Rating: 
Summary: First master piece in this genre of movies for decades.
Review: First master piece in this genre of movies for decades, though it is not perfect in terms of the Taiwanese and Cantonese accents for two characters. The Kung-Fu in this movie are just basic skill in the tradition of martial art novels. I expect I could see more advanced Kung-Fu in this type of movie in the future at the quality of this level.
Rating:
Summary: MUST BE SEEN TO BE APPRECIATED
Review: Let me start by saying that mere words will not do this movie justice. It must be seen to be appreciated. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is quite simply a masterpiece. As such, you(as the viewer)are sown into the very fabric of the main characters one thread at a time. This story is far more than the classic battle of good vs evil, more importantly it is about the battle fought between duty and desire within ourselves. Many of the scenes are visually stunning, accompanied by a moving musical score that blends perfectly. The fighting sequences are spectacular, with the finest choreography ever done, yet it is never excessive. Michelle Yeoh as Yu Shu Lien, Chow Yun Fat as Li Mui Bai, and newcomer Zhang Ziyi as Jen are all brilliantly cast. Young Jen will simply steal your heart. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon transports us to a time and place where honor, duty, compassion, wisdom and selflessness are the ideals that our heros, Yu Shu Lien and Li Mui Bai live by. In fact, they are so endearing that we want to possess them as well. Virtually every human emotion comes into play here, with performances so effortlessly portrayed that you feel as the main characters feel. Think of this movie as a wonderful fantasy. As such, you will witness supernatural abilities beyond the realm of mere mortals. (and it will help you to come to an understanding with the main characters ability to defy gravity.) I believe that subtitles add immensly to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Reading them engages you more deeply into the story. My advice to someone not used to subtitles is to read them quickly. This way you won't get frustrated. After a short time, you will hardly notice them. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is no ordinary movie, it is an experience which comes around only a few times in ones lifetime. If you have not yet seen it and it is available on the big screen where you live, run...don't walk to this incredible work of art. Like the wind, it will be gone before you know it.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking and flawless
Review: When Ang Lee first released Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, I sincerly doubt he thought it would garnish so much publicity... the fact that it has is a testament to his almost-magical skills as a director. The movie boasts a consummate cast, including Chow Yun-Fat (Anna and the King) and follows the life of a young noble woman in china, desperately seeking the adventurous, unrestrained life of a warrior. This film contains many flawless fighting scenes which are at least tantamount to those seen in "The Matrix", if not excedingly spectacular. One scene in this movie, in particular, astounded me... the "tree" scene, in which two warriors duke it out, flying and peddling through the lush, tropical asian flora in swaying white robes. This movie contained all the depth and breadth of classical greek mythology, all the drama and verve of tragic-romances, and yet, remained very well acted for such a kinesthetic film. Ang Lee's flick deserved much more than 4 Academy Awards, and if you haven't already seen this... I entreat you...please do! It is a motion picture experience you WON'T soon forget!!!!!!!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: BEST FOREIGN FILM
Review: Okay the third best movie of the year behind Traffic and the clear favorite Gladiator. Definately Best Foreign Film even though not a whole lot of support came from Taiwan or China where the movie was filmed which kind of makes you think that this film wasn't what it was all cracked up to be. A must see for a rental if you haven't bought Gladiator or Traffic yet.
Rating: 
Summary: Crouching Tiger.......
Review: ---------------------------------------------------------------- Despite the (over)hype, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is very simply, very easily overrated. Although it has moments that are truly great, these are few and far between. This is hardly the best Martial Arts movie of all time, that's for sure. And I don't know why people are praising the FX. Digitally erasing wires is NOT a great achievement. Director Ang Lee (The Ice Storm) has come up with the least interesting film of his career, though Crouching Tiger IS more entertaining than Ride With The Devil. Based on the (over)reaction to Crouching Tiger, I expected magic. Instead, I got a tedious and pretentious film that is interrupted sporadically by interludes of brilliance. According to my watch, with which I become well acquainted during the screening, I believe that there are about 20 minutes of a great movie interspersed into an exceedingly dull one. ----------------------------------------------------------------
Rating:
Summary: The real best picture of 2000...
Review: No matter what oscar says. I knew as soon as I saw this movie nominated for both best foreign film and best picture that it would definitely win best foreign, and fall to gladiator for best picture. While I enjoyed Gladiator a great deal, it is a crime that CTHD did not win the award it so richly deserved: Best Picture of the year 2000. When I first went to see this film, I was among the hordes who were blown away by the stunning cinematography, incredible action choreography and amazing wire work. Truly a remarkable action film with amazing filming on location. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite so brilliantly green as the bamboo forest that is but a small location shot in this movie. The first viewing proved to me that I loved this film, but it did not prove to me that it was the best picture of the year. That took 2 viewings. I highly recommend to anyone who has seen this film and enjoyed it that you go see it again. I found (since I don't speak chinese) that seeing it a second time while already knowing the story allowed me to concentrate less on reading subtitles, and more on the actors and their performances. It was amazing to me to peel back the layers of the initially strong performances in this film and see the incredible amount of nuance that each of the leads provided in their portrayals. After seeing it the second time, I had a whole new take on almost every piece of dialog in the film. The first scene between Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh most definitely sets the tone for this film, and contrary to what many would have you believe it is not a tone of rollicking action/adventure. It is instead a tone of yearning, tragedy and love found too late, then lost. This movie, packed with stunning fights and amazing flying martial artists is not so much about fighting, as it is about the chinese values of loyalty, honor and duty, and how these admirable values can ultimately keep one from truly being happy. It is the story of a love denied too long, and accepted too late. I am not ashamed to say that I wept openly at the end of this film both times that I saw it. The power of the story and the performances were so strong that I felt a small shadow of the loss that the characters in the film felt, and even this small shadow was enough to make me weep. For those of you who find nothing but swordfights and blood in this movie, nothing I can say will change your mind; but for those who have an inkling that this film is about much more than fighting and bloodshed, go see it again and buy it when it is released on DVD. You will not for one instant be sorry that you did.
