One of the most stirring and dazzling martial arts films ever made. ***1/2 (out of four)

Rating: 8/10 (18 February 2001)

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON / (2000) ***1/2 (out of four)
By Blake French: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is a stirring, sweeping, engaging, and action-packed epic achievement in filmmaking; it is one of the best foreign films I have seen in a long time. It demonstrates martial arts is not about fighting or daring stunts, but about personal achievement, honor, and dignity. The villains in this kind of story are almost always people who use their artful abilities for evil or selfish completion. The heroes are overcome by duty and achievement, and often defy limitation of physiology and mental solicitude. This movie confirms those ideas in such a method that we cannot take our eyes off the screen even for a second.
Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is a massive giant over movie landscape of previous attempts to portray the art of martial arts in a meaningful voice. Jackie Chan is the most popular of today's martial artist actors, but I cannot figure out why. Jackie Chan's movies are stupid, contain thin and distant stories, and almost regularly fail to engage or provide anything but a few shallow laughs and dozens of action sequences. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is the perfect tool for me to express my resentment with Jackie Chan movies.
"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" does contain such absurdities as seen in Jackie Chan productions; there are sequences where the characters defy the laws of gravity, glide over rooftops, rush up the sides of walls, and leap from one house to another. These scenes are so much more convincing than Jackie Chan aimlessly scampering down the sides of lofty structures, though. Why? Because what happens is in the spirit of the characters' convictions and possibilities. When Jackie Chan does these stunts, he does them simply because he can. There is no realization in mindless action, but there is in such sheer physical grace of the scenes in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

The fight sequences can also help determine the difference between this movie and "The Legend of Drunken Master," "Shanghai Noon," "First Strike," "Mr. Nice Guy," or any other recent Jackie Chan action frolic. Chan uses fast-paced fighting to provoke laugher of disbelief, but the scenes are not defined within the context of the plot and are always contrived and feel forced. Like the scenes in Jackie Chan films, long training hours went into preparation, and they are beautifully choreographed. But the unique content in that separates "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" from other films of this genre is the great depth and rhythm of how they connect with the story.
Unlike Chan films, the script and character motives are not just clotheslines for senseless action, but are idyllic, ethereal and meaningful to advance the story. Chow Yun-Fat, who finally redeems himself after some extraordinary failures, co-stars with Michelle Yeoh, whom both are experienced martial artists. Yun Fat plays a warrior named Li Mu Bai who vowed to avenge the murder of his master done in by the evil Jade Fox (Cheng Pei Pei). This villain also stands between two characters' affectionate feelings for each other. She has arranged for the capture of a soulful sword one belonging to Li Mu Bai's master, and only Li Mu Bai can return it to its rightful owner.
Screenwriters James Schamus, Wang Hui Ling and Tsai Kuo Jung amazingly capture the deep sentiment of the human love story, which is not the usual hokum, but touching and uplifting. Ang Lee allows for an unusual long but necessary flashback that is more of a separate story than a sequence. Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh dazzle on screen as they master the delicate martial arts techniques. The fight sequences are so enticingly photographed, the sheer image of the characters battling on screen acquires unmatched escapism. Before watching "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," first examine the qualities of a Jackie Chan production, the overwhelming achievement of this film will be even more apparent. You may never look at martial arts films the same way again.