The reasons behind Li's plight are many, including studio tunnel vision, stereotypes about Asian performers and the Chinese actor's less-than-perfect English. In six years, he has barely evolved from the silent villain he played in "Lethal Weapon 4," his first Hollywood role.

Watching Li's American films, it might be hard to fathom why the Chinese martial-arts master is such a draw in Asia, with more than two dozen films on his resume.

But once you see Li speaking his own language in "Hero," a vivid, sumptuous piece made in Li's native country by famous director Zhang Yimou, it's obvious that the actor has more to offer than a crisp round kick. In "Hero," Li is comfortable and charismatic as a warrior in feudal China who is called before a king to explain how he defeated the ruler's three most feared enemies.

A Buddhist, Li sought the part because his character does more than kick people in the head.

"After making 30 movies, I just tried to use a different angle to tell the audience (that) maybe violence is not the only solution," Li says. "We have another way to show you a good action film."

Li, 41, seems to recognize the shortcomings of his English-speaking movies. Revealingly, he had to return to China to make a movie with breadth and depth.

"Some unique stories are difficult to make (in Hollywood)," Li says. "Like 'Hero' for example. If I sent the script to the studio, I don't think the studio will make that kind of film. Speaking Chinese, subtitled in the States, that maybe doesn't work. That's why we had to go back to China to make it, then, to prove that it works."

Li's argument is borne out by the reluctance to release "Hero" here without having it re-cut by an American director or dubbed into English. Li and director Zhang spent two years trying to persuade a studio to distribute the film without tampering with it.

"The director is not strong enough in the American market yet, so I'm the one to protect it and try to do my best," Li says.

"(It's) just like movie fighting. You use your words to fight. Finally, Quentin Tarantino helped us keep it the original way and helped us promote the movie in America."

Tarantino, a kung fu fan who recently completed his two-part homage "Kill Bill," has used his clout to push several martial-arts movies in America, including "Iron Monkey" and "Hero," which is being distributed by Miramax.

With "Hero," many will see Li at his best for the first time. And like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "Hero" might convince the studios that Asian movies can sell without being plugged into a formula.

In "Hero," Li plays Nameless, a little-known local prefect who travels to the court of the king of Qin (Daoming Chen) with a story about defeating three fierce assassins, Sky, Flying Snow and Broken Sword. The king, who is waging a war to unite China's seven territories, had lived under constant threat from the formidable killers.

In a style similar to Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon" (1950), the story is told three times with three different outcomes, and the audience learns the truth at the end.

Although Nameless spends time kneeling before the king, Li's fans will be relieved to hear that he's not sedentary. He wields a sword in close combat, flies through the air (and across a lake, in one of many "Crouching Tiger"-style stunts) and, at one point, fends off thousands of arrows with only his arms.

"The fight scenes for me are easy, but for the other actors and actresses, it's difficult," Li says. "They needed to learn it in a few months. ... The most difficult part for me was to work with the director and the choreographer, Tony Ching, to decide what kind of martial arts can help this story."

With a $30 million budget, "Hero" is the most expensive movie in the history of Chinese filmmaking.

Li says the main difference between Hollywood and Chinese productions — besides money — is control.