Rating: 
Summary: Not knowing is the key to total enjoyment.
Review: I really hate it when people hype movies up for me. I'm not talking about public hype, or critics reviews or things of that sort; what I'm referring to is the people that tell you that a certain movie is the best movie ever made, and then divulge into the elements of it, drawing you into a conversation about everything that the movie is and what it stands for, and everything that they felt watching the movie, so that after they finally shut up, all you can think about is going to see that movie. This, believe it or not, happened to be the case with "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," a movie that everyone and his brother kept telling me about. Now, before everyone starts hounding me for not liking this movie, let me clarify to all of you that I did like it. I found it to be a very good movie, one of the better martial arts films ever. Instead of providing a lame story for the purpose of using the martial arts formula, the backbone is one of passion, adventure, all of which has an overall fantasy-like appearance that draws us in and keeps us in its clutches. But I did expect a little more out of it. Set in 19th century China, the movie begins with Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat), a well-known warrior, giving his legendary sword, known as the Green Destiny, to his longtime friend, Sir Te. Just as quickly as it arrives, it is stolen from Sir Te, and Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), who delivered the gift, suspects that the new arrivals residing in Governor Yu's home are responsible. Mu Bai has his own suspicions, which are confirmed when he realizes that the thief is Jade Fox, the powerful female warrior responsible for the death of his master long ago. With her, Fox carries a disciple, Jen (Zhang Ziyi), who possesses great fighting capabilities. The movie ventures into a long continuous memory through her eyes, recalling her past love affair with a bandit named Lo (Chang Chen), who returns to rekindle their love. Meanwhile, as the battle for the sword and justice swells, Shu Lien and Mu Bai also recognize their mutual feelings for one another, all mounting to a very emotionally powerful climax where the unexpected suddenly becomes a reality. The movie certainly does prove a point that American-made martial arts films pale sorely in comparison to the grandeur of the stunts and action sequences performed here. Choreographer Yuen Wo Ping, best known for his work on the stunts in "The Matrix," brings a highly-stylized visual flare to the stunts performed by the actors themselves in this film. While the action and fight sequences are meant to be stunning, they are never totally suspenseful, however, nor do they need to be. This is not a film that's all about swordplay and running across rooftops, even if most people will remember it for such scenes. It's also about the intense passion between the characters and the love they share for one another. Lo and Jen's encounter and budding romance is better than anything I've ever seen in a movie in a very long time; Lo's one line, "I am a man, and I've found the brightest star of all," sells us on their romance and it's believability. While the romance between Shu Lien and Mu Bai takes a backseat to the heated passion of the aforementioned couple, it is still no less captivating once the final third of the movie plays out. The setting itself is worth the price of admission. China, or nature for that matter, never looked so beautiful and exquisite. The night skies cast blue hues on everything they touch, adding to that dreamy look and feel that the movie gives off. Scenic shots and panoramic views add to the beauty and texture of the setting, while also giving off that fantastical feeling. The movie also portrays a very dignified Chinese society. Their use of common etiquette, even in some fight scenes, is quite intriguing, while their calmness and sense of peace is also portrayed through the characters. Actors Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Chang Chen and Zhang Ziyi portray their characters with all of these emotions and traits, exuding a peaceful demeanor even in some of the more physically charged scenes. And director Ang Lee made an excellent choice of keeping the movie from ever getting too fast-paced or over-the-top; he knows his pacing, and it's right on the money. So what is it about this movie I didn't like? Nothing, really. Everything about it is epic in nature, the performances are stellar, the martial arts impressive and well-done, the setting lush and breathtaking, and the overall effect tear-jerking at certain moments. What ruined this film experience for me was not the movie itself, but people making it out to be something more than it is, which is no fault of the filmmakers at all. Still, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is an impressive and beautiful achievement.
Rating: 
Summary: Kung-Fu Version of Peter Pan (well, sort of)
Review: I saw this film in theaters a while back and fell in love with it. It has an excellent mixture of action and drama and even has a few comic relief parts in it. One of my favorite scenes would have to be the restaurant fight where all those "big" men get their tails whipped by this young princess with supernatural abilities. With all the heroes flying and all, this made the movie seem like a kung-fu version of Peter Pan, and you all know how cool Peter Pan is. I have been waiting for an English-dubbed version just so I can watch this movie like those cheesy old-school kung-fu films. I think I will go out and buy this on DVD soon.
Rating:
Summary: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Gem!!!
Review: Well, I never made it out to see Crouching Tiger in the theatre, but what a beautiful film on DVD. This movie could have easily slipped through the cracks of 2000, but with all the hype surrounding this film it lived up to it's own hype. Ang Lee has beautiful visions and stellar performances from Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi make this a film that will stun and entertain audiences for decades. One small note about the subtitles: I can't remember the last film I saw it subtitles, but it was a long time ago. I felt they didn't take any attention away from what goes on visually. I preferred the subtitles to the English dub-over.
