Hero

An all-star cast including Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, and Tony Leung Chiu-wai propels Zhang Yimou’s gorgeously colorful wuxia tribute, “not so much a historical epic as a kind of highly determined ballet” (Anthony Lane, New Yorker). In ancient China each kingdom is at war, and three assassins battle to kill the most powerful ruler, until a simple peasant eliminates each one. Or does he? Hong Kong action choreography legend Ching Siu-Tung contributes Hero’s stunning fight scenes, while longtime Wong Kar-wai collaborator Christopher Doyle adds his usual exquisite cinematography to “one of the most ravishing spectacles the movies have given us” (Charles Taylor, Salon).