Customer Reviews

Hero

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Hero is really a gem. It features consistently good performances and is sharp, thought-provoking, and is touching without approaching sappiness. You get Geena Davis while she was still making good movies, Dustin Hoffman without much visible ego, a solid Andy Garcia, and the always-fabulous Joan Cusack.

This movie was SO underrated. I remember reading that Quentin Tarantino said this was a movie he wished he'd had a chance to direct because it could have been so much better, that in this movie you see a director reaching the extent of his abilities, and while I was glad to see that someone was recognizing it in any way, it also really made me mad that Quentin Tarantino, not like the most consistent or productive director, should say that about Steven Frears, who directed My Beautiful Laundrette, Dangerous Liaisons, and this. Really! This is for me up there among the best movies of the past 10 years, certainly among the most underappreciated.

Bernie Laplante (Dustin Hoffman) is not necessarily the kind of man to be nominated 'Role Model of the Year'. He's divorced, a liar, a cheat, a thief, and headed for jail. On the way to pick his son to the movies, he is the lone witness of a plane crash and very unwillingly saves the lives of all those on the plane after a boy begs him to save his father. He leaves the scene complaining at the loss of his shoe and his car which is now a wreck. Driven home by a homeless guy named John Bubber (Andy Garcia), Bernie gives his one remaining shoe to the guy, saying he'll never stick his neck out for anybody again. Gale Gayley (Geena Davis), a tv news reporter who was saved from the crash, is bent on finding the mysterious man who saved everyone on the plane. The media builds the mystery man up, calling him 'the Angel of Flight 104'. Gale's tv station offers a $1 million reward and much to Bernie's consternation, the homeless guy he had spoken to claims to be the 'hero'! Since no one got a good look of the 'hero' and John has the other shoe which matches the one left at the wreckage, who's to claim otherwise? And anyway, who would believe Bernie to be the hero-type?

A very satirical story, "Hero" is not necessarily about 'real heroes'. Instead, I could say that this film should have been named "The Ideal Hero" (nods to the Oscar Wilde play, "An Ideal Husband"). Both take the idea of the 'ideal', in this case the ideal hero: just how ideal is ideal? Is ideal just what we see on the surface? Because the surface can be deceiving... This film cleverly gives a very insightful look on how deceiving it is about what we 'want' to see and what the 'reality' is.

Dustin Hoffman is such an incredibly 'unlikable' fellow that we can't help but start to 'like' him, thus created more of an irony to the story. As the story progresses, you can't help but start sympathizing with him, at the same time just wanting to hit him over the head and tell him what to do to make things right! Geena Davis also gives a solid performance and she handles her role of the tv reporter with a hidden, soft heart professionally. Andy Garcia's character may seem 'too good to be true', but in fact I think that's what the whole point was. Is too good to be true real?

All in all, a delightfully ironic story with a subtle message. Rated PG-13 for strong language which is quite unfortunate since it may have been better received if the language had been toned down a bit. Highly recommended for older teens and adults.

HERO is a film that wants to have it both ways, and succeeds in doing so. What is heroism is perhaps shaded with sentimentality and mush, but even when it's spoken by Andy Garcia and Dustin Hoffman, it makes this movie work.
Hoffman plays Bernie Laplante, a down on his luck, selfish, and deceitful father and crook. One night while on his way to take his 9 or 10 year old (Hoffman's never sure) to a movie, he witnesses a tragic plane crash, and in spite of his reluctance to help, he ends up rescuring everyone from the plane. Since he is in trouble with the law, he doesn't come forth to accept any credit. He tells his story and gives his one remaining shoe to a homeless man played with grace and sincerity by Andy Garcia. Garcia comes forward to claim the honor of the hero, and the media makes him into a saintly miracle worker, and everyone loves John Bubber. Hoffman ends up in jail and can't convince anyone that he is the real hero. Smack dab in the middle of all this is Geena Davis as the news reporter who Hoffman saved on the plane, and she's falling madly in love with Garcia.
The movie's resolution comes while Garcia and Hoffman are perched on the ledge of a skyscraper, and this is where the movie serves both sides: Garcia is a liar and deceitful, yet he has done so much good with his heroic aura that the audience doesn't really want to see him pay for his deceit; meanwhile Hoffman has been such a sleazeball for most of the movie, that you don't really want him to usurp Garcia, but at the same time, Hoffman's turn of heart makes you want to see him be recognized, especially for his ex-wife and son's benefit. How it works out is a little forced, but it satisfies both sides.
Hoffman is brilliant in this role, bringing a touch of humanity to an otherwise scumbag role; Davis does a good job as Gale, her best performance in some time; Garcia is great as John Bubber, a man caught in his lie, but afraid to come forward; Chevy Chase has an uncredited turn as the news station's director, and Joan Cusack as always lends solid support in the role of Hoffman's ex-wife.
HERO isn't one of the greatest films, but it is pleasantly told and skillfully directed and acted. One could do worse for a couple hours entertainment.

