Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Its been a long time coming, but finally my city has become one of the select few to obtain Ang Lee's, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". I've wanted to see this movie since the day I laid eyes on the preview, but I was not allowed due to my location. Then the reviews started coming in, and everything was positive. I was really becoming anxious, and was interested in seeing what made this film loved my critics all around.

The disappearance of a magical jade sword spurs a breathtaking quest for the missing treasure. Li (Chow Yun-Fat) is embittered by the loss of his jade sword, and his unrequited pursuit of Yu (Michelle Yeoh) is further complicated by the mysterious intrusion of an assassin. The identity of the assassin is gradually unveiled as another poignant tale of love begins to ravel with that of Li and Yu against the backdrop of Western China's magnificent landscape.

Wow, after seeing this film you are definately at a loss for words. I never expected going into this movie that a "martial arts" film would have such a profound effect on me, but this is no ordinary martial arts film. This is an romantic epic, with martial arts sprinkled on for eye candy. In fact, the martial arts is done in such a way where its used as a ballet type instrument to further tell the story. Its really breathtaking.

For those ladies who don't want to see this because its a "man's" flick. SHUT THE F**K up. This is a romance film to the 'T', and in fact all of the main characters are female. The males are rarely used, and this movie is shown through the eyes and hearts of Yu and Jen (Zhang Ziyi). The females have the most intricate and outstanding fight scenes that my eyes have ever witnessed. The plot is wonderfully done, with back stories, plot twists, and humor sprinkled perfectly throughout. And the ending....probably one of the best visual images ever filmed in cinema.

The movie is done in all subtitles, but it really doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I think it pushed actors like Yeoh further to use their body language and facial expressions to display their feelings..and my friend..Yeoh acts her ass off!!

This is a film that was designed for the women, but had more than enough to keep the man engaged as well. I don't think I've ever done this before, but "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" receives a half a point higher than the score possible. That's how great this film is. Ang Lee has just leaped levels above most of the Directors in Hollywood, and I look foward to seeing what he does with "Incredible Hulk". This film should become a MUST in Film Classes worldwide.

Rating: 1/2 out of four.

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