Only once before....

Rating: 10/10 (25 May 2001)

When I was nine years old, I saw a movie that touched me so deeply, it would inspire my childhood imagination and leave such a lasting impression, that I can still recall smells, sounds and tidbits of memories from the movie theater when I first saw it. I've seen it many dozens of times since, and although I am 34 now, there are still parts of the soundtrack that send chills up my spine as I associate them with that miraculous magical childhood moment.
I have since lamented that I would never be affected by a movie like that again, assuming that one, I am not a child any more and simply am not as impressionable, and two, the magic that I felt from that movie is just so rare I would never be lucky enough to experience it again.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon proved me wrong. This movie is pure magic - fantasy for adults. It was released at just the right time for me, as I am a long-time film lover, I have lately become jaded by movies. I think most of what comes out of Hollywood is crap. And if not crap, then simply roller-coaster extravagance - fun to watch (see Matrix, Independence Day), but not particularly awe-inspiring. The combination of the poetic action and storyline combined with the haunting soundtrack produced an effect on me not felt since I saw the movie I mention above when I was nine years old - Star Wars.
I find it difficult to believe so many reviewers here found the movie to be "silly," "shallow," and found the 'flying' to be ridiculous. What do you want from film? An overreaching concept of reality mixed with suspension-of-disbelief that comes off as factual??? If not for magic/fantasy, where would be our Peter Pans, our Lord of the Rings (I cross my fingers in hope of a good movie), our Superman?
And as for you folks out there who prefer Jackie Chan slapstick to a masterpiece like this, well, we're all entitled to own likes/dislikes. But me, personally, appreciate moviemaking magic the way it was meant to be - pure escapism.