One of the best films i have seen

A different way of telling a story

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Whenever critics seem to rave about a film, I don't. This is a typical example. The use of obvious wire effects is a bit too much, and there is too much sword-wielding just for the sake of sword-wielding. Later, even the story did not interest me anymore and the action sequences seemed too comedic.Yawn.

Before Ang Lee's foray into Chinese martial arts movies, the Wuxia film genre had only enjoyed a small cult following in the West. With Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, it hit the mainstream. Steeped in the tradition of Wuxia, and fully celebratory of its genre's over-the-top conventions, Ang Lee's 2000 masterwork plays perfectly as an action-packed and rousing martial arts movie. That alone would be enough to champion this movie, but through sheer craftsmanship, Ang Lee and his collaborators have created something for which the word "transcendent" is meant. Crouching Tiger mines from its pulp heritage, a type of metaphysical artistry. The action is not just exciting, it is endlessly and exquisitely creative. The scenery is not just pretty, it is otherworldly in its beauty. The characters and story are not just interesting, they are mesmerizingly spiritual.Crouching Tiger is a classic romantic adventure, and while I have little experience with Chinese martial arts cinema, I assume its story sticks closely to well worn genre traits. Based on a book by Wang DuLu, the story centers around two women, Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), a veteran Wuxia warrior and Jen Yu (Ziyi Zhang) a princess who dreams of living free of her upper class life, and their respective loves, the master warrior Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat) and the renegade outlaw "Dark Cloud" (Chen Chang). In Jen's journey of self discovery, Li's philosophical meditation, and Yu Shu's liberating romance, the course is set for a sweeping, large-scale adventure. Crouching Tiger is exactly that; a rousing action fantasy full of fun and thrills. What's more is that it is also a stirring emotional experience. The three principle characters are effortlessly magnetic on screen. Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh deliver the finest work of their careers here as lifelong friends and repressed lovers, and Zhang Ziyi is enchanting in the role that turned her into a Chinese sensation overnight. The story of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is one that snuck up on me emotionally. There is a good deal of talky time spent discussing the plot of a stolen sword and a mysterious Jade Fox character, as well as a long flashback that apparently does little to forward the plot. The emotions are relatively understated for the first two-thirds of the movie, so when the character resolutions finally hit, they feel like body blows. The movie very subtly builds its themes and endears us to its characters. It is a remarkable feat of storytelling from scriptwriters Hui-Ling Wang, James Schamus and Kuo Jung Tsai.Perhaps the most remarkable of Crouching Tiger's many remarkable elements are its martial arts action scenes. Under Ang Lee's direction, Peter Pau's cinematography and Yeun Woo-Ping's sensational fight choreography are given an elegant, mystical energy. The action in Crouching Tiger resonates like nothing I've ever seen before. It is fast, inventive, and so ceaselessly exciting, that it becomes more than just action. There is something hypnotic about its juxtaposition of sublime craftsmanship and pulpy cheesiness. It's enough that the fight scenes are perfect from a technical standpoint, but the tone here strikes the perfect balance of camp, fun, and danger. I've seen a lot of great action movies. None of them left my jaw on the floor every time the swords clash. Crouching Tiger did.If story and action weren't enough, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon also excels in each and every one of the technical departments. The costumes, sets, and sound all radiate quality. The production values in Crouching Tiger are lightyears beyond its drive-in schlock cousins. Peter Pau's cinematography, which won him the most deserved Oscar in the history of the award, is a top-to-bottom perfect showcase of what a great cinematographer can do. Crouching Tiger is beyond beautiful to look at. The streets of Beijing, the vast Gobi desert, and the lush, green Bamboo forests are just a few of the standout locations in Crouching Tiger and Pau photographs them in a way that makes them feel like characters unto themselves.Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an extraordinary piece of film. Plenty of movies claim to have "something for everyone", but few are able to master dozens of elements the way Crouching Tiger does. This is one of the great art house films ever made and also one of the great action spectaculars. How delightfully crazy is that to think? What Ang Lee has done with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is create pure art from the basic elements of a genre mostly accepted as meaningless junk. It's miraculous. Any way you look at it, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is magical.96/100

I don't know why it took me this long to watch this movie. WOW! I don't know where to begin. I suppose with the characters and their archetypes. In my assessment: Master Li Mu Bai would be the sage. The reason why, is because he was, at any time, able to kill Jen Yu. Instead, he wanted to teach and show her the way. Which, in the end, he did. Yu Shu Lien would be the caregiver and the hero. Caregiver, because she looked after the well-being of Jen Yu. The Hero because in the end, she sacrificed the love of her life (Li Mu Bai) in a way to teach Jen Yu a lesson. The lesson being, because Jen Yu wanted to be just like Yu Shu Lien, was: Don't waste your life or the opportunity to love for the sake of duty. Breaking tradition is necessary to stay true to yourself. Jen Yu would be the shapeshifter simply because you don't know what side she's going to wind up on. Not too far into the movie does it reveal her alliance with Jade Fox. However, at the same time she wants Yu Shun Lien to be close to her like a sister would be. It's not until the very end, we see that she finally listens to Yu Shun Lien "sisterly" advise and tells her to live her life and to follow her heart. Basically, Yu Shun Lien was telling Jen Yu not to make the same mistake she did in not expressing her true feelings to the person she loves. Lo 'Dark Cloud' would be both the Outlaw and the Lover. The outlaw because he does not come from the same life style as Jen Yu. He is called/known as the Dark Cloud because of the ruthless, barbarian ways to stay alive in the desert. However, being an orphan, he longs for the "one bright star" which turns out to be Jen Yu. Lo and Jen Yu were truly in love with each other. Jade Fox was, in a general sense the, the villain. However, if we take a deeper look in her different archetypes, she would be known as the Sage, Caregiver, and Outlaw. The Sage because she was very wise and tried to teach Jen Yu her ways (even though Jen Yu would eventually surpass her in power and ability). The Caregiver because she looked after Jen Yu in ways as a mother, teacher, or guardian would. The Outlaw because she is wanted by highly respected people. This movie was one big lesson filled with excitement and regular beats all the way up the act structure and down the resolution slide. The main lesson I took away from it is to not waste your opportunity in life to love in the name of duty. What I loved about this movie was the regular beats up the act structure. While it was difficult to watch the scenes with dialog, because of having the distraction of having to read subtitles, they usually didn't have much action in them. So, you weren't missing much, visually. Note: the scenes with dialog weren't too long. So, the audience would not get bored with having to listen for too long. While the dialog wasn't too long, they were still able to accomplish a lot of expression without over using words or extended explanations. The choreography of the fight scenes was incredible. The best fight scenes I think I've ever seen. It was difficult to see the same move performed twice. It seemed every scene, location, and scenario of a fight was fascinating. I mean, the fight in the trees? Beautiful! This movie is clearly obvious as to why it would be known as an artistic film. The message is creatively deep, as well as visually. By. Malcolm Krause

This is a typical Ang Lee movie, complete with slow pacing, melodrama, a random, rambling plot, and good visuals and fight scenes. Also very Ang Lee, the characters act in strange and illogical ways. For example, in the scene when the bandits attack Jen Yu's caravan, they kill a few unfortunate guards and run away for no apparent reason. After chasing the bandit leader for days (I guess?) in order to retrieve her comb, Jen Yu then jumps in the sack with him way, way too quickly. And the melodramatic ending when Jen presumably commits suicide-- why is she even doing this? Is she so regretful of Li Mu Bai's death? Does she miss her assassin governess? 我受不了。