleasantly surprised with Jet li's acting skills. Definitely a world apart from the hollywood films he stars in.
On the babe front Zhang Ziyi looked stunning in this. I would have preferred Michelle Yeoh in place of Maggie as I think she has a greater presence and is a lot more beautiful even at her age!
Well worth watching this film!!
I may even buy my own copy!! :D
Glad you liked it mate.
But ........ can you stay away from Zhang Ziyi please otheriwse I won't lend you anymore of my films. :|
You can keep Michelle Yeoh though. :gag: :D
I'm tempted to grab this on DVD now as I really love the film and I'm dying to watch it in surround sound on my projector. But i'm still, like many others - holding out for the Extended Cut, hopefully they'll put together a limited/collector's edition of it.
It would be good if they added more scenes with Sky, but I can't see where it would get added as he has just that scene near the beginning, so there's not that much room before it to add some background to his character
Can't remember where I saw it but I read we should be seeing some extended scenes at the beginning of the film with Nameless entering the city - just more background on him before he meets the emperor. Could also be if we're lucky, some added footage to the fight sequences.
Maybe some "cut" stuff on the "Use and Abuse" of Moon by Broken Sword? :norty:
The DC is suppose to have 30 mins or so extra? If it was cut it is likely to be on the character building side of things which Miramax probably thought was a waste of time. :oh-hum:
Or possibly more on the bond between Moon and B Sword:
She says she met him when she was 8 years old so there is scope there.
Also possibly more on how Snow and B Sword first met and the building of their relationship/love.
Originally posted by Ono
Maggie is a bit too old for my taste and she doesn't really have the look I go for - 4 out of 10. :D
:eek:
What the frell do you class as ugly then -25 ??
I forgot how much theere was to add, think it's 20mins which will bring it up to 2 hours. So there should be quite a few major scenes added, as you say would probably be character development which will make the film feel more complete i'm sure.
Originally posted by unrealnils
:eek:
What the frell do you class as ugly then -25 ??
Basically:
10 - I would jump on them if I saw them in the street or something. Don't care if I get arrested.
7-9 - Shaggable but not worth getting arrested.
5-6 - Yes, if they were up for it.
3-4 - No thanks.
0-2 - Surely God doesn't make creatures this ugly?
Didn't you give that women from So Close like a 2 :nuts:
I just read you're table now fair enough
what do you think of Coco Lee ???
And did you know there mates (her and Zi Yi) and they go to karoke bars together :clap:
Imagine at the bar when they walk in :eek: :thumbs:
Coco gets a decent 6/10 from me. I'm not really into Chinese birds who dye their hair blondish brown.
I prefer jet black (although a few highlights are OK) :D
Originally posted by Ono
The DC is suppose to have 30 mins or so extra? If it was cut it is likely to be on the character building side of things which Miramax probably thought was a waste of time. :oh-hum:
There's probably going to be extra stuff in lots of places. I think that one change may be a different opening.
The Miramaxe version opens with a short voice over by Nameless that seems somewhat out-of-place to me. Who is he talking to?
The "voice overs" in the rest of the film are really the Emperor and Nameless talking to each other, but this isn't the case in the opening. There is no closing voice over to correspond to the opening, and the small bit of exposition that is provided at the beginning could easily have been included in the opening text.
So I'm guessing that this is the result of enforced editing, and that the full version will have a different opening not requiring a voice over.
Originally posted by Splinter
Translation of ending credits... spoiler blah blah blah
I dont suppose you have a translation of the opening credits by any chance?
:)
This was one of the most boring films i've watched lately. I too was expecting it to be great.
The picture / soundtrack were top quality. It looked great, the martial arts were decent too, but again so unrealistic. Leaves flying around, blocking hundreds of arrows with a sword and a dress, fighting on water! What next?
Craig
Originally posted by Craigr
Leaves flying around, blocking hundreds of arrows with a sword and a dress, fighting on water! What next? That's what I loved about it! Surely if you don't like those elements then you're watching the wrong genre?
I thought it perfectly paced, perhaps a little fast in fact - I'm looking forward to the extended version for some more character development.
The sound was stunning - even on a simple stereo set up - and was only surpassed by the gorgeous cinematography!
Originally posted by Craigr
This was one of the most boring films i've watched lately. I too was expecting it to be great.
