HERO (12A)

TWO thousand years ago, during the height of the Warring States period, China is divided into seven feuding kingdoms, Qin, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei and Qi.

The powerful King of Qin (Daoming Chen) is obsessed with conquering his neighbours, at any price.

The remaining six states try in vain to assassinate him, hiring a succession of would-be killers.

Three legendary fighters stand head and shoulders above the rest - Broken Sword (Tony Leung), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung) and Sky (Donnie Yen).

Their swordsmanship, dexterity and tenacity is renowned throughout the kingdoms and the King of Qin lives in fear for his life, becoming a virtual recluse.

Determined to achieve his goal, the king promises great power, mountains of gold and a private audience with himself to anyone who can defeat these three assassins.

Ten years pass. Out of the blue, enigmatic county sheriff Nameless (Jet Li) arrives bearing the legendary weapons of the slain assassins, with a promise to tell the king how he came to slay Broken Sword, Flying Snow and Sky.

The king grants Nameless a private audience, but something about the sheriff's tale doesn't ring true.

Hero is an epic tale of love, loyalty and betrayal painted on a vast canvas. It's a breathtaking feast for the senses, combining stunning cinematography and Dun Tan's elegiac orchestral score with sumptuous costume design and art direction.

The plot unfolds as a series of contradictory flashbacks, each concealing some version of the truth.

Li is a delightful narrator, shrouding his true intentions until the closing frames, and there are strong performances from his co-stars.

The balletic action sequences are jaw-dropping, including a sword fight between Snow and Moon (Ziyi Zhang) that takes place in a blizzard of whirling red, orange, and yellow leaves. Glorious.