Rating: 
Summary: Great, except for...
Review: First of all, I enjoyed Crouching Tiger a lot. I saw it three times in theatres, and this DVD does it justice with a crisp transfer, and a lot of audio options. While I prefer the Subbed version, the english dub is actually pretty good. However, be very careful if you are changing the subtitle options around people that haven't seen the movie. The end of the movie is shown as one of the animated menu transitions! I can't even begin to describe how unhappy I am with Sony because of this, thus the 1 star rating.
Rating: 
Summary: Overrated
Review: First of all, I would like to say that I am a major fan of foreign films, and to see one grasp the public's eye and make as much money as CTHD did, is a thrill. However, I couldn't help but shake the feeling that this didn't feel foreign. Exotic, perhaps, but influenced by Americans. Ang Lee is a great Oriental director, but he is ironically better off portraying 70's American suburbia (in The Ice Storm, his masterpiece) and English Austen territory in Sense and Sensibility. I didn't feel that his direction of CTHD was nearly as tight as it was in his other films. There were scenes that seemed excessive, significantly dragging down the pace of the entire film. All that said, this film is exciting and radiant. I've never seen better performances from the leads, and the much-discussed action sequences are just as breathtaking as you've heard they are. But it still isn't the best film of the year, and I'd give the Foreign Award to Yi Yi, a film that I feel is much more "foreign" in its origins than CTHD.
Rating:
Summary: "Truely one of the greatest movie ever made!"
Review: Those who has seen it in the theators, I have nothing else to say to you other than my title. For those who has not yet seen the movie, but have either a dvd system or vhs player, you have to get the movie NOW. As for the dvd version, the resentation is great. However, the clips from the film during the navigation gets repetitive after awhile. The other features are great including the commentaries by Lee and Schram, funny and very informative, the commentaries definitely answered alot of my questions I had on the movie. The making of the film, the picture gallery, the international trailer are all great. One problem, however, is that, 20 minutes were cut from the movie in order to make it into 2 hrs long. Therfore, some scenes seen in the international trailer did not make it in the movie. Also Coco Lee's music video was missing from my region 1 dvd. But overall a great presentation, great dvd to have. But I will still buy the delux edition when ever it comes out! In the mean time, this is surely a great DVD to enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Amazing
Review: Beautiful. Exciting. Awe-inspiring. Romantic. Heartbreaking. Adventurous. This movie thrills you like an action flick, moves you like Shakespeare. It is truly the best movie that I have ever seen.
Rating:
Summary: Senstational and inspiring
Review: To beauty and texture to this movie made it indelectibly wonderful. The detailed and lush senary was magnificant to my eyes. There was no need for captions for the story was so beautiful. I strongly recommend that any one would take the time to watch this romantic action packed film.
Rating:
Summary: It has a quiet dignity.
Review: Its such a beautiful thing to see Michelle Yeoh convey so much emotion with such simple changes in her face. Wether its love and admiration for Li Mui Bai (Chow Yun Fat) or a stern warriors face of angeras she fights Jen, or tears of loss. She does it all, the movie is simply dazzling. With awe inspiring locations, and it all looks even BETTER on DVD. Great features, but nothing can outshine this wonderful epic film. Those who hate it, to you I say, "well there are people who will hate anything that so many ppl love." You can dislike this movie if you want, but I for one am glad a film like this was recognized as it should have been. Which now shows a market for Chinese/Japanese films of this calibur for US theatres. Which quite frankly is its greatest achievment if nothing else. This movie will linger in your mind, and now you can watch it whenever you can. Its not THE BEST martial arts film ever, and its not THE BEST dramatic film ever, but its right up there with many of them. I'm not much for Wire Fighting but this movie does it well. If you like this you should see Fist of Legend and The Legend of Drunken Master.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not great enough to beat Gladiator in Oscars
Review: One of the best movies of 2001, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has great scenery and martial arts. The flying is spectacular, the romance is exciting, and the movie has a feminine, not masculine attitude. One example is the scene when Jen Yu fights a huge group of men in a restaurant with the Green Destiny sword. However, the movie isn't really that great. The design of the film. Instead of listening the characters speak English, you have to read the subtitles and keep your eyes open. That takes out the excitement of the film. The plot and storyline was terrible. It could have been more exciting if Chow-Yun Fat and Zhang Ziyi used these sword skills against a Ninja clan rather than a professional witch like Jade Fox. This is why Crouching Tiger was not able to beat Gladiator in the Oscars because a fight for freedom is more interesting than revenge. I reccomend this movie to those who enjoy The Matrix, romance, and the Chinese experience.
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