Funny thing is about "Hero"... [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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eqm
08-27-2004, 01:10 PM
is that I've had it on DVD for about a year now. We've got a microscopic Chinatown here in St. Louis and while in one of the shops, I got some recommendations from the lady running the place and she pointed me toward "Hero" saying it was very popular in China. It wasn't English dubbed but it had subtitles (which I prefer anyway). Sound was better than any Chinese DVD I own, being in AC3 5.1. Picture was as good as "Crouching Tiger" on non-Superbit DVD. VERY similar to CTHD in many respects, but all I have to say is....WOW on the arrow scenes (they show a glimpse on the commercials but I won't spoil any further). Anyway, if you've got a Chinatown near you, you might be able to find a full and real version of this on DVD while it's in theaters. That way you don't have to send any money to the talentless hack Tarentino. It's amazing how he makes it appear to be his project, when all he did was have it released in the states, long after it was popular in HK and China. All his other cinematic thefts should be so easily deduced...

N. Abstentia
08-28-2004, 04:58 AM
Might want to get the facts before you post. From IMDB.com:

Miramax, the distributor, apparently cut out 20 minutes from the movie because they found that part to be "too Asian and confusing" for western audiences. Then-Miramax honcho Harvey Weinstein made a deal with Quentin Tarantino that he'd release the film uncut if Tarantino would allow a "Quentin Tarantino Presents" tag at the beginning of the film. Tarantino agreed.

Worf101
08-28-2004, 07:50 AM
Might want to get the facts before you post. From IMDB.com:

Miramax, the distributor, apparently cut out 20 minutes from the movie because they found that part to be "too Asian and confusing" for western audiences. Then-Miramax honcho Harvey Weinstein made a deal with Quentin Tarantino that he'd release the film uncut if Tarantino would allow a "Quentin Tarantino Presents" tag at the beginning of the film. Tarantino agreed.

Nice repost. I'm a firm believer in "letting the truth get in the way of a good story!!!"

Thanks...

Da Worfster

RGA
08-28-2004, 10:20 AM
Tarantino a hack - please. He pays homage to the masters of a genre - -- and often makes a film far better than the film he paid homage to.

Dusty Chalk
08-28-2004, 10:20 AM
Not only that, he's recommending people view bootlegs. (rolls eyes)

Besides, I didn't get the impression QT had that much to do with it, other than its release.

Also, he's not talentless.

eqm
08-31-2004, 02:51 PM
Not only that, he's recommending people view bootlegs. (rolls eyes)

Besides, I didn't get the impression QT had that much to do with it, other than its release.

Also, he's not talentless.

Don't want to start a flame war, I was talking about the ORIGINAL CHINESE RELEASE...not the re-issue that was in the theaters...I've never liked boots and own probably 500+ dvd movies and tv shows. I apologize if I offended anyone by my dislike of QT, but I've never seen him make anything original in any movie I've seen by him, whether it's him ripping off john woo for res dogs or unabashedly referring to a twilight zone episode as the entire basis for a segment of "Four Rooms". So I don't like his work...I hope no one is too hurt by that assessment.

And besides...maybe I don't understand enough about how movies are made and shown by Hollywood, but if someone said, "Hey we've got this movie you have nothing even remotely to do this. Can we put your name on it?" I don't know if I could agree to such an assertion. I appreciate the info from IMDB, but how many people really check something like that? Any reviews in the papers letting across the inherent deception by the releasing studio? Anyway...my $.02 was up long ago.

kexodusc
09-01-2004, 06:11 AM
Funny thing about "Hero" is that it's a tired, derivative movie in the first place, that basically ripped off several huge American blockbusters (that in themselves were of rip-offs of other movies), moved the setting to a different time and country, and threw in a bit of special-effect eye-candy. Tarantino's only flaw was putting his name on it, but I can't blame him for taking some more money.
This would have been a pretty good rental, or a so-so popcorn movie, but if you can buy a 2nd rate-bootleg ina Chinatown for cheaper than a 2 day rental at Blockbuster, I'd recommend you do.

Maybe it's the ol' too much "Holywood hype" thing, but I wasn't impressed by this movie at all.

