Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Let's me tell you about a film i watched and be impressed the most, it is the Hero from 1992. The image quality from that time was not so vivid and some plots are clichéd. But overall, the film is funny and toughing at the same time. The main character of the movie is a misery criminal called Bernie with continuously bad lucks. He fail to be a role model father, lived in the modest apartment, and drove a rusted car. In a dull night, when a plane crashed and fired immediately in front of him, Bernie decided to risk his life to save the passengers. But there were twists and turns, which made the audience rated it as a genius product. One of the victims was a famous TV reporter. She and her station called him as the "Angel of flight 104" and offered one million dollar for an interview since they only know him by a 10 size shoe which have been left behind. Hundreds of people claimed, but there was one man made people believe in by the other shoe. Which he received from Bernie as a thank you gift for the lift. The film conveyed a humanity message: what exactly contribute to heroism. While keeping the smart, surprised funny. That is the movie I would keep recommending for friends and colleges.

Bernie LaPlante (Dustin Hoffman) is far from an ideal citizen of New York City. He's a two-bit crook and his chickens are finally coming home to roost, that is, he will be sent to prison. However, his young lawyer secures him a week "to get his affairs in order". This includes saying goodbye to his ten year old son, Joey, ditto to his ex-wife, Ev (Joan Cusack) and getting his boss to write a letter of recommendation for him before sentencing. However, one night, chaos reigns. Bernie is supposed to take his son to the movies but, in a severe thunderstorm, a plane goes down right in front of Mr. LaPlante. The door to the aircraft is blocked and a fire has started. Unbelievably, Bernie gets the door open and rescues the passengers, including hotshot reporter Gale (Geena Davis). After doing this heroic act, however, LaPante quietly heads over to his son's house. Its way too late, as Eve informs him, and she sends him packing. On the way home, further trouble arrives when his car breaks down and he must hitch a ride from homeless vet John Bubber (Andy Garcia). It is there that Bernie tells John about his courageous act, with John duly impressed. As Bernie has only one shoe from the ordeal, he leaves it with Bubber for a one-legged man of John's acquaintance. Ho, ho! Soon the press and Gale, especially, is looking for the "hero" and they offer a reward of a MILLION BUCKS to help entice him into the limelight. However, Bernie has set up another crooked meeting and gets whisked off to jail. Its John, instead, who comes forward, for he has the Cinderfeller shoe that matches the one the press has found. Now, everyone believes Bubber is the hero, and in all sincerity, his former past as a hero of Vietnam is revealed, along with other charitable acts. But, once Bernie is sprung on bail one last time, will he "spoil" the story by giving the press the real scoop about which one of them is the true hero? This is a terrific movie that belongs on a list of 100 best films. It is intelligent, humorous, and very relevant. The cast, too, is superlative, with Hoffman giving one of his best performances ever as the grumpy, law-bending Bernie. Davis, Garcia, Cusack, an uncredited Chevy Chase and all of the others are great, too. The direction of Stephen Frears is also topnotch while the script, sets, costumes, and camera work are fantastic as well. In short, this one is a genuine keeper for the ages. Be a hero or heroine to someone who has never seen it and arrange a showing soon.

While the plot and the music sort of gives it an inspirational theme, Hero is actually more subversive than that. Over everything is the recurring theme that it's all playing in front of cameras. People acting as heroes in front of the camera, people lying in front of the camera, people avoiding the camera, people trying to have a confidential discussion in front of cameras and hundreds of people watching below. The camera makes everyone act weird because it scares them or it turns them on. I think what puts off most viewers is the syrupy music, heroic, uplifting, telling people how to feel and I can feel myself being manipulated. I personally think it's a very, very sly choice. It goes to show I can't believe anything I see in the news, and I can't believe this movie either, because it's manipulating me too by telling me not to believe. My son watched it, and I asked him, okay, who's the hero? The jerk who saves hundreds of people or the the liar who, when given the chance, goes forth to inspire and help people anyway? Both of them are undercut by their actions. I guess they both are. And I guess none of our heroes are really clean. They probably hide some sins in their pasts. Which makes the theme, if that were the theme, more realistic to me.

Excruciating comedy has Dustin Hoffman playing a con man and pickpocket in New York City who is already in all kinds of legal trouble when his car stalls on a bridge overlooking a river where an airliner has just crash landed; he reluctantly helps the passengers out of the plane and then disappears. Later, a TV newswoman, who happened to be on the ill-fated flight, turns the story around to reflect on the mysterious hero, causing worldwide interest. Intriguing concept for a comedy-drama, but this one is never sure what it wants to be (or what tempo the scenes should be set at). At certain moments, it's a rapid-fired, "Front Page"-styled satire, other times it's a mushy piece littered with brash or kooky characters, none of whom seem credible. In a running, irritating gag, Hoffman's character isn't able to get his side of the story out--he's constantly thwarted by people who won't listen, don't care, or don't believe him. However the biggest joke is, he's such an ill-mannered, disreputable lout, he doesn't deserve any recognition! Geena Davis has some brief moments where her innate charm comes through without effort, and the supporting cast is full of wonderful characters actors; however, no one here merits much interest. You know a picture's in trouble when there are only two decent people on hand: a non-mouthy teenager and Tom Arnold as a bartender. *1/2 from ****