Heroes, villains and nameless ninjas

Martial arts action extravaganza, Hero, is about to take UK cinemas by storm.

13:53 20 September 2004

Riding the crest of the Kill Bill wave Hero is preparing for its UK launch.

The martial arts romp gets its UK release this week, with fans eagerly anticipating another visually stunning instalment from the action-backed genre.

Films like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill double-header have whetted the appetites of film fans.

Hero stars Jet Li as a nameless assassin defying death and gravity in third century China during a series of tales about his battles with a local warlord's enemies.

However, as the film unfolds it appears that our hero may not be all he seems.

Quentin Tarantino played a key role in transporting the film from China to the US, where it topped the box office for two weeks.