2 under rated movies

Last night I saw "Hero" with Jet Li. This is the first of Yimou Zhang's 2 martial arts movies. The other is "House of Flying Daggers" which was nominated for an Oscar in cinematography (rightfully so).

Now for some reason, I have heard a lot of negative comments about both of these movies. A lot of people think they are too dramatic. Let me say- both of them blew me away. They are 2 of the best movies I have ever seen.

The way I rate movies is this: 95% story, script and acting - 5% everything else. Both "Hero" and "Flying Daggers" have incredible, intense storylines, and great acting. They are the kind of movies that make you think. "Hero" especially got me, though I can't decide which was my favorite of the 2. I will always remember the final 5 minutes or so of "Hero".

I think the reason some people don't like these movies is they are expecting a "Bruce Lee" type Kung Fu movie. I love Bruce Lee, and I am a fan of martial arts movies. However, these movies are not Bruce Lee movies and you will be disappointed if that is what you are expecting.

You need to watch these as dramas that happen to contain martial arts. They are not completely realistic, and do contain wire-fu ('Hero' more than 'Daggers'). Both are also very artsy. There are some scenes that are so beautiful, that they are almost more like paintings and less like movie scenes.

If you watch them for the story, and just let the martial arts be extra, I think you'll agree. They are amazing.