Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful adventure, and a comedy rolled up into one!
Review: Having been to the theatre and worked my way through this delightful adventure with my eyes constantly grazing the bottom of the screen, I was delighted with myself that I had indeed been able to follow the story. When i brought the DVD home, I began watching it, in Mandarin with subtitles, and decided to browse the audio tracks available, so I ended up with english audio, and english subtitles translated from Mandarin. My family and I laughed for hours over the discrepancies between the translation and the re-dubbing. Obviously they took quite some effort to make the english audio synch with the lips of the actors. This Film is a wonderful one, and should be seen. One should brave it at least once in mandarin with english subtitles, to get the feel of the movie. but it is definately a plus unique to the DVD that it comes with the selection of tracks and translations.
Rating:
Summary: The True Heart of Romance and Martial Arts
Review: Ang Lee ('Sense and Sensibility,' 'The Ice Storm,' ' Eat Drink Man Woman') and his long-time collaborator James Shamus (who wrote the screenplay with Wang Hui Ling and Tsai Kuo Long) bring to the screen a breathtaking story of love, adventure, revenge and honor. This movie is based upon the fourth novel of a five-part series by author Wang Dulu. From the very first minute of watching this movie, my senses were galloping to the world of mystical fantasy that was China. I was presented with such awe-inspiring scenery of small towns as in the 19th Century Qing Dinasty (shot in Beijing and Xinjing), to the breathtaking scenes from the beautiful and immense Gobe Desert ' a suitable place to introduce the second of two romances in this story. Some of the desert scenes are reminiscent of shots from 'The English Patient' and are nothing short of jaw dropping spectacular. I was immediately sold on the romance of China. The story begins with the meeting of Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat) and Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) who have always restrained their feelings for one another out of honor for Shu Lien's slain husband. Li Mu Bai wants to give up his Wudan fighter days and lay to rest his revenge against Jade Fox, who killed his master. During meditation training at Wudan Mountain, Li Mu Bai encountered an endless sorrow that gripped his heart. He now wants to find peace from that sorrow by giving his master's sword, called Green Destiny to Sir Te in Peking. This sets the prelude to a fantastic story, in which the Green Destiny Sword is stolen from Sir Te and the movie follows the attempts of Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien to retrieve it. That brings Shu Lien in contact with a wealthy district governor's daughter, Jen Yu (Zhang Ziyi) who leads a strict proscribed life. From here the storyline splits into two plots, in which we get to know some history of Jen Yu and discover that under her quiet exterior there is a yearning for liberation. Yet everything is not what it seems on the surface and Jen Yu harbours a secret that is the turning point of this story. It is indeed Jen Yu who impresses most with her young sparkling untamed spirit and beauty - a girl who longs to be a warrior and demonstrates incredible fighting prowess that leaves me gasping for more. There is a remarkable fight sequence in a restaurant that truly displays the extraordinary skills of Zhang Ziyi. Being only 19 years old, she had no previous knowledge of martial arts at the beginning of filming, and was trained completely on the spot. At the heart of the movie is the contrast of Li Mu Bai, who throughout, uses reflection and meditation to consider his path, versus Jen, who rebels against the traditions of eastern culture and philosophy. This is evident in a fighting scene between the two, where she asks him to stop talking like a monk and fight. It is this extreme rebellion of Jen that leads to such deep despair, which leaves the viewer wondering if her character can be redeemed. It also sets the scene of a beautiful, but haunting love story between Jen and her barbarian lover Lo. For those of you who are wondering where the title 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' came from, here's your answer. The name for 'Dragon' is embedded in the script of the name of the character, Jen, which makes Lo the Tiger. The 'crouching' and 'hidden' parts make sense as they relate to those two characters. However, Ang Lee also stresses that every character in the film is a 'hidden dragon' in some sense. 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' is also a quote from Chinese mythology. It refers to hiding your strength from others; advice which is followed too well by the main characters of the film. The action and martial art scenes in this movie are nothing short of spectacular, as they are choreographed by Yuen Woo-Ping, whose signature was all over 'The Matrix'. The characters defy the laws of gravity by floating in the air, walk along walls and even conduct a sword fight high above 40 feet in the air clinging to the tops of tall, swaying trees, swinging back and forth. What is breathtaking is that the actors are actually there in those treetops and rooftops! Computers were used only to remove the safety wires that held the actors, and they performed the majority of the stunts themselves with their awesome athletic abilities. That is truly awesome! Ang Lee succeeds in putting the long-established genre of Chinese Wuxia films back on the map from their previous B grading in the industry. The Wuxia were a class of knights during the time of Confucius, who, in fantasy based fiction, often have magical abilities like flight (gravity free leaps), speed, reflexes and strength of superhuman levels. China has been making these movies (called Wuxia Pien) for years, but few have had the funds or worldwide exposure of 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.' Also, Ang Lee turns the tables on the male-dominated martial arts films by injecting it with strong female roles, the likes of Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi, the heroines of this movie. Ang Lee plans to eventually direct a prequel and a sequel that will address parts of the novel that didn't make it to this film. The title of the prequel may be 'Precious Sword, Golden Hairpin,' depending on translation. 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' is one of those rare films that grabs you early on and rides your senses until its immense emotional climax. It transcends any martial arts movie and becomes one of a kind, combining action and romance. It's glorious, shameless in its escapism and a true epic. The ending scenes are hauntingly wonderful. The movie can be summarised in the final words of Li Mu Bai to Shu Lien: 'I've wasted my whole life. I want to tell you with my last breath that I have always loved you. I would rather be a ghost, drifting by your side as a condemned soul, than enter heaven without you. Because of your love, I will never be a lonely spirit.'
