Word: wirework
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This movie has enough wirework and furious swordplay to raise an audience's collective gasp of amazement. Knives, swords and spears move like fatal Frisbees, careering toward their targets with the help of some supple computer trickery. The narrative is no less devious: every loyalty, emotional and political, must be questioned, tested, fought...
...Muay Thai Warrior, the stunt man-turned-actor leaps across boiling oil, ballets above an array of tuk tuks and beats up anyone foolish enough to challenge him. The insane inventiveness of the stunts?done without special effects, wirework or apparent concern for Jaa's life and limb?has turned into box-office gold in Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and even France, where the film found a fan and international distributor in action auteur Luc Besson. Besson recut the film and secured a U.S. distribution deal with Magnolia Pictures. Expectations are high that...
...fight scenes?which is to say, the movie?are as impressive for their inventiveness as their fluidity. Just when you think nothing new can possibly be done with swords, shields and wirework, action coordinator Tony Ching offers soldiers clinging to thin green trees, hurling hand-carved, hollow bamboo spears that whistle through the air like artillery shells. Sword fighting is old hat for Zhang Ziyi now, but Kaneshiro plays like he was born to the bow; maybe he's been taking archery lessons from Orlando Bloom. Lau, whose Mandarin had to be dubbed for the film, suffers in an underwritten...
...Hero is a reunion of sorts for the principals. The four Hong Kong stars?Li, Yen, Cheung and Leung?have combined on various projects before. Ching has put them all through swordplay and wirework. Doyle had shot six films with Leung and three with Cheung. Li and Yen go way back: in the late '70s, they trained together as teens in Beijing. So their rain-soaked battle in Hero has the savor of an ancient schoolyard grudge match...
...stars acquit themselves brilliantly, especially Chan. His natural athleticism proves an asset as he spins, flips, and flings perfectly executed kicks with hyperkinetic vengeance, a Bruce Lee on acid. He even displays his prowess with a pair of laser nunchakus, twirling and smashing a contingent of guards into pulp. Wirework is used sparingly and subtly to good effect throughout...