Of course the film wasn't the success it was by simply playing to the expectations of kung fu movie fans and many of those found the film a disappointment (if comments in the various forums were anything to go by). Injected with an air of intellectualism and a mood not too far removed from the dramas for which Ang Lee is best known CTHD managed to balance perfectly elements that could play to arthouse, mainstream and action audiences alike.

Painted against a sumptuous backdrop of Chinese scenery, the story revolves around the 'Green Destiny' sword belonging to famous swordsman Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat) who asks his friend, Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), to deliver it to a local official as a gift. When the sword is stolen Shu Lien sets out to track down the thief and uncovers evidence that one of Li Mu Bai's arch rivals, 'The Jade Fox' (Cheng Pei Pei), is active in the area. Shu Lien also meets Jen (Zhang Ziyi), the daughter of a governor who carries a longing to be free from her impending marriage and instead live the life of a martial artist. The plot is quite different from any martial arts film I've seen before with revenge elements being less important to the plot than the mischief of a spoilt and petulant girl. There's also an underpinning love story and numerous other subplots that enrich the central characters.

The film has the benefit of major financial backing and production values are extremely high including the quality of the acting. Despite not being Mandarin speakers Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun Fat both put in stunning performances. Chow Yun Fat carries perfectly the air of an ageing and wizened swordsman. However the real surprise here was Zhang Ziyi who has now gone on, deservedly, to become an international star.

Although the film has often been compared to 'The Matrix' in terms of the style of action we all know that Yuen Woo Ping has been doing this stuff for years and that CTHD is a natural progression from his work of the nineties in such films as 'Once Upon A Time In China' and 'Iron Monkey'. The first thing I noticed about the fight scenes is the absence of exaggerated sound effects and the film works better for it. With that aside the fights are some of the best I've ever seen and repeated viewings only enforce this opinion. Doubtless that there was doubling but the fights are cleverly edited to portray Chow Yun Fat and Zhang Ziyi as convincing martial artists (we already knew Michelle Yeoh could cut it) although there are plenty of shots that clearly show the actors performing themselves. Most importantly was that, despite some fast editing and close ups, there are plenty of wide shots that let you appreciate the skill of the performers. The fights are intricate, fast and thoroughly thrilling.

'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' is a triumph on all fronts but whether its success is going to affect a change back towards a more traditional style of film making still remains to be seen. While it was a big hit worldwide I read a number of reports that the reception from Hong Kong audiences was a bit cooler. Oh well, here's hoping.

REVIEW:
Once in a while, a movie comes along that just totally envelops you. A movie that reminds you why you love movies. A movie that places itself among the best ever. Crouching Tiger is that movie. Ang Lee has crafted a brilliant tribute to martial arts films and wuxia novels, while continuing in his beautiful character based style of filmmaking. Crouching Tiger, with its deeply developed characters, lush cinematography, and brilliant martial arts set pieces, may just be one of the greatest films ever made.

One thing that seems to be unsettling to many HK purists who go into this film is its mix of western and eastern styles of filmmaking. Going into this, one must understand that it is not a HK martial arts film. This is a Hollywood/Taiwanese co-production. Like most Ang Lee films, it is deeply character based and dialogue heavy. But, it is exactly these traits that, when done well, make a film as memorable as this. It is through the dialogue, the characters' actions and reactions, and how the characters change throughout the story that we become attached to them. It is the attachment to these characters that makes us care about them and about what happens to them in this film. It may not be surprising to note that these are similar sentiments to what I have expressed in my reviews of another Ang Lee film, "Eat Drink Man Woman", which goes to show how a character driven story can truly inspire the viewer.

Of course, a storyline must be well conceived and paced to make such a character based story work. Crouching Tiger does a beautiful job of balancing character-developing dialogue with plot flow. Within just the first 20 mintues of the film, the viewer is given the necessary background to the characters and motives of Li Mu Bai and Yu Shu Lien, preparing them for the first major event that sets the story going. It is with grace that the events in the film evoke reactions in the characters and, eventually, changes in the characters themselves. By the end of the film, the viewer cannot help but care for the fate of each and every character while understanding exactly why and how the characters have arrived at that point.

