Hero......what's the deal?

[RenoOfTheTurks]

From what I can dig up about it, the Asian action star-studded Hero looks very promising. It's got Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi, an apparently good director, an amazing cinematographer.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Hero-10001021/

It looks as if it has some fairly philosophical underpinnings, and some have even charged it with being a kind of "mainland propaganda" which makes me REALLY want to see it (then laugh at the accusers, likely).

It seems as if it's already been released just about everywhere else in the world except North America?

And, maddeningly, I hear that Miramax is shaving 20+ minutes of footage off the US release. It was under 2 hours to start with, I believe.

I've heard several people say that the deletions really harm the movie. What information can anyone supply regarding the release and editing of Hero? Why is the US release so late relative to worldwide releases?

If I hear too much more about Miramax screwing it up, I will not see (give any money to help reward) the shortened version, but will buy the DVD containing the full movie as it was intended by the filmmakers, if it becomes available. Or eventually I'll just download it.

 

[Krug]

Well I enjoyed it. Cinematically, it's absolutely breathtaking, though the story isn't that entrancing.

Miramax.. it's been holding up Shaolin Soccer for ages as well.

 

[barsoomcore]

Yeah, it's driving me crazy waiting for this thing.

And I hate the deletions. Drunken Master 2 had at least one very serious deletion (the last shot of the movie!) which was maddening. Plus they tend to release them without subtitles, only dubbed into English. Which is also maddening.

 

[uv23]

It was certainly a pretty movie, but it was also one of the most boring that I've ever watched. Terrible storytelling - the idea was to tell the same story from multiple perspectives but it just ends up being redundant.

 

[Liminal Syzygy]

Cinematically, it's absolutely breathtaking, though the story isn't that entrancing.

Wow, I really liked the story. Considerably deeper than the vast majority of martial arts films. I felt it clearly owed a debt to rashomon, however.

I hadn't heard the propoganda thing before, but now that you mention it I can see where it could easily be seen as such. Tien-xia and all.

 

[Mog Elffoe]

Well I enjoyed it. Cinematically, it's absolutely breathtaking, though the story isn't that entrancing.

Miramax.. it's been holding up Shaolin Soccer for ages as well.

Columbia Tristar has been holding on to Legend of Zu even longer. After having seen the actual movie though, I can understand. It's beautiful to look at but wholly incoherent on a level I've never encountered before. How do you market something like that?

I do wish that Disney/Miramax/Dimension would do right by the HK films they have and release them with AT LEAST a track in the original Cantonese with English subtitles. I don't need any other extra features at all--I just want a decent version of the movie that doesn't make me cringe whenever the characters speak.

 

[Benben]

Well I found the movie to be entrancing and beautiful. YMMV.

If you really want to see it then give ebay a spin or buy directly from Poker Industries.

 

[hong]

It hasn't got down here to Austria either. Thank god for Chinatown grey market importers.

I read somewhere that it'll be released in USAia and Austria in April, but can't find the link now.

 

[RenoOfTheTurks]

Yeah, April 2004 is the release date I've read several times.

 

[Dreeble]

Heya:

Columbia Tristar has been holding on to Legend of Zu even longer.

Is this the same thing as "Zu Warriors"? If so, cool and I hope they release it eventually. I remember seeing the trailers for it (last year) and it looked like an extremely fun movie.

Take care,
Dreeble