A great Plot, Good characters and a balanced use of effect & location.

Rating: 9/10 (9 February 2001)

Unlike American films, which have happen feel-good, Crouching Tiger, like many foreign films, doesn't give you the ending you want but the ending the story needs. The press talks about its `Matrix-like' special effects, but its real strength is its story. Like a classic Greek tragedy, our hero and heroines are prevented from true happiness because of some flaw. The male lead, Li Mu Bai, is an almost supernatural warrior, but yet his deepest desire for love and happiness is prevented by his own sense of honor. He has a chance to turn away from his `green destiny' but he cannot. The young nobleman's daughter, wishes to be a great warrior rather than a housewife but her own angry and arrogance prevents her from her only chance and in the end, she knows it. When all is done, only those who realize that they can never get true happiness or those too naïve will be able to survive. This is a provocative story will surprise many people who are not used to seeing such concepts in a film.