Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

c i n e ma

Mythic, romantic kung-fu that functions under its own peculiar set of rules. Like a storybook, _Crouching Tiger_ is more invested in a sense of poetic philosophy than the concrete laws of physical reality. Hence, gravity is treated as little more than a passing concern and we're released to enjoy a string of smooth, balletic airborne action scenes. Needless to say, they're all fantastic. Each one a unique member of the family, having swapped weaponry, dance partners and scenery from a wide pool of spectacular options. Hard-hitting but precise, it's a stunning display of form, strategy and blink-of-the-eye counter strikes, with the occasional dance across a serene lake thrown in to cut the tension.

The underlying story is rich and meaningful, too, though it is guilty of suddenly filling in a whole lot of back-story in one long, jolting flashback scene that chews up most of the second act. It's about hidden passions, personal guilt, the conflict between what looks right and what feels right... plus a lost comb and a stolen sword. Even undisputed masters on the battlefield must deal with private regrets after they've thrown the final blow.

A resonant Eastern epic that's chock full of memorable scenes, well-crafted characters, gorgeous locations and risky personal conflicts.

Loved this movie.

Phenomenal. Action cinema was in an interesting phase around this time period, and this fits right in with films like _The Matrix_. The storytelling, acting, cinematography, music and spectacle all come together so seamlessly, it’s a shame we don’t get these mature action movies as often anymore. Great characters, interesting themes and messaging (if a little on the nose, this could’ve been handled with more subtlety) and some of the best choreography of all time. I also like how there’s a poetry to the action, there’s an underlying emotional arc to every fight scene that’s often forgotten about in Hollywood action movies. The lighting and framing are gorgeous, Ang Lee is a brilliant visual stylist. My only gripe comes with the wirework being so obvious for the jumping. It’s preferable over CGI of course, but it looks clumsy next to how smooth the fight scenes are.

8.5/10

A beautiful, poetic film with a good splash of martial arts.

>*"No growth without assistance. No action without reaction. No desire without restraint. Now give yourself up and find yourself again."*

The most 'complete' action movie I know, it has everything; clever story, interesting characters, adrenaline action, emotional core... there's even not one, but two great romance stories in here.

The first chase sequence on the roofs followed by the amazing fight sequence made me fall in love with this instantly. The fantastical elements and gravity defying for the movements make it so captivating and thrilling. Impressive and creative sword (among other weapons) fighting. The choreography is flawless. Great performances from everyone but Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-Fat deliver on both the physical and dramatic beats. The movie looks stunning, everything from the filmmaking, the beautiful sets/locations, the costumes, the camerawork and the score.

The only problem I have with it is the lack of action in the middle (during the romance side story) it lost a lot of heat—I don't even think any of it was necessary for the movie. Not enough Michelle Yeoh fighting in the middle either. Fortunately the third act picks up like never before, action lovers will have their lives forever changed at 1h30... one of my favorite action sequences of all time. Bamboo fight after was pretty epic too. Perfect emotional ending.

Cinema Paco 2: image and sound 3.75 / 5 magnifies film with big fights

Beautifully filmed and acted Chinese phantasy drama.

I love the action sequences; their imagination, their choreography, their flow. I watched it in the original Chinese, with subtitles, which I would recommend.

This was a fun watch. The fight scenes were great, some nice imagery throughout. The story didn’t resonate with me entirely but that’s ok.