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Plot: A chinese king has been threatened for years by three assassins, but all of a sudden a young man, NoName (Jet Li) claims to have defeated them. He is taken to the presence of the king amd he explains how he defeated them. The king, however, refuses to believe him and has another opinion on how everything went.

This is a movie that mostly takes place in the minds of the king and NoName. Imagination, we soon are reminded, has no limits or boundaries. Both characters explain similar episodes in a completely different fashion. Characters act differently every time, and every scene is conceived as a self-contained set-piece, with its own story, setting and development.

And indeed, imagination has no limits. Accompanied by a relaxing music and absorbing cinematography, the characters of the drama play tricks on each other, love, die, reconcile... and, above all things, they fight. This movie is the culmination of a certain style of filming martial arts. The more similar thing I have ever seen are the fights on "Kill Bill" or "Crouching tiger, hidden dragon", but this film surpasses both films easily. The plot is tighter than in the film by Ang Lee, and while every single frame of the movie is a feast he doesn't allow the movie to become a mere aesthetics for the sake of aesthetics vehicle. Compared to the movie by Tarantino, it has an elegance "Kill Bill" couldn't ever have. Characters are also much better depicted, and while the action is constant director Zhang Yimou knows that unnecesary carnage will only draw attention to the real spirit of the film, its characters and story.

Now, before you start calling me names, go and rent the "Hero" DVD. You won't regret it.

I saw this on a crappy Vcd, so I didn't get the quality, but it was still a good film.  At least it's better than most.  To go and say best martial arts film ever made is a bit over the top [yes it's pretty good but I've seen more enjoyable films]  I'd also reccomend this film.

On that note, I liked Crouching Tiger better, and Kill Bill wasn't after elegance, but it was still pretty damn cool.

Definitley worth a look, for better or worse.