The look of the film itself is quite amazing, too. With the Asian cinematic flair for capturing the look and feel of a given time and setting and a Hollywood budget - Crouching Tiger captures the enviroment with jaw-dropping results. Everything, from the costumes to the buildings to the landscapes is beautifully captured with masterful cinematography. It is difficult to describe the feeling you get when you see the lush, green trees swinging back and forth with the soft, emotional music playing in the background. It really does hit the heart of the viewer. It is no wonder that this film, courtesy of cinematographer Peter Pau, won an Oscar for its cinematography. An interesting thing to note, though, is how this film differs from Ang Lee's other films in its fantasy style. In his tribute to wuxia and martial arts films, Ang Lee allows for high flying characters with almost mystical powers. This is a major change from a director who has done some films so heavily centered in reality, and it is truly amazing how well he adapts to fantasy.

The martial arts set pieces, like the rest of the film, are graceful and exquisitely captured. Our old friend Yuen Woo Ping gets honors as the fight choreographer here and, as always, his fights are masterful. The truly interesting thing about his choreography is how it matches the style of the film. While his own films, such as Iron Monkey and Wing Chun, had one particular style of choreography to them - he managed to adopt his style to perfectly match films such as the more grounded Fist of Legend, the bullet-cam powered Matrix, and even continuing in perfect style from Once Upon a Time in China to its sequel. Crouching Tiger, though, may just be the greatest example of how he can adopt his choreography to fit the film. While still intricate and fast paced, the fluidity and elegance of the fights in Crouching Tiger stand as a testament to the style of the film. At times, the fights are almost as much beautiful dances as they are battles. That is not to take anything away from the intricacy and creativity of the fights, which is still up with the best. Just about everyone will agree that the battle between Yu Shu Lien and Jen Yu, where Shu Lien goes through all the different weapons, is one of the most memorable in film history.

Crouching Tiger has been hailed by some as one of the greatest films of all time. I can find no reason not to completely agree with that statement. Another beautiful character based story from Ang Lee, with the perfect mix of Asian and Western film styles makes for an unforgettable movie experience. The memorable characters, beautiful cinematography, and amazing fight scenes will having you watching again and again.

WOW!!!!!!! This was one of the best martial arts films I have ever seen!!!!! Well, I have seen critics give the film four stars, but I had to take a half star off. Why? Well, no disrespect to Yuen Woo-Ping, but there was wayyyyy too much flying in the film. I understand this is a fantasy flick, but they overdid it with the flying. Nevertheless, most of the combat was so great, I would go to the theatres again to see it. Plus, there were excellent performances from the film's stars. Cheng Pei-Pei, the original fighting diva, makes an excellent villain turn in this film. Zhang Ziyi, in only her second film, was great as Jen, the young discple of Jade Fox. She seems so quiet yet determined. And let's not forget the two real stars of the films, Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh. They have amazing on-screen chemistry and it is so unbelievable. A lot of the kudos goes out to director Ang Lee. For the first time since Wong Kar-Wai's Ashes of Time, this martial arts epic (yes, you heard me, EPIC) was visually enhanced with some amazing camerawork, showing some amazing shots of the sets. If you haven't seen this film yet, what are you waiting for? Go see it!!!!!! Warning---Too much flying!!!

Addendum: I changed the rating to four stars...as this is an elaborate mix of martial arts and romance, mixed with with a teeny bit of comedy...I hail the film as my favorite movie of all time right now!!!

