Rating: 
Summary: Crouching Tiger DVD is the best!
Review: This DVD is absolutely spectacular and definitley the best version available of this movie to buy. There is absolutely no "hatchet job" as described by a previous reviewer, and The picture and sound of this DVD beats the VHS version anyday of the week, not to mention all the nice extras that come with the DVD. As for the movie itself, its a timeless classic that is sure to please all members of the family. It goes beyond the traditional karate movies normally made and really stands out as a masterpiece of art that is to be savored and enjoyed.
Rating:
Summary: Very good
Review: This movie is by far one of the best Martial Arts movies I have seen. It has a great soundtrack and really good fighting scenes. The story is also extremely good. You people who don't like subtitles on movies who need subtitles (no offence to you guys but I really do think you are.....well....nevermind) you better start getting used to it. Beleive me, I think there is going to be ALOT more movies like Crouching Tiger, mostly because of the popularity of this movie. Anyway, moving on. All I can say is this movie is excellent. This movie isn't really just like a movie taking place in an old dynasty in China, it has people flying, and running on walls with wireworks that rival movies like the Matrix's finest. Expect some major brain, eye and ear candy.
Rating:
Summary: An end to conflict at the Video Store is nigh!
Review: This is a terrific film, combining the once-again-fashionable grandiloquent, epic sweep, stunning choreography (never before have fight sequences so resembled classical dance) and most remarkably, a stiffly extended middle finger to conventional blockbuster wisdom. Martial Arts movies typically obey pretty rigid conventions - they're not especially challenging on the cognitive functions and they're macho, violent and action-obsessed to the exclusion of all else (in particular characterisation and plot). So in putting together this piece Ang Lee got his box-office smash the hard way: Not only did he film in Mandarin (which might explain to the perceptive reviewer below why they "couldn't get the lips to sync right"), but he has as the two lead protagonists and fighting extraordinaires, women. And while there's action to do you Tuesday next week, for all the sword play, there's not a great deal of *violence* (the swordfighting is more like ballet than combat), and the voguish brutal realism is replaced by surreal, liquid movement and total disregard for gravity. Theme-wise, for once there really is something happening - a subtext of struggle against social convention, no small irony given the revolution against cinematic convention which the film represents. There are two love stories, but for the most part they're airily sketched - having said that, the climatic scene, involving one pair of star cross'd lovers, has all the weight of Shakespearian tragedy. If anything is underdone it's the exposition on the bad guys; It's not clear (in the dubbed version, at any rate) what Jade Fox has done, nor why she's gone over to the dark side, nor why the Diplomat's daughter should be siding with her (other than on account of a wild streak). To my mind Jade Fox could have been left out of the film altogether - it would have required minimal re-writing and perhaps closed off a number of side plots (such as that concerning the police chief) which were not properly developed in the end anyway. While it's not perfect, it's a landmark film, for if it achieves nothing else it provides an ideal compromise at the video store when *she* wants the English Patient and *he* wants Die Hard II. No mean feat.
Rating: 
Summary: Love is the strongest weapon.
Review: In China at the dawn of the 20th century, the lovely Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) agrees to convey a fabled sword to Peking as a gift from its owner, the legendary warrior Li Mubai (Chow Yun Fat) to their mutual benefactor, Sir Te. Both Li and Yu are warriors, veterans of a life of battle against China's organized underworld which has both scarred them and yet turned them into the master warriors (restless and regretful) that they are recognized for. The gift of the sword, and Yu's bringing it to Peking, are symbolic acts in both Yu and Li's lives, turnposts at which they might intersect free of their destinies and finally realize their mutual affections. When the sword, called "The Green Destiny" is stolen by a masked warrior who can leap tall pagodas in a single bound, plans are put aside and the hunt is on, not so much to reclaim the sword, but to repay a debt to the evil Jade Fox, a warrior who betrayed and murdered Li's teacher. Director Ang Lee supposedly crafted this elaborate art-house film as a high-minded tribute to the martial-arts epics of his youth, in which single warriors fight off an army of lesser fighters, while more-equal-matched bouts have the fighters hurtling through the air, as if rocketed from the planet Krypton. But "Tiger" goes further, delving into the regret of its characters. Besides Lee, we have Yu-Jen, the elfin faced girl who's prosepctive marriage to a highly-placed noble makes her pine for the life of a brigand, one she "claims" to know only from books, and Lo, a desert brigand with whom she has fallen in love. Then there is the evil Jade Fox herself who puts in an appearance. Unfortunately, Lee doesn't devote enough time to any of these compelling characters, though he does work them up excellently. The "Green Destiny" itself is too quickly relegated to an object that doesn't quite hold our attention (Like that suitcase in "Pulp Fiction", it's quickly overshadowed by the characters that kill for it), and the mysterious thief and her awesome fighting skills take center stage. A subplot linking the seemingly innocent Jen with the wildly exotic Lo is dropped in midway and threatens to steal the movie away, but its more than made up with by the depth brought to Lo and Jen's characters which seemed to have amassed the regret that Jade Fox, Yu and Li have taken their lives to collect. A great film.
