The beginning of a new era for Wuxia films.

Rating: 10/10 (21 March 2005)

When I first saw this movie, I was utterly blown away. I had never seen anything like it before...just a remarkable conglomeration of many different movie genres; comedy, romance, action, mystery and martial arts film. And the truly amazing thing was that this movie did all of these things well. Since I saw this movie, I have explored the genre fairly extensively; I have watched some of the contemporary films, like Hero, House of Flying Daggers; some other slightly older films, like Ashes of Time and the Bride with White Hair; and some of the classics, like Touch of Zen, Come Drink with Me, and Golden Swallow. And of all of these films, the oldest are the ones that still compare well with this, particularly Touch of Zen, in which one can really see the roots of this movie (highly recommended). Anyways, getting back to the movie; I won't spoil the plot, but Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-Fat are fantastic in their roles, as they simply display perfect emotion for their situation. Zhang Ziyi is outstanding in her role as a feisty young woman who is unwilling to bend to her parent's wishes. And Chang Pei-pei, in a small role as the Jade Fox, is outstanding, a nod from And Lee to her early classics (Golden Swallow, Come Drink with Me). When I watched this movie, I felt that the cinematography and choreography put me into a dreamlike state that made me even more willing to accept all of the ideas and themes that this movie presents. An enjoyable experience worth watching if you just saw Hero or House of Flying Daggers but missed this one. A must see, even for those who are not fans of wuxia or martial arts films.