After hearing all of the positive buzz about this film over the last two years, I was extremely anxious to finally see it, although I was also a bit apprehensive. The first red flag was hearing that director Ang Lee ("Eat Drink Man Woman", "Sense And Sensibility") who had never directed an action film would be making a kung fu epic. That illicited a bunch of snickering and skepticism in the film community. Secondly, Jet Li was initially cast to play the role of the retired swordsman, but was later replaced by Chow Yun Fat due to scheduling and possibly artistic conflicts. This concerned me, because now we had a kung fu film where the primary kung fu actor was being replaced by a non- kung fu actor. Lastly, for nearly a year before its U.S. release, Sony had been saying they had little faith in the film and would only release a dubbed version of it for the art theater circuit. This seriously frustrated me and made me even more nervous about the film. Thankfully, none of the aforementioned issues spoiled the integrity of the film. Director Ang Lee has done an amazing job of presenting an action oriented love story, and Yuen Woo Ping's fight choreography is utterly astounding. Chow Yun Fat does a great job with his limited action scenes and creates a dramatic sense of presence that I'm not sure Jet Li would have done as convincingly. After seeing the film, I couldn't see anyone but Chow in that role. And finally, much to my surprise, at the last minute Sony decided to give the film a wider release in its pristine subtitled form. Thank you, Sony!

First of all, the film is gorgeous and beautifully filmed. The breathtaking scenery is vast and serene, and the sets are beautiful. Michelle Yeoh delivers possibly her finest performance ever, both physically and dramatically. More than anyone else, the audience is truly in tune with what she's thinking and feeling. However, it's Zhang Ziyi who ends up stealing the show. Her fiery intensity is so overwhelming that she literally owns every scene she's in, and when she and Michelle Yeoh get together, the screen truly comes alive with energy. And much like the troubled teenager that she portrays, her emotions are destructive and all over the place. Driven by passion and fuelled by naivete and inexperience, her delivery is pure, raw, and all-consuming. She's a very dangerous woman whose power and passions are beyond her control... The action direction is flawless and beautiful to watch. Digital wire removal techniques have allowed Yuen Woo Ping to use heavier wires for more impressive stunts, and all of the players look exceedingly graceful in their maneuvers. It's also noteworthy that the combat sequences don't use the over-the-top smacking and clanging sound effects, making the battles seem much more realistic. The only real complaint I have about the film is that it seems a little long and slow paced - especially for a Hong Kong film, which generally tend to be frantic. And while I don't consider it "the 'Star Wars' of kung fu films" as Ric Meyers has, or a film to revolutionize the entire film industry as others have, I still think it's a fantastic film and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Asian swordplay or female action films.

"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is an epic love story set against the breathtaking landscapes of ancient China.

The handsome and powerful Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat), considered one of the greatest martial artists of his time, arrives at the Yuan Security Compound, run by his longtime friend Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh). The romantic sparks and history between the two are immediately evident.

Li asks Shu Lien, who is on her way to Beijing, to give his sword (the legendary Green Destiny) to Sir Te (Lung Sihung), a respected leader who was a friend of Shu Lien's father. Shu Lien is reluctant to take the sword until Li explains that he is giving away the Green Destiny because, after years of fighting he wants to follow a new path in life.

Shu Lien tries to persuade Li to join her on her trip to Beijing and present the sword to Sir Te himself. But Li tells her that he is on his way to Wudan Mountain (the training ground for the most skilled warriors) to pay his respects to his late Master, who years ago was poisoned by a notorious female criminal, Jade Fox. He agrees to do his best to meet her later in Beijing.

When Shu Lien presents the sword to Sir Te he is reluctant to take it, agreeing only to "act as the sword's custodian" and says that Li can reclaim it anytime.

At the home of Sir Te, Shu Lien meets Jen (Zhang Ziyi), the beautiful young daughter of Governor Yu (Li Fa Zeng), a prominent political figure. Jen, seemingly naive and innocent, quickly endears herself to Shu Lien. Jen is apprehensive about her upcoming arranged marriage and speaks longingly of the freedom of being a fighter, probing Shu Lien with questions about the Giang Hu (martial arts life).

