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Hero


2002 Movie
Ratings
7.9 85 Aggregate Rating82 Concordance94 JustScore A proprietary, opinionated score, blended from IMDb/Rotten Tomatoes/Metacritic. Learn more 76.6
Runtime 1h 34m
Director Yimou Zhang
Writer Feng Li, Yimou Zhang, Bin Wang
Cast Jet Li, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung
Composer Dun Tan
Genre Action, Adventure, Drama
Tags Quentin Tarantino
IMDb Page

Synopsis

Ancient China and the Qin Empire is out to conquer the six kingdoms. This makes its king a target for assassination. However, one man has single-handedly ensured the safety of the king, by killing the three most notorious assassins in the land. Treated as a hero, he is summoned for an audience with the king.


Collection

1 version

Disc

Blu-Ray

New
Platform Disc
Purchased from HMV
Purchase date 16 Aug 2026
Release version Quentin Tarantino presents Hero

Notes

Quentin Tarantino Presents: Hero refers to the marketing title used for the 2002 Chinese martial arts film Hero (directed by Zhang Yimou) during its 2004 US theatrical release. Quentin Tarantino did not produce or direct the film; rather, he leveraged his influence to convince Miramax to distribute an English-subtitled version, which had been delayed for two years. In exchange for securing the film's release and preventing cuts to the runtime, Miramax agreed to attach Tarantino’s name to the promotional materials. Jet Li, the film's star, praised Tarantino's intervention, stating that promoting a Chinese martial arts film in the American market made him the "real hero." This arrangement allowed the visually stunning epic, which stars Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Maggie Cheung, and Zhang Ziyi, to reach a wider Western audience.