The picture / soundtrack were top quality. It looked great, the martial arts were decent too, but again so unrealistic. Leaves flying around, blocking hundreds of arrows with a sword and a dress, fighting on water! What next?
Craig
I think this film kinda went over your head mate. Have you not seen Crouching Tiger?
And as for Excalibur whats wiv der silly welsh wizard wally playing around wiv magic swords and dragons breff and turning that hot chick in the brass gear into a granny. I reckon it messed up what cood a bin some grate sword battles showin off the actors blade skills and the wimmins assets.
Hmm so someone writes a script for a film based on ancient myths and legends which not surprisingly contains heroes with magical and supernatural abilities. Then a bunch of people complain that it wasn't ignored in favour of making a vehicle for the martial arts skills of some of the actors and rabbit on about reality. There are no more cases of defying reality in these films than you find in your average hollywood thriller with scenes of people out running fireballs down narrow corridors (which cannot claim that their heroes have magical powers of any sort):brickwall
Dysfunction - I put the the translation of the opening credits up on the 3rd page.
Craigr - Try doing some research next time before you buy your DVDs. It's a bit tragic seeing comments like that. As SimonI says I think you're watching the wrong genre.
Originally posted by Splinter
Dysfunction - I put the the translation of the opening credits up on the 3rd page.
Aaah thanks. I must have overlooked your post.
We've just watched it. It took us about ten minutes to be able to talk afterwards! What a beautiful film!
Originally posted by Craigr
The picture / soundtrack were top quality. It looked great, the martial arts were decent too, but again so unrealistic. Leaves flying around, blocking hundreds of arrows with a sword and a dress, fighting on water! What next?
:clap:
I agree mate, it looks rubbish ... if they kept it realistic it would all look 10x better. Turns some good action scenes into comedy. :|
Still it was an OK film in the end.
Originally posted by Goblin
:clap:
I agree mate, it looks rubbish ... if they kept it realistic it would all look 10x better. Turns some good action scenes into comedy. :|
What like Matrix :lol:
One day Goblin's going to write something that i agree with.
One day.... :)
Mr Stanton's verdict... Absolutley stunning film. Amazing fight scenes, stunning cinematography, stiring music, Zhang Ziyi rapped in a red sheet.
Highly, highly recomended.
Originally posted by Arch Stanton
One day Goblin's going to write something that i agree with.
One day.... :)
Im the true voice of the mainstream audience. ;)
Originally posted by unrealnils
What like Matrix :lol:
even Neo couldnt have dodged that many arrows :nono: :)
I received the HK Edko R3 2 disc theatrical cut dvd of Hero the other day, but only got round to watching it last night.
The AV quality of the Edko R3 disc is fantastic. I think its probably one of the most impressive discs I have seen from a HK based distributor. The anamorphic picture and sound are right up there with the best from Hollywood studios. The English subtitles are really good, and the prologue and epilogue have English translations too. If you can't hold out for the extended cut, and haven't bought the mainland China version, I'd say this disc is well worth the money.
Film-wise, I really want to see the extra 20 odd minutes, as it does seem to be a case of just using the plot to basically go from one fight scene to the next, with minimal time for characters and their motivations. Donnie Yen's part is not much more than an extended cameo, and Zhang Zi Yi is more or less relegated to a bit part. I don't know if they will have more scenes in the extended cut, but I hope so.
The action scenes are impressive (if a bit short), but if you are expecting them to be grounded in reality, you are watching the wrong film. The cinematography is stunning, and I love the colour scheme.
The theatrical cut of Hero is a good movie, but its brisk pace made it feel a little empty by the end. I look forward to the extended cut.
Excuse my ignorance on this but is the extended cut a definite thing? If so any idea when it will be coming? I was just about to buy the 2-disc from CD-WOW but stopped when I saw the words "extended cut"!
Finally put up a DVDTimes review of the film here (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/index.cgi?page=Review&id=1297&story=4317). I reviewed the basic Chinese R0 release. I'm still waiting for a definitive release of the director's cut. Still, any of the current releases are pretty impressive by the sounds of it. Great film. I loved it.
Directed by Zhang Yimou
Released By Edko Films
100 Mins
Firstly I was disappointed with Hero and overall it isn't as good a CTHD.
It is however very different form CTHD and more akin to Chen Kaige's The Emperor and the Assassin in scale and theme ...
