Simply Magical

Rating: 9/10 (9 January 2001)

It's been about 5 hours since I walked out of the theatre, and my mind is floating thinking about this film. Ang Lee has put together a film that truly gives everyone a little something, and most a lot more. If you watched this merely for the action scenes, you would go home so fulfilled you'd probably call this the greatest action film ever made. But, it is so much more.
Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yoeh, and Ziyi Zhang have a chemistry that has not been seen in quite some time. When a movie can convince us that there is chemistry between the two leads, we applaud it. What can we say when the chemistry is so strong between three actors?
Many want to compare this to the TV movies they watched on Saturday afternoons when the baseball game got rained out, but this is so very different. Sure the outlandish fighting scenes are there (in a way never seen before), and the lost article and avenging hero is in place, but this is so very different. The visuals are so brilliant that one walks out of the darkened theater and the bright lights don't seem that bright. This film leaves you with a glow that only a few films can.

It isn't a perfect film, none are, but it is an important film. This will do for Asian Films, what Pulp Fiction did for English speaking films. One thing that is great about this movie, is that despite the violence there is not much gore. Children of practically all ages could enjoy this film. All violence and sexuality is implied.
If it weren't for the fact that Chow Yun Fat was in "The Killer," I'd say this was his best film. Michelle Yeoh was amazing. Ziyi Zhang, left me speechless. She is the true gem of the movie. Go out and enjoy. This is definitely one of those films a 19" screen doesn't do justice.