What a film. From beginning to end, Hero takes the audience on a magical journey of love, loss, sacrifice, and truth. If you had told me beforehand that the story structure is similar to Rashomon I would have not believed they could have pulled it off so well, not to mention the great action sequences in almost every chapter of the tale. The vibrant and majestic visuals pair well with the this wuxia story as well as the assortment of personable characters. This film now contains some of my favorite fight scenes ever (the dream sequence!), in addition to just some incredibly memorable moments. I really liked the ending as well; simultaneously asking "is it just to sacrifice morality for the lives of others?" while giving the audience a beautifully articulated answer. The way the conversations between the Hero and the King are recontextualized after the ending as well, it's just so good! All of the actors do a pretty good job as well, at least for the overdramatic acting that a film like this required. While Hero does walk the line of ridiculousness sometimes, these are usually short moments of dramatic importance that are a part of the charm of a film such as this. There is was not a second in which I was not fully invested into this story, however, and Hero is one of the better action/drama films I have ever seen.