It is a full blown art movie and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. After skirting around good simple fables Zhang Yimou goes back to what brought him all the attention from the west, beautifully filmed chinese flavour specific movie making.
You won't see a better looking martial arts movie and it is everything that the legend of Zu was to SFX in Martial arts ... hmmm perhaps that wasn't a good comparison :p ...
The film runs like Rashomon and follows the same plot/theme/ideals as the Emperor and the Assassin.
The Rashomon like storytelling technique found in many hollywood whodunnits causes Hero's overall structure to suffer because Hero isn't the type of story that works in that way.
Some may see this as a spoiler if so skip it but if you know what rashomon is like then I have already spoiled it for you so read on :p ...
A much more conventional unfolding of the plot like that found in CTHD or the emperor and the assassin would have given the characters in hero far more depth because as it is now you care for nothing about the characters as they take on schizo personality interpretations depending on what angle the story is looked upon. ... saying anymore would be in spoiler territory ...
...............
Zhang Yimou hasn't failed with Hero its just that I always expect a lot from him in the same way I expect a lot from John Woo (but he would be a failure in my books). Zhang Yimou has always been a favourite of mine since seeing Ju Dou at an art cinema way back in 1990 and I have only ever been disappointed with To Live. Well now I can add Hero to that short list of Zhang Yimou disappointment especially after just seeing happy times which I loved.
It won't win any oscars and I doubt it will even be selected and I can now understand why Miramax has decided to release it in Nov 2003 ... they will definitely see it as another legend of zu failure and I can guess that their funding for chinese martial art movies will soon come to an end ...
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Bit disappointing then...? I haven't got a clue about any of the movies you mentioned :confused:
Still a must see movie for me though :D
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OH OH OH no spoilers but what was the Jet Vs Donie fight like.
I always though the one in Once Upon A Time In CHina 2 WAS way too short
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Hmmmm, interesting.
Still! I can't wait to see it either. :)
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Originally posted by kcxdev
Bit disappointing then...? I haven't got a clue about any of the movies you mentioned :confused:
Still a must see movie for me though :D
Hero deals with the same historical characters as Chen Kaige's The Emperor and the Assassin (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/index.cgi?page=Review&id=657&story=2821) (link to my DVDTimes review), which is nothing short of a masterpiece and was always going to be a hard act to follow.
Still definitely a must see movie for me as well though.
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The fights in Hero are incredibly beautiful to look at but Yuen Woo Ping is the master and he wasn't hired to do this movie.
As well as being very different to CTHD Hero is also very different from The Emperor and The Assassin. The latter has a very complicated and seriously deep story, the former simplifies it to an extent where you can just switch off and marvel at what is onscreen.
Having had time to digest this movie over night I still feel my initial impressions of disapointment holds true. The general public in HK also feel the same and are queuing up in droves to see Harry potter 2 instead this christmas.
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There was so much anticipation and expectation for this movie. It was always going to be hard to live up to it. Still looking forward to it (Maggie Cheung, Zhang Zi Yi :norty: ), and will no doubt buy the eventual HK dvd release. :)
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Does ZZY get he kit off?
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Originally posted by Ono
Does ZZY get he kit off?
She gets used and abused :norty: :nuts:
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Didnt the HK market hate CTHD though to begin with as well ?.
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When can we expect a HK DVD release?
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Hero opened strongly in Hong Kong, grossing $945,000 (HK$7.34m) over a four-day period (December 19 – 22) from 46 screens.
The film came in third at the weekend box office behind Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets with $1.13m (HK$8.77m) and local action vehicle Infernal Affairs with $989,000 (HK$7.68m).
However, Hero had the highest screen average of $20,600 (HK$159,700), compared to $16,400 (HK$127,100) for Harry Potter and $16,500 (HK$128,000) for Infernal Affairs.
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Originally posted by Rohail
When can we expect a HK DVD release?
I think Febuarary :D
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Originally posted by unrealnils
I think Febuarary :D
Virtually confirmed as 20th February 2003 :clap:
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All i can say is ..............................
:rocker: :rocker: :rocker: :rocker: :rocker: :rocker: :rocker: :notworthy
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Are the fights real fights, or are they art house slow motion blurred jobs?
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Originally posted by At The Gates
Are the fights real fights, or are they art house slow motion blurred jobs?
Wire work fights generally - like Crouching Tiger.
