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Ying xiong
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Ying xiong (2002) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 43 | slideshow) Videos (see all 2)
Ying xiong (2002) -- US Home Video Trailer from Miramax
Ying xiong (2002) -- A series of Rashomon-like flashback accounts shape the story of how one man defeated three assassins who sought to murder the most powerful warlord in pre-unified China.

Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   68,457 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Yimou Zhang
Writers:
Feng Li (writer)
Bin Wang (writer)
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Hero on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
27 August 2004 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Adventure more
Tagline:
Kono kuni wa mada, hontô no hero wo shiranai [Japan] ("This land doesn't know a real hero. Yet.) more
Plot:
A series of Rashomon-like flashback accounts shape the story of how one man defeated three assassins who sought to murder the most powerful warlord in pre-unified China. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 21 wins & 19 nominations more
User Comments:
The best martial arts film ever made more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Hero (Canada: English title) (literal English title) (UK) (USA)
Jet Li's Hero (USA)
Quentin Tarantino Presents Hero (USA) (promotional title)
Ying hung (China: Cantonese title)
more
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for stylized martial arts violence and a scene of sensuality.
Runtime:
99 min | China:107 min (extended version) | China:93 min | Turkey:89 min (TV version)
Country:
Hong Kong | China
Language:
Mandarin
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital
Filming Locations:
Dunhuang, Gansu, China more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In ancient China, when someone claimed that he killed his enemies, he needed to present their heads (tou zi) as proof instead of their weapons. Director Yimou Zhang modified this, mindful of the audience's stomachs, thus making the story less accurate. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Nameless comes back to Broken Sword after helping Flying Snow fend off arrows (as they comment on each others calligraphy and swordplay), close-ups of Broken Sword shows he has a piece of hair over his face. In the wide shots, his hair is swept back. 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.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in "Troldspejlet: (#30.13)" (2003) more

FAQ

What is "wuxia"?
What musical instrument was the old guy playing near the beginning of the movie?
Any recommendations for movies similar to "Ying xiong"?
more
161 out of 228 people found the following comment useful:-
The best martial arts film ever made, 24 February 2004
10/10
Author: rcropperUK from Leeds

Rarely have I been so astounded by such a magnificent, awe-inspiring film. If you have not yet placed your eyes on this masterpiece of Chinese cinema then I cannot recommend this film highly enough. 'Hero' is by far the best Chinese film I have ever seen, and already a firm favourite of all time.

The imagery is unparallelled, simply draw-droppingly near perfect scenes, with bold and vibrant use of colour, symbolism and scenery. The fluent flow of the storyline, the delicate direction of the sword slicing action, the Chinese cultural concepts and the emotionally charged scenes between characters combine to produce a simply remarkable achievement.

This film has a few elements from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, but is far, far superior in every way. The sleek direction from Yimou Zhang is so perfectly done, just imagine two martial arts experts ensuing in battle against each other, defying the laws of physics as we know it, and yet following them in 360 degrees in slow motion as one deflects a droplet of rain from one sword to the other, at the same time spinning and leaping over water... simply beautiful. The attack sequences are also superbly set, with hundreds of thousands of the King's warriors in formation, simultaneously firing enough arrows into the city which literally cover the sky, in addition to the viewer being able to watch the journey of a single arrowhead aimed during this event. The build up to the attack along with the unnerving tune of a Chinese stringed instrument help you, as the audience, to become firmly engrossed in your seat.

The individual martial arts is also second to none, for myself particularly to see the distant shots of the whole battle sequence showing the true skills involved with fighting, such as footwork, perfect timing,aggression, counter attacks and defence. Jet Li shows he is truly the grand daddy of martial arts. I cannot stress enough how much you need this film in your life.

The colourful imagery imposed by the director will take your breath away with luscious, vivid, bright, wind-blown,draped backgrounds as the setting for the important progression of the story. Even the story itself is brought to the audience in such a way which ensures your undivided attention, as there are twists in the tales and hidden plots which do not develop until the end of the film.Even short individual scenes are memorable due to their sheer awesome display of skill and speed.

This film even holds a political message which is relevant to all times, especially in today's American-lead world dominance. This film has absolutely everything - including an extremely sexy young Ziyi Zhang who simply is the biggest hype to come out of china since SARS.

This film was released in 2002, but this is certainly one of my all time favourites and will probably be the best film I see all year. I have never been more enthusiastic to pursue films in this genre in my life. For more action type enthusiasts who like more gore and violence check out 'Ong Bak', but for people who appreciate a fuller, visionary piece of martial arts filming, this will leave you speechless.

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Why do they fly around? markblakeway
What game is played in the chess court? HaukeIngmar
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US Blu-Ray coming this september geneariani
I wish the IMDb rating went up to 12... Sun_ThreeStars
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