A Man Called Hero 1999

Set in early Republican China, Ekin Cheng Yee-Kin is introduced as Hero Hua after passing a demanding test, earning Pride’s trust as his second apprentice. When he returns home, he is horrified to find that his parents have been murdered by foreigners who oppose the opium trade. In a moment of fierce duty and grief, Hero disrupts the foreigners’ party and kills them, then spends the night with his lover, Kristy Yeung kung Yu as Jade, cherishing a brief moment of solace before dawn pushes him toward a grim choice. The next morning, he flees China to avoid arrest and sails to America, leaving behind a country torn by violence and political tension.

Sixteen years pass, and Hero’s childhood friend, Jerry Lamb Hiu-Fung as Sheng, along with Hero’s son, Sword Hua, arrive in New York City on the first day of the Chinese New Year. They head to China House, the bustling inn at the heart of Chinatown, where a lion dance unfolds under the leadership of the Boss. A group of hostile thugs descends, demanding the Boss surrender a monk named Luohan, whom they believe is hiding within the walls of the inn. A hard-fought confrontation ensues, and the Boss, with help from Sheng and Sword, drives the intruders away. After the clash, Luohan steps forward to explain how he met and befriended Hero aboard a ship bound for America, and recounts their shared history as laborers in Steel Bull Canyon, forging a bond that transcends distance and time.

Luohan’s tale deepens the legend of Hero, revealing the many dangers he faced and the fierce loyalty he inspired. Later, Sword and Sheng visit Jade’s grave, where Sheng recounts how Jade and he journeyed to New York City years earlier in search of Hero, hoping for a reunion that fate seemed to deny. In New York, Hero and Jade were indeed reunited and began a family, and the couple’s wedding photos were once a bright moment in a troubled world. While visiting the shop where Sword’s parents had taken their wedding portraits, Sword and Sheng sense they are being followed. Sword confronts the stalker, who identifies herself as Kate, the daughter of Hero’s former ally Shadow.

Kate leads Sword and Sheng to Shadow, who narrates how he rescued Hero from Steel Bull Canyon when Hero was buried in sand after being falsely accused of murder. Shadow and Hero’s past collide with present danger as they recount their battles against the Five Elements Ninjas. During that epic fight, Hero injures the female ninja Wood but spares her life and sends her for medical treatment. Wood’s return is complicated by the jealous Gold Ninja, who harbors secret feelings for Wood, deepening the web of loyalty and betrayal surrounding Hero. Jade’s death at Hero’s side during childbirth haunts the group, as does the mystery surrounding Sword’s twin sister, the traitor Bigot’s kidnapping, and the unanswered questions that linger in the wake of tragedy.

Shadow continues to tell the story, weaving together threads from Hero’s past with the present peril facing their circle. In a dramatic turn, Hero and Shadow travel to Japan, where Pride engages in a decisive duel with Invincible. Pride defeats Invincible but sustains internal injuries and dies soon after; before his passing, Pride entrusts Hero with the martial arts manual China Secret and transfers his inner energy, a legacy that will shape Hero’s destiny and the fate of all who depend on him.

Back in New York, the current threat intensifies at China House as Invincible arrives to seize control of Hero’s life. With Pride gone, Invincible challenges Hero and Sword to a final duel atop the Statue of Liberty, a symbolic clash that tests every ounce of power and resolve they possess. Meanwhile, Black Dragon Commander leads a coordinated assault on China House, but the police arrive to restore order, forcing the invaders to retreat. The duel on Liberty Island culminates in Hero’s triumph over Invincible, a victory that comes at a heavy emotional cost.

In the aftermath, Sword and Sheng prepare to leave America, while Hero watches them from a distance and ultimately walks away in the opposite direction, a silence born of years of loneliness foretold by the fortune teller’s warning. The film closes on a note of quiet, intimate resolve, underscored by a father’s tempered love for his son and a city that has become both sanctuary and battleground, where legends are tempered by loss and the hope of reunions remains just out of reach.