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The fights are balletic slow mo fights in general ... they look amazing especially the water one ... none of your MTV fast editing rubbish ... :)
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Cirrus888, are the pirate copies released in HK yet ? :D
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Originally posted by KeyserSoze
Cirrus888, are the pirate copies released in HK yet ? :D
:nono:
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:nono: :nono:
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:nono: :rocker: :nono:
:D
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:rocker: :| :nono: :nono: :| :rocker:
:lol:
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Whats a pirate? :confused:
:dork:
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This better be a 2-disk special editon with DTS sound like they did with the touch ............:rocker:
I hope the movie DOES really well in Korea becuase i can just imgaine how great the dvd they make would be.
Korea make some of the best dvds gotta love there 2-disk spcial editions :rocker:
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arrh matey.
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Originally posted by unrealnils
This better be a 2-disk special editon with DTS sound
According to Monkeypeaches the DVD and VCD will be the extended edition with an extra 22 mins added.
:thumbs:
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Thats goodnews Ono
I can't wait for this dvd.
Has to be one of the most eargly awaited dvds for me.
:notworthy
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Notice Icalled it the extended cut rather than the Director's cut.
That should keep Jimmyboy quiet. :lol:
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Shut it you Narc !. :lol:
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lol
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:lol: :nuts:
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I see it didn't even win the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language film. :|
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This film might not even be getting an official release on dvd next month. Taken from monkeypeaches.com...
We know HERO has been scheduled for a DVD / VCD released one month from today. But giving the incident of the "official bootlegged VCD", I am not so sure the release is 100% guaranteed. Last year, two companies Weijia and Feishi, paid big bucks for the Chinese video distribution rights at an auction (a third company, TCL, jointed their bid but later quit the deal). With HERO's popularity soaring up to the ceiling, managers of these two companies have started to feel the heat. In China, to counterstrike the piracy, a movie is usually released on video only weeks after the first day of theatrical release. But for HERO, there are two full months between the first day of theatrical release and the first day of video release, more than enough for the market being flooded with pirated CDs. The two companies has asked Beijing New Pictures, the Chinese distributor of HERO, for an early video released but was refused. Then quietly, 800,000 set of VCDs containing a bootlegged HERO video, camcorded at a theater, being shipped out of these two companies. Days after the "official bootlegged VCD" showed up, the Ministry of Culture ruled that the VCD is pirated product because before February 20, Beijing New Picture owns all copy rights of HERO. While a forced recall of the VCDs is underway, the two companies have suffered a loss of millions due to the incident. Will the official DVD and VCD being released on time? That is the question.
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Love the YesAsia review Ono :thumbs: :lol:
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Originally posted by kcxdev
Love the YesAsia review Ono :thumbs: :lol:
Well, it *had* to be said really. :noid: :D
I was also a bit ****** off with the lack of DVD release. :|
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Yeh, the reviews at YA are 99% by 'fanboys' (and girls), puts the site down really :oh-hum:
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:lol:
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Just saw this last night, and I personally thought it was really excellent - I agree that some more character depth would be good but I think I'd put it on a par with CTHD.
At the end I really felt for Flying Snow and Broken Sword despite having alot of different personalities during the film.
It's a very artistic film, but that's one of the things I loved about it - all the colours are carefully thought out and experimented with and the settings look gorgeous. The score is great too and fits the film perfectly.
I really liked the fight Filying Snow and Moon (Zhang) the whole thing looked amazing
Anyway I began watching it not expecting much at all really as I hadn't been following the hype for it, so that might have helped me enjoy it so much - not sure. But it comes highly recommended from me, I look forward to the extended version.
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I've just ordered the official VCD of this seen as though the dvd release keeps getting delayed. Anyone else doing the same as me? :)
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KFC (http://www.kfccinema.com/reviews/kungfu/hero_jetli/hero_jetli.html) have their review up.
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Originally posted by kcxdev
KFC (http://www.kfccinema.com/reviews/kungfu/hero_jetli/hero_jetli.html) have their review up.
Not any more they don't, at least for another week:
Kung Fu Cult Cinema Closed till March 1st
This morning we received notices from our web hosting services that we have seriously surpassed our bandwidth. By 4 times to be exact, our estimated surcharge for this month is 800 +
We cannot afford this, we limited the option on the new message board but it did not change anything. The database kept getting bigger, so we had no choice but to delete the whole thing.
