Often slow, but masterfully crafted film

Rating: Null/10 (3 February 2001)

This film was touted very highly by many critics and commoners when it was released stateside as a feature. Seeing it, I expected it to fall far short of all the praise, which it did not. Ang Lee, whose previous movies were at best lackluster, (such as the vomitous period piece Sense and Sensibility) has molded a cinematic friggin' masterpiece! Crouching Tiger starts off slow, and there are many other points in the movie where the dialogue seems to be a character unto itself. Yet when the action does rear its head, it is spectacular. You must allow yourself a certain suspension of disbelief when you view these scenes, because the premise is that Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh (as well as Zhang Ziyi and Jade Fox) have mastered a little-known and powerful technique that seems to consist mostly of leaping and gliding on air like flying squirrels. Besides the slow pace and the ridiculousness of the technique, the action does nothing short of kick some serious ass. And Zhang Ziyi, a newcomer to the Asian-to-American conversions, has an allure that eclipses even the shining charm that is Chow Yun-Fat. She is destined for greatness with her obvious talent. Chow Yun-Fat has always had an alluringly charismatic screen presence, but it is truly evident in this picture. As the battling goes, none are as talented as Michelle Yeoh, and oftentimes her skill carries the film. This movie is a hundred times better than most movies today, and even if the genre or the subject matter does not interest you, go see it just to admire a prime piece of cinema. That being said, make sure to bring your reading glasses, because like all good foreign directors should, Ang Lee refused to let his film become butchered by dubbing.