A Man Called Hero Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

A Man Called Hero Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 14, 2024

1999’s “A Man Called Hero” is an adaptation of a comic book series, exploring the dramatic highs and lows of a kindly warrior and his battles with tragedy and magically powered enemies. It’s wuxia entertainment from Hong Kong, offering an ambitious mix of martial arts action and soap opera- style dramatic entanglements. The idea here is to excite audiences and also bring them to tears at times with its story of longing and loss, but the execution is a little lethargic from director Andrew Lau, who puts on a big show with the production’s epic intent, but can’t spark the picture’s sensitivities to life in a more meaningful manner.

Hero (Ekin Cheng) is a young man ready to take on the world as an apprentice for Master Pride (Anthony Wong), but rage claims his soul when his parents have been murdered for opposing criminal activity. Hero kills the attackers and spends one last night with his lover, Jade (Kristy Yang), before leaving his homeland for America. 16 years later, Hero’s friend, Sheng (Jerry Lamb), arrives in New York City, joined by Hero’s son, Sword (Nicholas Tse). The pair are looking for the missing man, soon meeting monk Luohan (Ken Lo), who shares a story about Hero’s American adventures in hard labor and personal loss. Finally reaching Hero, the men discover a defeated man, but one who’s ready to fight again when dealing with threats from local gangsters and the arrival of the Five Element Ninjas.

“A Man Called Hero” plays with time. Flashbacks and storytelling basically dominate the feature, with Hero’s journey pieced together via memories from a variety of characters, and the main player also receives time to go back through the years, especially when thinking about his relationship with Jade. It’s a little disorienting at times, and there are perhaps too many characters in the picture, but the production is aiming to generate a cat’s cradle approach to relationships and witness accounts, with Hero going from a mythical figure to someone painfully human, dealing with all that’s gone wrong with his noble intentions.

A Man Called Hero Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as "newly restored by Vinegar Syndrome from an existing studio master." As with the recent "Black Cat 2," Vinegar Syndrome is doing battle with a filtered source, working to bring some film-like qualities to the viewing experience. Some detail remains, with skin surfaces acceptably textured, along with period costuming. Color is stable, with decent primaries on clothing and signage. Fantasy hues are also distinct. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Source is in decent condition.

A Man Called Hero Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio choices for "The Man Called Hero," including a 2.0 DTS-HD MA English dub and a 2.0 Dolby Digital Mandarin option. The default is a 5.1 DTS-HD MA Cantonese track, which does well with dialogue exchanges, keeping voices intelligible and emotive. Scoring carries a defined synth sound, supporting melancholy mood and action events with clarity. Surrounds are active, mostly working with fight sequences, which carry some immersive movement. Atmospherics are basic, along with low-end, which doesn't retain much power. Brief moments of damage are found along the way.

A Man Called Hero Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Frank Djeng.

• "A Blood Sword in the Road" (17:09, HD) is a video essay by Justin Decloux.

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

A Man Called Hero Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hero's arc is filled with trouble and hurt, and the picture certainly attempts to extract some tears along the way. This is clearly the tone the production is going for, but such heightened emotions and confrontations register flatly here, with formula stifling creativity. Action encounters are also routine, boosted by CGI efforts that try to sell fantasy events with 1999 technology. With all that happens in "A Man Called Hero" (which climaxes with a showdown on top of the Statue of Liberty), and as big as it gets at times, the movie doesn't feel particularly energized, often stuck trying to follow several supporting characters and deal with family connections, and it all sucks the life out of this epic.