Tonight we are going to shut down the entire KFCC site, we are really sorry about this but it is our only chance to try to avoid a bill that we won't be able to pay.
We estimate the site will be down for an entire week to kill our transfer rates.
Also and unfortunately, we cannot pay for the EZ Boards since we are so much in the hole. We would like to extend our arms out to all our faithful readers and ask for help in the form of donations to possibly help out KFCC and to hopefully reactive our old NON POP UP boards again. If things do not get better, we will have to revert to the Free Pop Up Forums.
Once again we are terribly sorry for all of this as we did not realize that our new forums would explode with so much activity and destroy our bandwidth.
If you would like to share your support, please donate via PAYPAL.
Sincerely,
The Team at KUNG FU CULT CINEMA
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:brickwall
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i really badly wanna see this now :(
It's been delayed again as well :suspect: Are di$ney involved :mad:
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Anyone know which version dq102 is referring to here:
&threadid=165429
Nice screengrabs though (EDIT - apart from Jet Li). :norty:
I can wait. I have gotten away from this "must see this now" manner of thinking. :D
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He's on about the theatrical version on a single layer disk that should be out ni a few weeks in hong kong
I think it's just the dual layered longer version that will be delayed :(
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watched it today.
Bad Points for me where,
Donnie Yen, I wanted to see more of him :( - what you do see was great though.
The crap names "Flying Snow" indeed.
The scene were the woman blocks 100's of arrows with her dress :D
The scene with all the leaves was rubbish. Moon was going ballistic and Flying Snow just flys off and stands there summoning swirling leaves.
At the end of the day its not going to be everyones taste, with all the pretty colourful scenes and flying people its like something straight out of a cartoon. It turned out ok in the end though, watchable.
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Goblin - after not liking Crouching Tiger because of the fantasy elements and "flying", this probably wasn't the best film to buy if you think it all looks rubbish.
I personally loved the scene with the autumn leaves it looked stunning also loved every fight sequence. I'm not sure about the names though, I guess they could've come from some of the chinese legends the film was based on.
I agree about Donnie Yen though, it's doubtful but hopefully we'll see some more in the extended cut.
About Jet Li
I think it would be a sign of weakness if the emperor just let him walk out after plotting to kill him. He had hundreds of loyal troops watching things unfold, so he needs to set an example. Also it's based on a legend so maybe it has a moral to it or something
I think at the end of the day if you liked Crouching Tiger you'll enjoy Hero, if not it's probably best to give it a miss.
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I thought CTHD was good, just not keen on the wirework.
I agree the leaf scene looked nice, reminded me of Brotherhood of the Wolf. Im always in two minds over these films ... I just think they spoil great movies with comical touches.
Thats what I thought about Jet Li, but seen as how he hadnt done anything, he could have showed mercy and proved his point that he wasnt the bad guy. :D
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Originally posted by Splinter
I think at the end of the day if you liked Zhang Ziyi in Crouching Tiger you'll enjoy Zhang Ziyi in Hero, if not it's probably best to give it a miss.
Cheers mate. That's put my mind at ease. :nuts: :norty:
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:lol:
Yeah I think Ono's stamp of approval is a given. I look forward to your unbiased review ;)
Goblin -
yeah i guess that's the other way it could have gone. Suppose he's a evil tyrant after all :nono:
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Originally posted by Splinter
:lol:
Yeah I think Ono's stamp of approval is a given. I look forward to your unbiased review ;)
:lol:
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What does the opening titles / roller read as?
This bit isn't subtitled on the dvd. Am I missing anything here or is it just the actors' credits?
thanks.
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It's kind of a historical introduction about what the film is based on. I'm surprised it's not subbed.
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thanks Splinter, that's what I thought it might be!
Can anyone provide a translation of this opening section?
The first English subs on my disc (The Chinese R0, from dddhouse) are where Jet Li's first line of voice-over comes in.
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Here's the what opening section says,
HERO
Two thousand years ago.. during the Warring States period, China was divided into seven Kingdoms.
For years they battled for supremacy while the people suffered.
The King of Qin was the most ruthless in his efforts to conquer the land and unify all under heaven.
He was regarded as a common threat by the other six Kingdoms.
The annals of Chinese history are abound with tales of the assassins sent to kill the great King.
This is one of the legends...
