A Man Called Hero

This follow-up to the blockbuster fantasy epic, "&&ID=V1465||Name=The Stormriders&&" is another adaptation of Ma Wing Shing's best-selling comic book serial. It boasts an even larger array of computer generated 3D graphic effects, a stellar cast and stunningly choreographed fight sequences.

$$ID=Ekin Cheng$$ plays Hero, a solitary Chinese martial artist destined to remain apart from his loved ones as the result of an evil omen that afflicts those closest to him. Carrying this burden, Ekin's cool and aloof demeanor is well in character. He avenges the death of his parents, for which he feels responsible, and flees for America to escape the clutches of foreign imperialists, leaving behind his pregnant wife ($$ID=Kirsty Yang$$). Flash forward to Hero's son Sword ($$ID=Nicholas Tse$$) who is grown up and arrives in America, in search of his father who avoids him in fear of the curse. The events in Hero's life are told in episodic progressions and flashbacks - his escape from a labour camp, his mastery of the Secret Technique, his enmity with the Japanese clan headed by Invincible ($$ID=Francis Ng$$), the fellow disciple and archrival of his deceased master, to the unrequited love harboured by Invincible's female ninja disciple ($$ID=Shu Kei$$) for Hero. This culminates with Hero coming out of seclusion to do battle with Invincible against the New York skyline and atop the Statue of Liberty - in a thrilling fight to the end.

The action sequences are truly noteworthy for the effective fusion of special effects with the traditional "wired" action choreography of Hong Kong cinema. Standout scenes include the "water" battle between Invincible and Hero's master where the torrential rain motif is used to great effect and the ninja fight, with each ninja symbolizing one of the 5 elements of gold, wood, water, fire and earth. These alone are worth the price of admission for fans of Hong Kong martial arts, fantasy and animation.

However, like its predecessor, "A Man Called Hero" suffers from the condensation of years of a serialized storyline into a feature length movie. As such, some loose ends and plot details remain unclear to new viewers, although fans of the comic strip will find it a rather faithful adaptation.