Legend of Drunken Master + CTHD are Must-See's

Rating: Null/10 (4 January 2001)

While not a real fan of the martial arts genre, I have made a point of seeing every Jackie Chan film that has come to town, and it has come to a high point with the recent (re)release of Legend of Drunken Master...what beauty, skill, poetry in motion, plus a great story. Still, I thought what if such a film had even better production values, more superbly skilled acrobatic actors, and more gorgeous, rarely seen backdrops and locales. My wish has been answered with Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.
Plenty has already been said about this great movie, apparently by others much more versed in the genre than myself. So, I will simply mention a few favorite things....
Yun-Fat Chow, as the semi-mystical warrior-master type. I am not a big fan of his, and think he is rather wooden, still he gives just the right aloofness and reserve to the character. Michelle Yeoh, while not a stunning physical presence, has the mastery of moves and obvious physical strength to make her very compenent character real. Zhang Zi-Yi is stunning both for her physical beauty but obvious acrobatic grace. Chang Chen, primarily in his more playful moments in the desert, strike just the right note. And Cheng Pei-Pei is a real delight in her witch-like role...not only does she have the pedigree, but such a great face!
I have been to China many times, and find most of the populous areas to be drab and wasted in appearance. So what a joy that the movie shows such beautiful vistas and sets. Every character rings with a nobility or at least strength, showing a great people at their best.
I am pleased to find that the movie is really more along the lines of Chinese folklore/mythology/epic than a simple martial arts film. The twin doomed love stories plus the ancient customs and stories (sometimes only hinted at) make this so much more.
The action, while not as 'real' as, for example, a Chan film, rises to a level of beauty that matches the grandeur of the story. These people are all fine physical actors, but the wire work and apparent digital cleanup (or other form of editing) is necessary. Yes, the action is not perfect, some is too shadowed, some a bit fuzzy, still that sound you hear is not just the drums...its lots of jaws dropping to the theatre floor.