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thanks very much Splinter :clap:
I wonder why they didn't subtitle this :confused:
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Yeah it's wierd it's not subbed - they better sort it out for the extended eition
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they didnt subtitle whatever was said at the end either ... although I gathered what it would say.
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Last year I was quoted as saying Hero was my most anticipated film of 2003 so the film was slipped into my DVD player today with probably more to live up to than any in recent times. Why was I looking forward so much to this film? Well, if you look at the cast (Maggie, Tony, Jet Li, Donnie Yuen and Zhang Ziyi :norty: ), the director (who is as versitile and talented as any) and the superb trailer you can't help but start slobbering over it.
Right from the opening scene where Jet Li's character walks into the Royal chamber this film exudes style which flags it as being something special.
As the film progresses Zhang Yimou has used colour in a beautiful and imaginative way to depict different versions of the same events unfolding which left me awestruck. This film is by no means an epic but some of the set pieces such as the Emporer's army marching and laying seige to a village are as grand as anything seen in The Two Towers.
The acting throughout is top notch - Maggie and Tony are accomplished and you expect nothing less from them. Jet Li puts in a performance which makes you wonder why he bothers ruining his reputation by starring in crappy Hollywood films where the language hinders his acting too much.
The fight scenes have been compared to those of CTHD in that wire work is used extensively. As Cirrus888 mentioned the fights here are balletic and I would also add more artistic - but alas, they don't generate as much excitment as the ones in CTHD which are more action orientated. The face off between Moon and Flying Snow, the fight over a still lake and Broken Sword's assassination attempt in the green draped hall. All a sight to behold but none come near the roof top chase fight or the weapons dojo fight in CTHD for heart pounding greatness.
Make no mistake. This is a brilliant film. One that is rewatchable several times over. Did it live up to my expectations?
No. But that is because I wasn't expecting the film to be like this at all.
Ono gives this 9 out 10.
Unmissable. :notworthy :notworthy
http://www.ono.barrysworld.net/forums/hero01.jpg
http://www.ono.barrysworld.net/forums/hero02.jpg
http://www.ono.barrysworld.net/forums/hero03.jpg
http://www.ono.barrysworld.net/forums/hero04.jpg
http://www.ono.barrysworld.net/forums/hero05.jpg
Oh, almost forgot:
Ono's Babe Watch - well ... anyone who knows me will remember that before a certain Korean lass came along my absolute favourite was Zhang Ziyi. Nothing has changed in my adoration for her. She gets 10 out of 10.
Maggie is a bit too old for my taste and she doesn't really have the look I go for - 4 out of 10. :D
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Maggie is a bit too old for my taste and she doesn't really have the look I go for - 4 out of 10
Yeah right, too old. Maggie is like fine wine. :D :norty:
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Yeah, can some kind soul translate what is written at the end (over the Great Wall of China)? Thanks :)
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Nice review Ono, I agree the fight scenes are less action orientated CTHD. I think for me the reason I love hero so much is the artistic scenes which give it its uniqueness.
At the Gates - Give me a bit and I'll get the ending subs written down.
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Translation of ending credits...
Nameless was executed an assassin but buried a hero...
Sky gave up his sword in honor of his fallen friends...
In 221 B.C., the King of Qin conquered all six kingdoms and unified China.
He ceased all expeditions and built the Great Wall to protect his subjects from the Northern Tribes.
The Qin Empire became the first dynasty of China...
And Qin Shihuang... the First Emperor
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Lazy DVD subtitling because the theatrical version I saw had everything subbed with very good translations of the dialogue as well.
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Splinter, thanks for the translation of the ending credits, it makes more sense of the end, as
I wasn't really sure who the 'hero' of the title was. I had guessed the King was / became first emperor [due to the shot of the Great Wall of China] who founded the first Dynasty, but that text does explain it all.
It completes the film nicely.
Cheers,
Boink!
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Thanks Splinter :thumbs:
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Just watched the film again (louder this time :D ) - great use of sound and stirring music indeed. Can't wait for the DTS version.
:notworthy
It will be interesting to see what gets added on in the Director's Cut because I think the story flows very well as it is. Maybe a bit more with Sky (Donnie Yuen) in maybe?
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Ono lent me this film today and I have just finished watching it. I knew nothing of this film except the bits that Ono told me about. i was expecting something similar to that of CTHD.
I was therefore a little dissapointed with the fight scenes which were not nearly as intense and exciting as CTHD...but I enjoyed them none the less as they had an artistic quality to them surrounded by stunning scenery and music.
