Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

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Using Matrix-type fight sequences, the Chinese film (with English subtitles) attempts to mix action sequences with two doomed love stories. It works for the most part, but there were some instances where it breaks down.

The fighting sequences are awesome, but the action is few and far between in several instances. Also, the first few fight scenes are so poorly lit that you're not sure what the heck is going on. If one person wasn't wearing white, you'd be in the dark--literally.

The first twenty minutes are fairly slow, but it gradually picks up, and it also has some great dialogue...some of it quite amusing and very witty.

"Crouching Tiger" also is bogged down in the traditional ancient Chinese way: "you killed my master, now you must die", that sort of thing.

I was left, however, with a certain lightness of being after seeing the movie, which doesn't happen very often. It is an action film, but it also has a big heart and has more depth--in both character and theme--than American audiences usually get to see.

Go see this movie!

* * * * (out of five)
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Rhonda



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I've actually heard about this movie, I think it screened at my local theatre under the "Critic's Corner" section...didn't get a chance to see it though, didn't it get lots of acclaim from critics at some festival??



Female assassin extraordinaire.
i really wanted to see this ... i grew up in singapore and we always had the hong kong chinese action movies in theaters ... we knew chow yun fat before he became an american action star! and i saw the ad for this movie and felt my heart just do a flip ... hoping against hope it would be good ...especially with the story of the woman being the force to reckon with (which actually happens very often in "chop-chop" movies, as they're called)

haven't been anywhere where it was playing .. i feel this is a movie that should be seen in a theater. i just hope i can find it before it goes to video!



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Gee, I hope so, too! It's definitely a "big screen" movie. But DVD would be a nice alternative.

I'm as American as GI Joe, but I remember growing up watching Hong Kong movies every Saturday afternoon--most of which featured a young Bruce Lee. I was familiar with Chow Yun Fat, Jet Li, and the director John Woo before they ever found their niche in American film, but I'm glad that they have come over to the West so they could garner that exposure.




In Soviet America, you sue MPAA!
I'm a big martial arts movie buff. My room is littered with Jet Li movie posters and Bruce Lee. But from what I hear this movie is alot more than martial arts, which is why I want to see it so badly. But its only playing in Reston around my area, and don't particularily want to drive that far to go see it.
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Horror's Not Dead
Latest Movie Review(s): Too lazy to keep this up to date. New reviews every week.



I can't wait to see this movie - unfortunatly, it's not out here where I live yet.

Want to get an idea of how good it must be? Well, big hits like, say, "What Women Want" open on something like 4,000 screens nationwide, and take in a rough average of $4,000-5,000 per screen. That's $16-20 million or so.

This movie, however, opened on around 30 screens/theatres, and averaged over $30,000 per screen! Almost all the shows for awhile were sold out!



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You see, that's the only problem...30 screens versus 4000 makes a hell of a difference in that it's not as accessible to everyone, so that's why a lot of people who might have appreciated the film miss out untill it comes out on video.



WOOHOO! I think I'm gonna see this one soon! I've been waiting for a release out here - just came out on the 12th. I'm giving up a shot this weekend at Thirteen Days and the LOTR trailer, but I'll be okay.



Originally posted by OG-
LOTR trailer?
Here, let me answer your question in JavaScript.

<script language="JavaScript">
var LOTR, excitement, faint;
LOTR = "Lord of the Rings";
excitement = 10;
if (excitement = 10) {
faint = true;
}
</script>

Make more sense now?



Registered User
Believe the hype.

I saw this last night and it is easily one of the best movies I've seen in a while.

I like how director Ang Lee was able to balance out the drama, humor, and action. Despite the fact that it's subtitled, the story is very emotional. This is why some people may think it's "boring" -- cuz they wanna see nothing but action sequences. But the movie is much more than that. You will be drawn into the themes of love, betrayal, and freedom.

Not only that, but the action is amazing. People applauded after the first fight sequence -- including myself. It's just unreal. And the scene in the tavern is hilarious. And the fight between Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi in the sparring room -- WOW

The funny thing is, if you watch some of Ang Lee's other movies (I've only seen Sense and Sensibility and The Ice Storm ), you'll find many of the same traits in this period martial arts film.