Rating:
Summary: Irresistibly poetic, though somewhat pretetious
Review: This movie sure takes some getting used to. First off, it's "foreign-language" - I'm not American but the only thing around are American movies. Then it is set in such a faraway world - ancient China, quite hard to relate to. Just as an example, it will be hard for average Westerners to tell whether it takes place 200 or 2000 years ago. The movie itself is an aesthetic treat. The costumes are rich. The decors are superb - though a little overdone in color and sheer richness (I'm sure ancient China didn't look that... Chinese), they greatly contribute to the atmosphere. So does the music. Many people talked about the matrial arts, and that is the least debatable thing in the movie. The fights are breathtaking, and there is an incredible realism in them. I think this is a huge feat: making such impossible movements seem perfectly natural. You'll enderstand when you see the characters glide across rooftops and up walls. For me, the culminating scene was the treetop fight, perhaps one of the most beautiful scenes, surely the most amazing fight sequence I have ever seen. Now to the human part. I think the relationship between Li Mu Bai and the other fighter (sorry, their names are so hard to remember...) is quite well developped. The romantic part is not very believable, buit nonetheless enjoyable. This movie is an exercise in poetry on film. It's an ode to art, beauty, culture and love. So don't expect a movie that will tell you a conventional story. It's not like it doesn't have a plot, but it's not a story as you would get from average Hollywood. If you take it as that, you will be disoriented by the lack of anything anchored in reality. This is more like a beautiful, colorful dream. Go into it knowing that, and you won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Best Movie on Earth
Review: I saw this movie in theatres 6 1/2 times (I had to leave in the middle of one of the times)! I love this movie! I wish they make a GOOD sequil not a bad one (that is IF they make a sequil)! My favorite seen is where the young girl kicks everyones a*s in the restaurant while telling them about who she is (my favorite part of the scene is where she twirls while flying up to the second floor!) It is the most awesome movie and I watched the Oscars last night and the whole movie got 6 oscars! I LOVE IT! ... play their roles to perfection on two levels, they are great warriors but understate their strengths due to their teachings from the Masters...and the relationship between them is on the surface benign but we know they are madly in love with one another. Then we have Chen Chang (Lo) who sweeps Jen Yu off her feet like Michael Douglas did to Kathleen Turner in "Romancing The Stone". Pei Pei Cheng plays "Jade Fox" nicely as the betrayer but deep down inside someone you can feel sorry for. The action sequences were masterfully choreograghed by Yuen Wo-Ping (The Matrix) as he was able to blend the movements like a Kirov Ballet. Add to this the thunder and fury of the music of Tan Dun for the fighting/action scenes and the beautiful and melodic cello work of Yo-Yo-Ma to bring out the love and passion of the central characters you soon realize your senses are experiencing something special. Only a few films have done that to me in the past...it would be an understatement to simply say i think this is the best film of 2000-2001 since that would be accepting it on just a physical sense but when it touches your mind and soul in ways words can't describe it goes way beyond that.
Rating:
Summary: The best picture in years
Review: Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon has officially raised the standards from which I will now judge films. The acting by the lead stars was perfect and believable. The action scenes made the Matrix appear low budget and poorly planned. The cinematography was exquisite.
Rating:
Summary: Subtle effects
Review: I dont want to sound like all those special effects psychos out there but, the effects in this film are some of the best Ive seen. George Lucas can create all the alien actors and prestine palaces and epic landscapes that he wants, but Episode1's special effects dont hold a candle to this film. Every effect in this film is only there out of necessity. They arent the focus. Chow Yun Fat's leap down the waterfall is the most perfectly executed blue screen work Ive ever seen in a movie_ the way he flies down and the way he appears out of the mist when he lands_ its breathtaking. For this, I appreciate the flim maker's use of cgi. Film makers need to learn that its the little things that please audiences, things like the blue screen work in Crouching Tiger, the extension of a finger nail and teeth in Blade, and the tigers of the coluseum in Gladiator. This film should be a model for directors to follow when it comes to the use of cgi and other effects. I understand that some films cannot do without extensive cgi. The film maker just needs to make sure that he doesnt loose his vision in the special effects. Bravo Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. -A
| 