Gotta love poor old Bernie LaPlante..

Funny movie! I love Dustin Hoffman in this role. He is a lying scheming horrible father, low-life, con, that nothing goes right for. But, he's funny and loveable as heck. his views on life, that he wants to teach his son, are a hoot. he is grumpy and self-serving and when the opportunity to be a hero drops in his lap, he begrudgingly helps out, only to see what he can steal in the process.

I love Gena Davis in this movie. she is a star, with grace, beauty, and is just lovely. Andy Garcia is a dreamy cute, soft-spoken bum, that becomes the hero - he's so much better at public relations than poor anti-social Bernie.

The mom and the kid are great, and the judge saying, "in anticipation of incarceration." (you'll know what I mean when you see it!) I can not chop an onion with out thinking of Genna's speech at the media conference.

I keep this DVD on my shelf, and a few VHS copies too, to loan out to friends. As we speak, my Post Office has my video, I loaned to Bob, and he is passing it around. Stinkin funny movie. On my top 10 list.

5 stars, and more. Buy it, see it, love it. You'll root for Bernie like I do. thanks, SS

I suspect that few people have actually seen the movie, Hero, which stars Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis and Andy Garcia. This remarkable satirical comedy/drama came out in 1992. I remember going to a multi-plex theater on a Saturday afternoon to see one movie, then sneaking in to see Hero afterwards. Don't tell anybody! I didn't know what to expect from this movie, nor did I care. I was simply bored, and I wasn't ready to catch the bus back to my apartment. By the time the film was over, I found myself sitting in the darkness of the theater with tears in my eyes because I'd just seen something very special that had caught me totally off guard. This is perhaps when we have our greatest insights. Let me just also add this for the record so that there's no confusion. Though I found the movie to be extremely funny, all the actors play their roles straight and the humor evolves from their performances in a given situation. So, even from a comedy, great insights can be had.

Bernie LaPlante (played by Dustin Hoffman) is having the worse week of his life. He's lost his job, he's about to be sentenced to prison for dealing in stolen goods, his old beat-up car is on its last leg, and his ex-wife doesn't really want him seeing their ten-year-old son. Things couldn't get any worse for him, could they? Well, on his way over to pick up his son for a movie get together, a jet airliner crashes right in front of him. The passengers in the burning plane are trapped because the door won't open, and they call to Bernie for help. Making his way down an embankment of dirt, Bernie takes off his new shoes and then walks through a stream of water to get to the airplane. He manages to get the door open, but is knocked down into the water and then trampled upon as fifty passengers rush to get out. A little boy from the plane sees Bernie and begs him to get his unconscious father out of the plane before it explodes. Now, Bernie isn't the type of person who would usually stick his neck out to save a stranger, but the little boy reminds him of his own son and he can't say no. Against his better judgment, he enters the plane and ends up literally pulling out three more people who'd been left behind. One of the people happens to be Gale Gayley (played by Geena Davis), who's a cynical television reporter for Channel 4 News. Gale is at a point in her career where she now longs for a story that truly inspires and brings out the nobler side of man. This will turn out to be just such a story. Of course, while saving Gale, Bernie also steals her purse because he's just about out of money. After the plane explodes, he quickly leaves the crash site with only one shoe (he couldn't find the other one) and a car that will barely run. Because he's over three hours late to pick up his son, Bernie's ex-wife basically tells him to take a hike, refusing to listen to his excuses. Then, while hitchhiking home, Bernie's picked up by John Bubber (played by Andy Garcia), a gentle homeless man who lives in his car and recycles cans for a living. Bernie tells Bubber about the plane crash and then gives him his shoe as payment for the ride. The next day Bernie's arrested for trying to sell Gale Gayley's credit cards to some uncover cops. While this is happening, Gale and her TV station are trying to figure out who saved all the passengers on the airplane. A million-dollar reward is offered to get the mysterious hero to come forth. Not really expecting anything but maybe a free meal, John Bubber claims to be the hero. He also has the shoe that matches the other one that was found at the crash site. This is the inspiring story that Gale wanted, but she also finds herself falling in love with the handsome, soft-spoken Bubber. Will the truth of who actually saved the passengers on the plane eventually come out? What happens when Bernie is finally able to confront Bubber about the deception? How will Gale react? Ah, you have to see the film to find out.