I agree with ono that this film has a lot of style and character to it.
The colour variations and expansive scenery are quite something.
The Emporer's grand army was absolutely superb. The enormity and power that was demonstrated was staggering.
I was also pleasantly surprised with Jet li's acting skills. Definitely a world apart from the hollywood films he stars in.
On the babe front Zhang Ziyi looked stunning in this. I would have preferred Michelle Yeoh in place of Maggie as I think she has a greater presence and is a lot more beautiful even at her age!
Well worth watching this film!!
I may even buy my own copy!! :D
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Glad you liked it mate.
But ........ can you stay away from Zhang Ziyi please otheriwse I won't lend you anymore of my films. :|
You can keep Michelle Yeoh though. :gag: :D
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I'm tempted to grab this on DVD now as I really love the film and I'm dying to watch it in surround sound on my projector. But i'm still, like many others - holding out for the Extended Cut, hopefully they'll put together a limited/collector's edition of it.
It would be good if they added more scenes with Sky, but I can't see where it would get added as he has just that scene near the beginning, so there's not that much room before it to add some background to his character
Can't remember where I saw it but I read we should be seeing some extended scenes at the beginning of the film with Nameless entering the city - just more background on him before he meets the emperor. Could also be if we're lucky, some added footage to the fight sequences.
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Maybe some "cut" stuff on the "Use and Abuse" of Moon by Broken Sword? :norty:
The DC is suppose to have 30 mins or so extra? If it was cut it is likely to be on the character building side of things which Miramax probably thought was a waste of time. :oh-hum:
Or possibly more on the bond between Moon and B Sword:
She says she met him when she was 8 years old so there is scope there.
Also possibly more on how Snow and B Sword first met and the building of their relationship/love.
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Originally posted by Ono
Maggie is a bit too old for my taste and she doesn't really have the look I go for - 4 out of 10. :D
:eek:
What the frell do you class as ugly then -25 ??
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I forgot how much theere was to add, think it's 20mins which will bring it up to 2 hours. So there should be quite a few major scenes added, as you say would probably be character development which will make the film feel more complete i'm sure.
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Originally posted by unrealnils
:eek:
What the frell do you class as ugly then -25 ??
Basically:
10 - I would jump on them if I saw them in the street or something. Don't care if I get arrested.
7-9 - Shaggable but not worth getting arrested.
5-6 - Yes, if they were up for it.
3-4 - No thanks.
0-2 - Surely God doesn't make creatures this ugly?
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Didn't you give that women from So Close like a 2 :nuts:
I just read you're table now fair enough
what do you think of Coco Lee ???
And did you know there mates (her and Zi Yi) and they go to karoke bars together :clap:
Imagine at the bar when they walk in :eek: :thumbs:
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Coco gets a decent 6/10 from me. I'm not really into Chinese birds who dye their hair blondish brown.
I prefer jet black (although a few highlights are OK) :D
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Originally posted by Ono
The DC is suppose to have 30 mins or so extra? If it was cut it is likely to be on the character building side of things which Miramax probably thought was a waste of time. :oh-hum:
There's probably going to be extra stuff in lots of places. I think that one change may be a different opening.
The Miramaxe version opens with a short voice over by Nameless that seems somewhat out-of-place to me. Who is he talking to?
The "voice overs" in the rest of the film are really the Emperor and Nameless talking to each other, but this isn't the case in the opening. There is no closing voice over to correspond to the opening, and the small bit of exposition that is provided at the beginning could easily have been included in the opening text.
So I'm guessing that this is the result of enforced editing, and that the full version will have a different opening not requiring a voice over.
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Originally posted by Splinter
Translation of ending credits... spoiler blah blah blah
I dont suppose you have a translation of the opening credits by any chance?
:)
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This was one of the most boring films i've watched lately. I too was expecting it to be great.
The picture / soundtrack were top quality. It looked great, the martial arts were decent too, but again so unrealistic. Leaves flying around, blocking hundreds of arrows with a sword and a dress, fighting on water! What next?
Craig
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Originally posted by Craigr
Leaves flying around, blocking hundreds of arrows with a sword and a dress, fighting on water! What next? That's what I loved about it! Surely if you don't like those elements then you're watching the wrong genre?
I thought it perfectly paced, perhaps a little fast in fact - I'm looking forward to the extended version for some more character development.