Do I think it'll be nominated for Best Picture by the Oscars?? Yes. Will it win?? I hope so. Hands down my favorite movie of the moment.
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It was quite good - great? I dunno - I'm still undecided there. I'd have to see it again and pay more attention to things to make a decision there.

Less action than I had expected, but it didn't matter. I wish we would have gotten an explanation for the essential "flying" they did - at least tell me it's some mystyrious, ancient art that few know of - I'd be satisified with that!

Overall a very good movie - the romance did not detract from the action, everything was crisp and clear, and it was quite funny at times.



Registered User
The reason for the "flying" is siply cuz the movie is supposed to be a fantasy, at least that's what I think. Notice it was only the "great warriors" (or those with potential) that could fly like that. Kinda like The Force in Star Wars. It just added to the mystical quality of the movie.



Registered User
In Chinese wuxia novel, some warriors could walk like dragonflies on the surface of water to show how light the warroirs are by practicing "light kungfu". And also, they could walk on the roof without making any noise just as like cloud which also shows the lightness when praticing "light kungfu". Most of the warriors in wuxia novel don't fly, but there were a couple could do that. Imaging when you were young, read and heard these stories, your imagination just carries you away. Especially when there is a bully in your school or neighborhood or you have a enemy who is steeling your girlfreind. When I was young, I tried to learn kungfu too. But couldn't find a master in my neighborhood. I was back in China then.
I don't like the flying thing either. I hoep the flying will be cut in DVD or video. It could be even better without the flying. But I can live with it. Still, it is one of the best kungfu movie I have ever seen. The story telling is even better ( I don't need to read the subtitle). But I did read some of the subtitle, the feeling is a little bit different.



I struggled with the plot early on, but got used to it.

I don't think the changes to the DVD will be so large as to cut out the flying. That's really popular with a lot of people, so I think it'll stay.



The Adventure Starts Here!
To be fairer to the movie, TWT, remember that we walked into the movie a few minutes late -- which probably explains our having to struggle a few minutes with the plot.

Other than that, if I can go to a movie with subtitles and forget that I'm reading subtitles after five minutes, it gets my vote.

Good flick, good acting, good effects (I do kinda wonder how they did some of that stuff), good story and underlying story.

I assumed the whole "flying" thing was because the story was told more as some sort of ancient legend than anything else. It certainly had that feel to it -- grandiose themes of good versus evil, vengeance and restitution, love that will not be thwarted, etc.

And I do adore Chow Yun Fat. He made "Anna and the King" worth watching, IMHO.



In Soviet America, you sue MPAA!
I saw this flick the other day with my friends. It was pretty good. It took me a while to get use to the flying bit, I like amore realistic feel. But I liked it in the end. Although I didn't particularily like the ending to the movie, how everything turned out. I was kinda disappointed by it because all the reviews were saying it was such a great movie...



I am new here, please to meet all of you.
I went to see this movie with my mom and sis and beside being very impressed with the grandness of the settings and of cause the few fights scenes, I (we) were VERY disappointed with the overall of the movies.
It was all good at the begining and only till the end, we started to realised this is another one of those 'Everyone has tried to help me but I am too weak to help myself' kinda movie that seems to be gaining in popularity with a lot of Asian movies.
I know a lot of Western has not seen the mixture of fighting scenes that pretty much is a crossroad between Bruce Lee and Matrix but I guess since I have and grew up with movies like that, I was there hoping to at least see a good fighting movie with at least a more 'honorable' ending.

Please note : BIG SPOILER BELOW.!!!

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. - Just who was the Tiger and who was the Dragon ??? My sis pointed out to me that the Tiger was the mogolian youth, since his name meant 'Little Tiger' but he had SUCH a minor role in the movie, it was very disturbing if he WAS the tiger in the title of the movie.
The way that Yun Fat was unable to save himself after being poison. Only the BEST warrior is able to 'fly' and within the world of Wu Tan, Yun Fat was the TOP swordman - which just means that he would be able to use what we called 'Dim Shia' - that is to close of the vaules within your veins and slow down the flow of blood to be almost within a hybernation state. In addition, he would have cut the point where the needle pierced his neck and forces the poison out.
That's only two of the many 'Got to kill him so let's not make him save himself even though he was SO POWERFUL' kinda deal.
I won't say more but the whole ending, to me, was very disappointing. Sorry. =o(

-DoomsDay