Rating:
Summary: A lyrical symphony
Review: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is based on a 70-year old novel set in Beijing during the Qing Dynasty. Legendary warrior Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat) has decided to entrust his sword Green Destiny to a nobleman with the help of fellow warrior Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) so he can turn his back on a life of war. But the sword is stolen from the nobleman's home by a cunning and skilled female thief who seems to have a connection with Jade Fox, an assasin responsible for the death of Li Mu Bai's Wudan mentor. At the time of the theft, the nobleman had the governor and his family as guests. The governor's daughter, Jen (Zhang Zi Yi), is a privileged young beauty who longs to live a life of adventure and be with Lo (Chang Chen), a bandit who initially ambushed her desert caravan but later became her lover. Through Green Destiny, these major characters' paths collide and lead to a haunting conclusion.
By focusing on its formidable female characters, Crouching Tiger showcases some of the most exciting fighting scenes ever filmed (for more on the origins of this genre, check out Wuxia). However, this is a movie that does not sacrifice substance for style. It is a delicate balance of yin and yang: epic but intimate, exhilarating but soft around the edges. It focuses on the timeless theme of good versus evil, of loyalty versus betrayal, of honor versus deceit. It celebrates both the thrill of passionate love (between Jen and Lo, the Crouching Tigers) and the grandiosity of a pure long suffering one (between Li Mu Bai and Yu Shu Lien, the Hidden Dragons).
Conventional superlatives are not sufficient to describe this movie. It is just achingly exquisite on many levels. Director Ang Lee masterfully conducts this lyrical symphony: from Yuen Wo Ping's martial arts choreography to Peter Pau's cinematography to Tan Dun's musical score (accented by the haunting cello solos of Yo Yo Ma) to the remarkable performances of its actors, Crouching Tiger is a surreal experience that will leave you breathless.
Rating: 
Summary: The Emperor's New Clothes
Review: Like the story of the Emperor's New Clothes, it seems no one wants to say nay! This no-appeal, plot-less, subtitled piece of oriental dreck foisted off on the American public has been bally-hooed by the critics, as usual. Similar to the English Patient in its lack of drama, we are supposed to love it because the reviewers do? Well, I am the little boy calling, "He is NAKED!" This film has no attraction to me nor does it to most Americans. Get real!
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Movie!
Review: Even wtih horrible English dubbing, so bad that you almost want to just use subtitles, this movie is spectacular. A sleeper hit that will remain a classic for years to come. It's a revolutionary movie that, if you haven't seen it, you really need to. Its a must own for any serious movie buff.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best!
Review: Excellent movie with excellent effects. An intense movie about the Green Destiny sword and who stole it. Once discovered, can the theif be stopped!? Find out...
Rating: 
Summary: Umm...where's the action?
Review: Now, I know that a lot of people were really amazed by this movie, but I'm still trying to figure out why. Even though I'm a huge fan of martial arts movies that involve people that can jump 50 feet or more into the air, this one didn't really impress me. In fact, it's one of the tamest martial arts movies I've ever seen. First off, the fights are WAY too slow for a Michelle Yeoh movie. Anyone that's ever seen Wing Chun (the ULTIMATE action movie) would agree with me. I guess it isn't fair to compare Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to Wing Chun in some respects, but Wing Chun IS about 5 years old. In my opinion, though, Wing Chun even puts The Matrix to shame. Now, even though there are some pretty amusing parts in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, you could get 100 times the laughs out of Wing Chun. Oh...but what about the romance? Big deal. I thought that the relationship between Invisible Girl and the Doctor in The Heroic Trio was done much better. Of course, if you like movies that involve countless fights to retrieve a comb, I guess Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is all right. Overall, I thought it was a disappointment, though. Just buy Wing Chun or The Heroic Trio. You'll be glad you did.
Rating: 
Summary: would have been a great TV series.....
Review: The fact is that with the limited length of a movie, not much was done to describe the characters back grounds. This left me confused sometimes even though i am Chinese. Also the plot is simple yet the makers of the movie managed to make it so confusing. If this story would have been made into a TV series, it would have provided the neccesary time for the character's background to be described more deeply. For example, the desert bandit had absolutely not connection with the plot at all save that he knew the princess. The princess was also a unecesary character and made the story quite confusing. However, if you are not concerned for the storyline, the fight choreography and the special effects were superb. It captured(also exaggerated) the power that a trained warrior could have for example balancing on a branch and floating on water, etc... Also the music matched the scenes very well, especially in the fighting scenes. overall I would recommend watching it for the action which i found quite impressive.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Films in a long time
Review: I think everyone should disregard a lot of the negeative reviews. Most of these people also thought that Dirty Work should have won an Oscar for Best Picture. If you truly hate the subtitles, then just watch the dubbed version. Also, people should know a film is good if it is nominated for 10 academy awards, winning 4. I think that people are just afraid to like it. That they actually may like a movie with a romantic theme. It also has a lot of action, adventure, and drama. This film is definitely not overrated. In some cases, it's underrated. Anyone who isn't stubborn should see this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Martial arts film for women
Review: If Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner's character in Romancing the Stone) were to write a martial arts story, this would be it.
Two women warriors who have no respect for any man they can't
whup, battle over the "magic sword" of a man who can beat everyone, but no longer wants to.
Beautifully filmed, wonderful action scenes, corny at times,
and philosophical at others.
Women will be delighted, men will tolerate it.
Great for a date, if he wants to watch a fight film, but she
wants to see a romance.
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