The sound was stunning - even on a simple stereo set up - and was only surpassed by the gorgeous cinematography!
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Originally posted by Craigr
This was one of the most boring films i've watched lately. I too was expecting it to be great.
The picture / soundtrack were top quality. It looked great, the martial arts were decent too, but again so unrealistic. Leaves flying around, blocking hundreds of arrows with a sword and a dress, fighting on water! What next?
Craig
I think this film kinda went over your head mate. Have you not seen Crouching Tiger?
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And as for Excalibur whats wiv der silly welsh wizard wally playing around wiv magic swords and dragons breff and turning that hot chick in the brass gear into a granny. I reckon it messed up what cood a bin some grate sword battles showin off the actors blade skills and the wimmins assets.
Hmm so someone writes a script for a film based on ancient myths and legends which not surprisingly contains heroes with magical and supernatural abilities. Then a bunch of people complain that it wasn't ignored in favour of making a vehicle for the martial arts skills of some of the actors and rabbit on about reality. There are no more cases of defying reality in these films than you find in your average hollywood thriller with scenes of people out running fireballs down narrow corridors (which cannot claim that their heroes have magical powers of any sort):brickwall
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Dysfunction - I put the the translation of the opening credits up on the 3rd page.
Craigr - Try doing some research next time before you buy your DVDs. It's a bit tragic seeing comments like that. As SimonI says I think you're watching the wrong genre.
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Originally posted by Splinter
Dysfunction - I put the the translation of the opening credits up on the 3rd page.
Aaah thanks. I must have overlooked your post.
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We've just watched it. It took us about ten minutes to be able to talk afterwards! What a beautiful film!
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Originally posted by Craigr
The picture / soundtrack were top quality. It looked great, the martial arts were decent too, but again so unrealistic. Leaves flying around, blocking hundreds of arrows with a sword and a dress, fighting on water! What next?
:clap:
I agree mate, it looks rubbish ... if they kept it realistic it would all look 10x better. Turns some good action scenes into comedy. :|
Still it was an OK film in the end.
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Originally posted by Goblin
:clap:
I agree mate, it looks rubbish ... if they kept it realistic it would all look 10x better. Turns some good action scenes into comedy. :|
What like Matrix :lol:
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One day Goblin's going to write something that i agree with.
One day.... :)
Mr Stanton's verdict... Absolutley stunning film. Amazing fight scenes, stunning cinematography, stiring music, Zhang Ziyi rapped in a red sheet.
Highly, highly recomended.
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Originally posted by Arch Stanton
One day Goblin's going to write something that i agree with.
One day.... :)
Im the true voice of the mainstream audience. ;)
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Originally posted by unrealnils
What like Matrix :lol:
even Neo couldnt have dodged that many arrows :nono: :)
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I received the HK Edko R3 2 disc theatrical cut dvd of Hero the other day, but only got round to watching it last night.
The AV quality of the Edko R3 disc is fantastic. I think its probably one of the most impressive discs I have seen from a HK based distributor. The anamorphic picture and sound are right up there with the best from Hollywood studios. The English subtitles are really good, and the prologue and epilogue have English translations too. If you can't hold out for the extended cut, and haven't bought the mainland China version, I'd say this disc is well worth the money.
Film-wise, I really want to see the extra 20 odd minutes, as it does seem to be a case of just using the plot to basically go from one fight scene to the next, with minimal time for characters and their motivations. Donnie Yen's part is not much more than an extended cameo, and Zhang Zi Yi is more or less relegated to a bit part. I don't know if they will have more scenes in the extended cut, but I hope so.
The action scenes are impressive (if a bit short), but if you are expecting them to be grounded in reality, you are watching the wrong film. The cinematography is stunning, and I love the colour scheme.
The theatrical cut of Hero is a good movie, but its brisk pace made it feel a little empty by the end. I look forward to the extended cut.
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Excuse my ignorance on this but is the extended cut a definite thing? If so any idea when it will be coming? I was just about to buy the 2-disc from CD-WOW but stopped when I saw the words "extended cut"!
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Finally put up a DVDTimes review of the film here (http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/index.cgi?page=Review&id=1297&story=4317). I reviewed the basic Chinese R0 release. I'm still waiting for a definitive release of the director's cut. Still, any of the current releases are pretty impressive by the sounds of it. Great film. I loved it.
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