Jet Li is an amazing martial arts talent and his latest effort Hero is a tour de force tribute to wu shu; a discipline of which he is a master. The film explains the 3 basic tenets of the discipline in an engaging way, against the backdrop of a hero on a quest.

But Nameless – Jet Li’s character – is not the classic watered down, westernized hero; he’s much more than that. So If you’re looking for Rocky vs. the armies of China, look elsewhere.

Dreamlike fight sequences, loaded with wire work and stop action maneuvers seem impossible in the moment but all make sense through course of the story arc. Visually, theres much here for guys to like, and the core message is universal enough that it just might appeal to a broader audience.

Here’s what works about Hero:

1)Photography and Cinematography – all top shelf and then some. This helps with pacing of the story. Very visually appealing.

2)There’s a theme that delivers a sermon free message. Better yet, it’s a good message.

3)While the ending is not altogether unexpected, it’s not a disappointment.

And some caveats…

1)Subtitles – there’s not much that can be done about them, the film was shot for Chinese audiences. Overdubs would have eroded the film further, compounding the gap between what the actors said in Chinese and the English translation.

2)Flashbacks – the film is loaded with them. Since some flashbacks override other flashbacks which impacts the coherence of the story in spots. However, in the end, the film ties everything together.

Verdict – matinee and DVD it. Serve with cold beer or warm sake.

It’s easy to write a negative movie review; but instead of panning a film that misses the mark – so far I have abstained from commenting on such movies. That’s been the foundational rule of the reviews here at samhilliard.com. However, in the interest of public safety and community wellness, sometimes rules must be broken.

Less than an hour ago, I suffered through 79 minutes of pure, 100 percent unadulterated crap. Any more crappy and the screen would’ve turned brown. Open Water is an awful movie on every level.

The premise, a term used loosely here – take a couple on vacation and separate them from the dive boat. And that’s the whole movie. Looking for a plot twists? Dialog that’s interesting? Characters you don’t want to push down the stairs? A camera that’s held by someone who’s sober? Sorry, please try again.

15 minutes in, I was begging for the sharks to put me out of my misery and eat the couple. The only thing that would make this movie better is a full refund and an apology.

I booed along with several other people during the credits.

Verdict: Open Water = BAD. Don’t see it, don’t rent it, don’t watch it on cable or the Lifetime network.