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I will skip the CT/HD & Hero similarities until the end... Let's just talk about fight sequences, cinematography, and story/dialog.
Okay- my wife hates "Wire-Fu", but think of this movie along the lines of Greek Mythology and Fables. It is SUPPOSED to be super-human. The fighting is a dramatization of the emotion, determination, and ferocity of the combatants. Under those circumstances, the fights are beautifully choreographed and nicely sprinkled throughout the movie.
The visual elements of the film are equally extreme, but amazing to behold. I will admit that I have never been to China, so I do not know how the foliage/landscapes actually intersect. The characters run from prairies, to bamboo forests, to rolling hills like they are merely walking between rooms in a house. I am not saying that this is a negative in the film; in fact, I found it gorgeous. It was like watching a moving painting. True, there were a few CGI moments- the bamboo forest comes to mind, but that was more for fight sequences than actual scenery.
Next, the dialog... For people that hate subtitled movies [my wife included], do not let prejudices stop you from seeing this film. The dialog was short and direct- no extremely long soliloquies or explainations by the actors. Also, for the intellectuals out there that believe martial arts films are devoid of any real thought in the dialog- you are wrong when it comes to this film. There are MANY hidden clues in the words spoken [and sung] by the characters in this film. Even the title has some extra meanings. If you are a thinker, you will be compelled to replay this movie in your mind several times- think "Kung Fu" meets "Usual Suspects"...
By the way- this puts CT/HD to shame when it comes to the love story. It was more complex and focused in this movie than in CT/HD. Similarly for Hero- the love story took a back seat and the politics of nation building became the major focus.
Okay- my wife hates "Wire-Fu", but think of this movie along the lines of Greek Mythology and Fables. It is SUPPOSED to be super-human. The fighting is a dramatization of the emotion, determination, and ferocity of the combatants. Under those circumstances, the fights are beautifully choreographed and nicely sprinkled throughout the movie.
The visual elements of the film are equally extreme, but amazing to behold. I will admit that I have never been to China, so I do not know how the foliage/landscapes actually intersect. The characters run from prairies, to bamboo forests, to rolling hills like they are merely walking between rooms in a house. I am not saying that this is a negative in the film; in fact, I found it gorgeous. It was like watching a moving painting. True, there were a few CGI moments- the bamboo forest comes to mind, but that was more for fight sequences than actual scenery.
Next, the dialog... For people that hate subtitled movies [my wife included], do not let prejudices stop you from seeing this film. The dialog was short and direct- no extremely long soliloquies or explainations by the actors. Also, for the intellectuals out there that believe martial arts films are devoid of any real thought in the dialog- you are wrong when it comes to this film. There are MANY hidden clues in the words spoken [and sung] by the characters in this film. Even the title has some extra meanings. If you are a thinker, you will be compelled to replay this movie in your mind several times- think "Kung Fu" meets "Usual Suspects"...
By the way- this puts CT/HD to shame when it comes to the love story. It was more complex and focused in this movie than in CT/HD. Similarly for Hero- the love story took a back seat and the politics of nation building became the major focus.
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