Entertaining, but quite shallow.

Rating: 6/10 (10 April 2001)

Although Ang Lee is known to be unpredictable, a year ago I would never have guessed his next film would be a kung fu one. Being an admirer of Mr. Lee's work, I had high hopes for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Perhaps Lee could bring new life into a weary genre. The positive critique kept my hopes up, and I couldn't wait to see the film. Now I have, and I must admit I was disappointed.
Not to sound too negative, I'll begin by telling what I did like in Crouching Tiger etc. The visuals are, of course, magnificent. The fight scenes tread the fine line between beauty and silliness, but never fall into the latter category. The cinematography is both elegant and dynamic, and the film excels in production and costume design as well. The actors do a decent job, and yes, for a kung fu flick Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has unusual depth. Neverthless, all the above can't hide the fact that this is Ang Lee's worst film.
There are serious themes in the film, but they never become interesting enough. There are four essential subjects in the film: Li Mu Bai's and Yu Hsui Lien's suppressed love, Jen's and Lo's impossible romance, Jen's desire to exceed Mu Bai and Hsui Lien in fighting skills, and the daughter/apprentice relationship Jade Fox has with Jen. Sadly, none of these dramatic archs has time develop properly between the fight scenes and the other three stories. The lessons taught in the end sound banal, partly because one hasn't rooted enough with the characters. The final scene is both predictable and unnecessary; one suspects it was added for visual effect only.
Paradoxically, had Crouching Tiger... been merely an entertaining kung fu flick, I probably would've liked it more. Now it tries to be both entertainment and deep drama, and succeeds only on the former department. One is compelled to compare the drama with Lee's former films, and on that comparison Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon reveals it's shallowness. Also, though better than this one, Ang Lee's previous film Ride with the Devil had the same tendency to prefer surface over substance. I hope winning all the Oscars doesn't give Ang Lee the impression that this is the direction he should be heading for. I, for once, would like to see more Ice Storms and less Crouching Tigers.