7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
From acclaimed Chinese director Zhang Yimou comes this film set during the 'warring states' period in Chinese history when the country was divided into seven kingdoms. A low–ranking sheriff comes to the court of the king of one of the most powerful regions to claim a prize for killing three legendary warriors – Broken Sword, Flying Snow and Sky. But just how much of what the sheriff says can be trusted?
Starring: Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, Daoming ChenMartial arts | 100% |
Foreign | 83% |
Action | 57% |
War | 39% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Mandarin: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy (on disc)
D-Box
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Gorgeous. Magnificent. Breathtaking. Graceful. Solemn. Mesmerizing. Grandiose. These are but a few of the many words that have been used to describe Chinese director Zhang Yimou's Hero, an internationally acclaimed cinematic masterpiece that has united critics, divided audiences, and left many a filmfan in absolute awe. Relying on deliberate pacing to set a tone to which most martial arts enthusiasts are unaccustomed, and offering meditative swordplay in place of more traditional action beats, Yimou's film is no mere Jet Li vehicle, nor was it bred for awards and nominations (even though it earned its fair share of both). Hero is as much an expression of artistic elegance and poignant storytelling as it is a feast for the eyes and ears; as much a meditation on life and death, purpose and duty, and truth and perception as a clever tale of deception and revenge. While some will continue to scoff at its exceedingly deliberate pace and lyrical plotting, I plan to watch it again and again for years to come. It may not be an outright crowd-pleaser or a pulse-pounding martial arts extravaganza, but it is a wonderful film in its own right, leaving little doubt as to its filmmakers' talent, its performances' power, or its cinematography's brilliance.
The nameless warrior squares off against his first opponent...
Hero has been forced to endure a rough stint on home video; one plagued by horrid transfers, murky colors, and maddening technical deficiencies. Thankfully, Disney's 1080p/AVC-encoded high definition encode looks far better than anything that's come before and, despite a number of persisting issues, should please anyone who's been desperate to toss out their inadequate DVD. Christopher Doyle's palette has received the most noticeable boost -- reds surge, blues sing, and taut greens pierce the eyes -- while contrast and black levels have been significantly improved in their own right. The image is brighter, warmer, and more engrossing than it's been on previous releases, and primaries are far richer and sumptuous than I expected. Detail is soft overall, but textures are fairly revealing (albeit inconsistent), object definition is quite clean (minus a few errant mishaps), and close-ups are impressive. Granted, the use of intermittent noise reduction interferes with the integrity of several key scenes, and sudden bursts of heavy grain pepper the proceedings more often than I would have preferred, but many of the film's most iconic shots feature an attractive, film-like appearance. If anything, the persistence of faint artifacting and other compression anomalies is cause for some concern. Even though the transfer is reasonably proficient, particularly when compared to earlier releases, it still suffers from too many oddities to warrant any exuberant praise.
Is this Hero's definitive transfer? I hope not. While diehards will scoop it up regardless of its shortcomings, stringent videophiles may struggle with its apparent issues. Does the Blu-ray transfer offer a substantial improvement over the film's previous home video releases? Most definitely. All things considered -- the disc's sonic snafu included (more on that in a bit) -- videophiles and audiophiles may want to rent this one before making any pricey decisions.
In a decision sure to baffle more than this flustered purist, Disney and Miramax have blessed Hero's English dub with a hearty DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, yet scorned its original Mandarin mix with a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 track (640kbps); one that hinders the impact of Tan Dun's haunting score and the film's rousing sound design. But while the margin between disappointment and satisfaction will largely depend on the listener's ability or inability to get past such a disheartening oversight, fans of the film will nevertheless be able to enjoy the sonic majesty of Zhang Yimou's masterpiece regardless of which track they choose. Sure, vocal lucidity, LFE output, and soundscape clarity are noticeably better on the lossless mix, but that doesn't mean its lossy counterpart is a worthless waste of disc space. Dialogue is bold, intelligible, and nicely prioritized, and lighter effects -- arrows, spear thrusts, and sword clangs -- are clean and stable. Ambience and interior acoustics are strong as well, lending a distinct legitimacy to Yimou's various tales and dreamscapes. Still, LFE support may be resonant, but it's slightly pudgy; rear speaker activity may be aggressive, but it's a bit more shrill and shallow than it is on the English track; dynamics are impressive, but only for a standard Dolby Digital mix; pans are smooth but cushioned; and directionality is accurate but somewhat uninvolving (again, compared to its big lossless brother).
As it stands, those who enjoy dubbed tracks will be smitten by Hero's lumbering DTS-HD giant. However, those who prefer the pairing of an actor's performance with his or her original delivery will be saddened by Disney's failure to capitalize on the film's sonic potential. That being said, avoiding this release based on tech specs and audio options alone would be a mistake. Disney's lossy track is a solid one that rarely falters. Anyone who can get past their initial disappointment will find it's both capable and competent; a honorable contender worthy of consideration.
The Special Edition Blu-ray release of Hero arrives with the same supplemental package that appears on the concurrently released 2009 DVD. Unfortunately, the word "special" in Special Edition is a complete misnomer. While an exclusive featurette has been tacked on, the feature list is identical to that of Miramax's 2004 DVD. Worse still, it takes less than an hour to plow through all of the material, the video content is presented in standard definition, and little insight is offered into the film's production and artistry.
I could drone on and on about Hero's visual punch and thematic power, but I'll spare you the hyperbole. Suffice to say, Yimou's masterpiece is just that: a masterpiece. Sadly, the Blu-ray edition is a bit of a letdown. While it certainly bests every previous release of the film, it still struggles with a problematic video transfer, the limitations of a lossy Mandarin audio track, and the inclusion of a slim supplemental package. Granted, none of these issues should keep fans away from the finest release of Hero to date, but more frugal readers may want to rent this one before sliding too much cash across the counter.
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2008
赤壁 / 赤壁:决战天下 | Chi Bi | Original International Version
2008
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2007
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2010
影 / Ying
2018
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Xue Di Zi
2012
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1967
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2017
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2011
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2011
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2015
武俠 / Wu xia
2011
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2010
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2009