Rating:
Summary: A social commentary disguised as an action flick
Review: Since everybody else has already commented on the stunning visuals of CTHD, I have decided to devote my review to commenting on the narrative. After viewing the extra features on the DVD and watching the interviews, I came to understand that Ang Lee, in making this picture, was responding to the body of work in the wuxia genre. Beyond the obvious martial arts component, the themes dealt with in CTHD are interesting in that they address the dark side of duty, social order, and paternalism; values that form the backbone of eastern philosophy (confucianism), and that are often glorified in martial arts films. In the typical martial arts picture, women are relegated to submissive roles, and often the plot revolves around defending the honour of one's master, mentor, or father. CTHD departs from these conventions, and places the concerns of the female characters in the spotlight. While it is true that Chow Yun Fat's character, Li Mu Bai, seeks to avenge his master's death, this plot element is downplayed, and in the course of the film we learn that his master was a flawed man who adhered to paternalistic/chauvinistic values (to the point of bringing about his own downfall). Instead, the central concern of the film deals with the subjugation of women; Jen must marry according to her father's and society's expectations, Shui Len is not free to act on her love for Li Mu Bai, Jade Fox is to some extent the product of her oppression. Ang Lee succeeds in painting sympathetic portraits of these characters, and credit must go to the cast for their solid performances, as well as to Ang Lee for his masterful direction. CTHD is a film with depth and substance and is a true rarity: I can't remember the last time that I saw an action flick that provoked any cerebral activity. A caveat: if you are unimaginative, or the type of person who refuses to suspend disbelief, then this film is not for you.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Winner
Review: Crouching Riger, Hidden Dragon is a movie that will not only keep you on the edge of your seat but put you on the edge of tears. Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh are amazing both together and in amazing fight scenes unlike anything I have ever seen. This is truly a movie to own and hold in your heart.
Rating:
Summary: The more you watch, the better it gets.
Review: Vexed is a good word to describe my initial reaction after seeing it in the theatres. After having purchased the DVD and having watched this wondrous movie several times, I've come to the conclusion that this movie is a true EPIC, in the purest sense of the word. This is a tale of parallel love stories. Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun Fat's love is tragically romantic. Eastern cultural laws force their passion to remain unfulfilled. This subplot really did break my heart. Just when it appeared they may ignore tradition, tragedy strikes in the third act of the movie. The Young couple's love is heft with potential yet unfulfilled due to one's greater love to fulfill her destiny as the "Hidden Dragon". A mix of confuscius, Aesop and "Love Story" told through Ang Lee's remarkable cinematography and near flaw-less fight sequence direction. Oh and lest I forget...the action sequences are amazing. The two female leads have the most incredible swort fight shot in a "MORTAL KOMBAT" videogame camera-angle. The fight-sequence execution by the stars are superior to any movie I've seen. The DVD has the standard features of a premium DVD: featurette on the making of, commentary, and some other tid-bits. Not as remarkable as THE MATRIX for features, but more than acceptable. I recommend this movie to EVERYONE. But do watch this movie many times over to truly capture the greatness.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie, more extras please
Review: Wow!! This is a magic movie. I am a Star Wars junkie, but this movie rocks!!! It is better than Jedi and that abomination called the Phantom Menace. The acting performances are top notch, and it is a wonder that Michelle Yeoh and Zhi Ziyang did not get Oscar nominations. It just shows that Hollywood still doesn't appreciate fine acting, and chooses to nominate hacks like Julia Roberts. Anyway, the DVD could use some more extras on it. There is a nice interview with Yeoh and a good single overview of the making of the film, but I would have liked to have seen more about how the story was conceived, other than what we learn in the overview. I did enjoy the part about the music of the film. It was very interesting. All in all, I highly recommend this DVD. The movie is great(watch it in the original Mandorin, not the English dubbed) and the DVD is good. BUY IT NOW!!!!
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME!
Review: I rented this movie recently only because my dad really wanted to get it. I thought it was going to be really stupid but it was great! If you look at the 1 star reviews they're all complaining about how the warriors fly. It's a fiction movie! I think that that only added to the great martial arts.
Rating:
Summary: Visual Feast - Good Story - Awesome Action
Review: This is a very unusual movie. The fight scenes are incredible but the movie is more than just a vehicle for them. There are plots and subplots all melded seamlessly. The graceful ease with which the actors fly about makes the action all the more surreal. The women are treated as equals and more, their fierceness in battle shatters the stereotype of asian women. The scenery is simply incredible, the director obviously had a wealth of settings to choose from and the choices are spectacular. The pace is good, one's interest is kept by the constant story shifts and scenery changes. Ang Lee has delivered a work for the ages.
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