That night the Green Destiny is stolen by a masked thief. Sir Te's chief security officer Bo (Gao Xian) and Shu Lien, both skilled fighters, try in vain to stop the thief.

The news of the theft of the Green Destiny quickly spreads throughout the city and, as the investigation gets under way, suspicion is cast in many directions. Bo announces that he tracked the thief back to Governor Yu's compound. Police Inspector Tsai (Wang De Ming) and his daughter May (Li Li), a team of skilled martial artists from the countryside, claim that the thief is none other than Jade Fox, who also killed Tsai's wife. But Shu Lien has her own suspicions, which she is reluctant to share with the others until she can investigate further.

Shu Lien goes to Governor Yu's compound to visit Jen. Jen, who is still apprehensive about her impending marriage, tells Shu Lien that she wishes she could live the Giang Hu life and enjoy the freedom of Shu Lien and Li Mu Bai. Shu Lien tries to quell Jen's schoolgirl fantasies by telling her the reality of her relationship with Li -- Shu Lien was once engaged to another man, who was a brother by oath to Li Mu Bai. After her fiancé was killed defending Li in battle, Li and Shu Lien grew closer and wanted to be together, but they could not dishonor her fiancé's memory. Shu Lien explains that, even though she lives the Giang Hu life, as a woman she still has to abide by tradition. As Shu Lien leaves the Yu compound, she is watched by Jen's sinister governess.

Later that day, Li Mu Bai arrives in Beijing and is quickly swept up in the search for the Green Destiny and his mission to avenge the death of his Master by killing Jade Fox.

Jade Fox (Cheng Pei Pei) arranges a meeting with Tsai and May to settle their feud once and for all. Security officer Bo, who has developed a fondness for May, insists on accompanying them. At their meeting, Jade Fox reveals her true identity: since her murder of Li's Master, she has taken cover as Jen Yu's governess.

A fierce battle ensues between Jade Fox and her adversaries. Tsai, May, and Bo fight skillfully but are only able to keep her at bay until Li Mu Bai arrives. Li is about to defeat Jade Fox when the masked thief appears to assist her, with the Green Destiny in hand. Jade Fox kills Tsai and escapes with her masked accomplice.

The following day, Shu Lien asks Sir Te to invite Jen Yu and her mother to his home for tea, so she can investigate her suspicions about the identity of the masked thief. Shu Lien tells Jen and Madam Yu (Hai Yan) of Jade Fox's villainous acts and hints that if the Green Destiny is returned the thief will not be persecuted, all the time watching Jen's reactions.

That night, the masked thief creeps into Te's study to return the Green Destiny, but is intercepted by Li Mu Bai. They begin to fight. The masked thief is skilled but doesn't have the training of Li Mu Bai. He offers to take the thief to Wudan Mountain to train as his protégé. The thief begins to imitate Li's graceful style but rebuffs his offer.

When the thief returns to Governor Yu's compound, she removes her mask and we discover her true identity: the beautiful Jen Yu. The advice of Shu Lien and Li Mu Bai has affected Jen. She reprimands Jade Fox, who is still acting as her governess, for killing Tsai and tells her to leave.

That night, a handsome stranger sneaks into Jen's sleeping quarters. Jen is about to attack when she realizes it is Lo (Chang Chen), her long lost love.

We go back in time to a scene in the desert. A younger Jen is riding in a carriage with her mother, with warriors surrounding the carriage for protection. Suddenly, the carriage is surrounded by bandits led by Lo. Lo reaches in through the window of the carriage and snatches Jen's jade comb from her hand. Without hesitation, Jen races after him on horseback.

When Jen catches up with Lo, they fight until she collapses from thirst and hunger. She wakes in his den. He is kind and gives her food and water. But Jen's temper still rages. She hits him on the head with a rock and runs off again. Hours later, lost and exhausted, she collapses again. When she wakes she finds herself weak and dehydrated in Lo's bed. He nurses her back to health and, when she tries to fight him again they fall into an embrace.