Kam
09-01-2004, 05:38 PM
Hey all, sorry have been incognito for a while, things have been crazy hectic here in the big apple, but just thought i'd drop back and start dropping my two cents in as well.
I also saw this awhile ago on dvd, prior to miramax bringing it over to us distribution and personally enjoyed it immensely.
i don't immediately hate movies for "borrowing" "paying homage" "ripping off" or just flat out "copying" other movies, and personally i think its rather closed minded from those who do, seeing as if you like any movie post 1970's... odds are they're doing one of the above from another movie, some just do it better than others.
does Hero do all of the above from other movies? yeap, absolutely, and does it extremely well. It's a good story and has sensational visuals and incredible action sequences and i enjoyed it immensely.
just on the sheer visuals alone i'd reccomend this movie, and want to go see it in the theater now having already seen the dvd just to watch it on a bigger screen.

the forest/leaves sequence and mountain/lake sequence are stunning.
i'd say def check it out, having nothing to do with putting money in anyone's pockets other than showing support for a foreign film. whoever ends up with the money sees only one message: will foreign films make money or not?

peace
k2

Worf101
09-01-2004, 07:33 PM
Me and the bettter half saw it over "The Manchuriam Candidate". I liked the film but did not love it. I liked some of the historical perspective on the unification of China and loved some of the fight sequences. There were many nice touches but I was not overly engaged by the characters. I didn't feel for them to the point I did in "Crouching/Hidden". That being said it's still superior to 99% of the Hollywood drivel I've seen in the past year. I will say I enjoyed "Open Water" to it for recent viewings...

Da Worfster

kexodusc
09-02-2004, 04:45 AM
Well put Kam, I should add to my earlier comments...the movie isn't bad...and I would definitely recommend it as a solid rental, but I'm hearing comments that this is the next Crouching Tiger, etc...and to me, it's only a bit better than "The Last Samurai" (because the actings actually pretty good)...
Guess I just got upset and the people saying Tarantino was a theif, and "borrower" when this movie itself swims in old ideas.
But it isn't bad at all, even if it's derivitive, and I could see why people would justify spending $20 at the movies to see it. I blame the damn Holywood Hype...how many movies have been letdowns because of too much advertising.
The worst 2 in recent memory had to be "Pearl Harbor" and "Planet of the Apes"...I think they both came out the same year, I was expecting a home run, and got a sacrifice fly instead.

Kam
09-02-2004, 08:42 AM
yeah, the hype that its up there with CTHD is just marketing, they HAVE to say it because its a chinese foreign film with flying martial arts... only thing to relate to it here is CTHD when, pretty much every chinese foreign film has flying martial arts, like a bollywood movie with a song and dance number.

hype is tough even when you try and ignore it, like now with the Christoper Nolan Batman Begins... am trying not to get too excited, but just can't help it! so psyched to see it and praying it lives up to its potential of what it could be given the Miller Year:One story.

Pearl Harbor and POTA, oh man... so much potential but just SO bad...

i don't think anyone goes out to make crap, but from what little i've been exposed to the entertainment biz from the inside, the execs that make creative decisions honestly think it will help make the movie more appealing to "the masses" and thats why they'll stick their nose in things and quite often these are the things that stick out in otherwise good movies. (not saying this is the case with PH and Pota, PH i think was prolly crap from the start, Pota, i have no idea how burton dropped the ball there, am a big fan of his). I am having to deal with those kinds of decisions now and it sucks. i don't tell someone who went to business school how to run the business because i didn't go to business school, why should someone who never went to film school (and in most cases of execs) never even made a film, wrote a film, or been in a film, tell filmmakers how to do their job? napoleon and many other complexes.

thetramp
09-30-2004, 03:38 PM
I see even less a connection between Last Samurai & Hero than between CTHD & HERO..

Last Samurai is a complete rip-off.. anyways.. can't even kiss the heels of Hero.. which is a very artistic movie and I understand very well why some people won't like it... it's rather slow.. complicated story to fully understand at first.. you need several viewings the really comprehend the expressions and actions of 'broken sword' 'nameless' 'heaven' and 'snow'....

How it's relation is with CHTD is difficult to say for me.. because it's been like 3 years I' ve seen it... and I did only once.. I 've seen Hero for like 5 times now.. and it's an all awe like experience... doesn't bore me a bit.. such beautifull color work.. and such nice scenery and all in all top-notch cinematograph..

How one could say this (Hero) is a ripp-off and Last samurai is an - original - good or even better movie is beyond my comprehension... well not really... ;)

Besides.. according to the imdb top-250... both movies (CTHD #89 & Hero #119) are rated equally high...