I acknowledge that this film was made with a western audience in mind. That means that as a typical wuxia film it is watered-down by comparison. It was also apparent that they tried to do a lot with the script, probably too much, so as to please the arthouse crowd.

Because of those things I can't review it as a traditional HK film. Also, this movie was the final part in a three-part process that was absolutely critical to American cinema.

Part 1: The introduction of Jet, Jackie, Michelle, John, Chow, Tsui and Ringo to American audiences. It got them used to seeing the kung fu, the wires, and stylistic, kinetic bullet ballet.

Part 2: "The Matrix". "The Matrix" took HK choreography, wires and all, and made it mainstream acceptable. Sure, a lot of our directors tried it and failed, but at least the audience was ready for it (and even now anticipating it).

Part 3: "Crouching Tiger". A full Asian film, starring Asian actors, loaded with HK choreography and stylish wirework. A film that 5 years prior would have been an arthouse flick, at best, was now a mainstream, widely accepted, critically acclaimed, award winning film. This film finally made it acceptable to import more and more of HK to our shores.

Look at what has happened since this film came out. Look how many more Asian action films find their way to our theaters...and not just the little theaters. We've been given Dragon Dynasty so we can get great picture quality, no editing to our movies, subtitles that actually mean something, and extras that have translation to them. Asian re-makes are all the rage in the US. And on and on. . .

As an up and coming filmmaker who grew up watching all the great classic asian action films, it is now acceptable for me to incorporate a true HK style into my work. When I tell the studio I want to hang 2 of my actors from wires and have them fly around fighting one another, there's no fights or strange looks. Hellboy 2 was loaded with wire work. And we owe it all to CTHD.

Besides that I do enjoy the film immensely. I got a little choked-up during the first fight between Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi when people in the theater were cheering, watching something I'd known existed for decades. Better late than never.

Wo Ping is a true artist, and CTHD gave him the talent and the leeway to create- talent and leeway that the Matrix was lacking. The visuals are spectacular. The performances are incredible. I always liken Chow to Morgan Freeman. No matter what role they play, they always bring a certain degree of respect and sophistication, with just a hint of the regal, to it.

It is a fantastic movie. And more than that, it is an important movie. No, it is not pure HK. It is watered-down and it does have its flaws. But I love it and I will always be grateful to it for the doors it opened.

TWENTY MOVIES THAT KICK THE SHIT OUT OF "CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON" IN EITHER MARTIAL ARTS OR OVERALL GRANDEUR: (in no particular order)

1. "Seven Samurai"
2. "Once Upon A Time In China"
3. "Fist Of Legend"
4. "A Man Called Hero"
5. "Seven Swords"
6. "In The Line Of Duty 4"
7. "Tom Yum Goong"
8. "Ong Bak"
9. "Iron Monkey" (the Tsui Hark one)
10. "Prodigal Son"
11. "Enter The Dragon"
12. "Blade Of Fury"
13. "Hero" (Jet Li)
14. "Dragons Forever"
15. "SPL"
16. "Dragon Tiger Gate"
17. "Lone Wolf And Cub" (all of them)
18. "Versus"
19. "Duel To The Death"
20. "Star Wars" (again, all of them)

Who remembers what hk cinema was like before Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung? Tons of cheap kung fu movies that involved people flying in the air, just like this movie (see where I'm going with this?).

I went in to watch this movie expecting a lot, I thought 'finally hk cinema get the praise it deserves'. I came with a sick taste in my mouth, thinking about the likes of Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao and the great Bruce Lee who are the real kung fu stars. They made the kung fu cinema and this film enjoyed the pleasure of destroying their hard work.

Not only that, what about the real kung fu stars that are trying to get in to the market they are going to be over looked because of the special effects used. why do people like this tribute to the crap of hk cinema? overall the movie has set back hk cinema 20 years and for what, trying to do things that aren't possible because Jackie Chan has done everthing possible.

Sorry for writing a bad review but I felt that this movie was that bad and with all the good reviews it won't hurt.

The disappearance of a magical jade sword spurs a breathtaking quest for the missing treasure. Li is embittered by the loss of his jade sword, and his unrequited pursuit of Yu is further complicated by the mysterious intrusion of an assassin.

The identity of the assassin is gradually unveiled as another poignant tale of love begins to ravel with that of Li and Yu against the backdrop of Western China's magnificent landscape.

It was odd seeing Chow Yun-Fat in this sort of movie. I'm used to him in straight forward action movies like The Killer or Hard Boiled but he pulls this one off pretty good. He looks just as cool with a sword as he does with a gun.

Probably my only beef with this movie is the over use of wire-fu. For those of you who don't know wire-fu has bee used in HK cinema as over exaggerating peoples movement; jumping really high and hitting multiple opponents with kicks. In CTHD, Ang Lee went a little overboard, and in close ups of the characters running on the rooftops you can see the wire. They were night shots and lights reflected off the wire ever so slightly.

This movie was well worth the price of admission, and you literally experience a sense of awe watching this movie, especially when the characters are flying through the bamboo.