It's the end of the movie, however, that really made it for me. There's a scene when John Bubber is asked by Gale during a media interview, "What does it mean to you to be a hero?" John explains that "everybody has something noble inside of them waiting to get out. If you catch them at the right time, you'll see this to be true. At other times, people are less noble and heroic. When the media spotlights one individual over another as a hero, they're simply showing the goodness that's in all of us. In other words, we're all heroes if you catch us at the right moment." I suppose this is popcorn psychology, but it touched something deep inside of me. It made me realize that humanity is capable of such horrific things; yet, it's also capable of such unbelievable beauty and goodness. That little speech helped to renew my faith in our planet.

Along with that, Hero also gives you a satirical look at the news and television reporting. You can't always believe what you see on the news, not if you're smart. The acting is excellent with stellar performances by not only the main cast, but also by Chevy Chase, Tom Arnold, Joan & Susie Cusack, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Kevin J. O'Connor, who played Benny in The Mummy. This is a movie that will not only have you laughing out loud, but will also have you thinking and perhaps seeing the goodness that humanity is capable of when caught at the right moment. As far as extras go, the DVD only has the basics. No featurettes or commentary. Still, this is definitely a movie that's worth owning.

Hero is terrific!!

It's mostly about our ratings- driven news media, which exploits whatever story ... they create some heroes, and they cut down other heroes...

It's about our shallow expectations. Handsome Garcia makes a "better" Hero to hype than foul mouthed and average Hoffman.

It's also uplifting... telling us that there is a "hero" inside each one of us.

While I disagree with the conclusion that "everything is bull- s***, you just choose what bull-sh** is yours," (Otherwise known as cynicism... exemplified by the likes of George Carlin), this movie will make you laugh and think.

Jeff Messenger, the author of "The Shroud of Torrington."

Dustin Hoffman's performance in this film was outstanding. I think this
is one of the best films of his entire career. He was so down-to-earth
in his portrayal throughout the film. He made you feel like "one of the
guys". Geena Davis was equally stellar in this film. She is a beautiful
lady as well as an outstanding actress and is one of my favorites.

You would be surprised. There are moments of heroism in all of us. Being a hero does not necessarily mean putting your life in jeopardy for one fleeting moment. Sometimes the way we have conducted our lives and the good intentions in our hearts which we are not given the opportunity to bring to fruition can define a heroic person. Being put in the spotlight can misguide our better judgment and intentions. This film examines the complex notion of what heroism means in a rather unorthodox, humorous and ultimately touching story. This film has been so misunderstood but truly deserves some recognition of its insightful notions on being a genuinely well intentioned and often misunderstood person who just wants a little bit of understanding and just a little bit of recognition from being so misunderstood.

So you can see there is a lot of misunderstanding out there. We as individuals are pigeonholed and filed away in some memory bank never given the opportunity to reveal our true selves and never given the opportunity to rise to the occasion. This film runs the gamut of emotions following the lowly down and out Dustin Hoffman and Andy Garcia each possessing individualistic heroic qualities in their own right but each having to face totally unpredictable twists of fate when being placed into the limelight justified or not. The results are mesmerizing.

Dustin Hoffman and Andy Garcia are incredibly funny. Every person who watches TV news should listen to Gena Davis' speech with interest.It's set so you think you know what will happen ‹ and they take off with so much more. Many great one-liners. The ending is just icing on the cake.

Seriously one of our all time favorite movies. Never heard of it when it came out and saw it for the first time about a year ago and knew it was a classic that would be watched over and over again in our house. Acting is over the top great. Keeps you glued to your seat with an amazing plot.