Soaring, beautiful filmmaking!

Rating: 10/10 (19 March 2001)

"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", is most certainly the best movie I've seen this year. The drama and the action are amazing. The acting is the best I've seen ever in a karate movie, the best I've seen in a movie this year - it's a crime that Michelle Yeoh wasn't nominated for Best Actress. The cinematography is genius - the scenery of mainland China is captured flawlessly, the costumes are in turns effectively simple or incredibly detailed.
Some of the other people who have seen this film pointed out a few "flaws". One of the most ridiculous I can find is people complaining of lack of character development. This movie had some of the most clearly drawn, complex characters in any movie. Especially note the characters Shu Lien and Jade Fox - both are masterfully portrayed and are a perfect example of the characters' emotions.
While the plot is certainly not the most complex thing, it certainly gives these people a great reason to be running around the country after eachother - the real joy in this movie comes in the interactions. Any scene in which the three leads are, especially the ones with Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien, sparkles with energy and chemistry. This movie proves that the karate genre -- no, movies in general! -- are not beyond hope.