Lo and Jen begin a passionate love affair. They live happily and freely in the desert for awhile. But Governor Yu's men are looking for Jen. Lo tells her she should return to her parents and he will earn their respect and come for her, so they can be married with her parents' blessing.

He tells her the legend of a boy who jumped from a mountain they gaze upon, so that his wish would be granted. His parents were ill and he jumped to save them. The boy didn't die, and wasn't even hurt. He just floated away on the clouds, never to return. He knew that his wish had come true. Lo assures Jen that they will be together someday with the Han saying "A faithful heart makes wishes come true." Jen gives Lo her Jade comb and tells him to return it to her when they are together again.

In Jen's bedroom, Lo tells her that he tried and tried to become respectable but he was always recognized as the bandit Dark Cloud. He begs her not to marry, and to return with him to the desert. Jen tells Lo to leave and never come back. Lo returns the jade comb to Jen and leaves.

At Jen's bridal procession the next morning, with throngs of onlookers gathered around, Lo causes a commotion shouting "Come with me to the desert! No one marries you but me!" Governor Yu's security men chase after Lo, but Shu Lien steps in and helps him escape.

Lo tells his story to Shu Lien and Li Mu Bai. Hearing echoes of their own thwarted love, they are sympathetic to Lo's plight and offer to help. Li sends Lo to Wudan Mountain with an introduction and tells him to wait there for news.

After the bridal procession, Jen disappears. And, on top of it all, the Green Destiny is stolen again, and Sir Te commissions Li and Shu Lien to find Jen and the sword.

Jen travels to a nearby town with the Green Destiny, masquerading as a man. Intrigued by the Green Destiny, local martial arts characters challenge Jen to fight. She swiftly defeats them one after another. After the fight, some of the men report the incident to Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien.

When Shu Lien returns to her compound to prepare to search for Jen, Jen shows up on her doorstep calling Shu Lien her sister and begging for guidance. Shu Lien comforts her and advises her to return to her parents, then decide about Lo. When Jen learns that Shu Lien has partnered with Li Mu Bai to track her down, she becomes suspicious and tries to leave. Shu Lien tries to stop Jen and a battle begins between the two women. Shu Lien uses every weapon in her arsenal but the Green Destiny is too powerful.

As Jen is about to defeat her, Li rushes in and saves Shu Lien. As they fight, Li makes his offer to train Jen at Wudan again. Jen presents a challenge - if Li can take the sword from her in three moves, she will be his pupil. Li succeeds, but Jen reneges on their deal. Li throws the Green Destiny into the rushing rapids below and Jen dives after it.

Jen is knocked unconscious and nearly drowns, but Jade Fox swoops in and rescues her. Jen awakes groggy and confused in an abandoned kiln. Jade Fox declares that she and Jen will stick together from now on and rule the Giang Hu world. She leaves Jen alone clutching the Green Destiny. When Jen wakes again she is flushed with fever. Li Mu Bai arrives and, realizing Jen's been drugged, he expels the poison from her body. Shu Lien and Bo arrive, having tracked Jade Fox back to the abandoned kiln. At that moment, Li realizes they have been lured there by Jade Fox, who suddenly appears shooting a flurry of poison arrows.

Li deflects most of the arrows, but one hits his neck. Li kills Jade Fox, but the damage has already been done. The poison is already in his bloodstream. Jen knows the antidote to the poison and offers to save Li as he saved her. She races to Shu Lien's compound to obtain the antidote.

Shu Lien and Li are left alone counting the minutes until Jen returns, hoping it will not be too late. As Li and Shu Lien wait for Jen, they are finally able to admit their true feelings to each other. But it is too late, and Li dies in Shu Lien's arms.

Jen travels to Wudan Mountain and reunites with Lo. But there is still one unexpected and sublime act to be played out in this epic tale of love and honor...