Best film of 2000 by a long, long way.

Rating: 10/10 (15 July 2001)

Wow, the Crouching Tiger backlash has well and truly begun, I can't believe some of the stuff I've read knocking this film. People who knock this film because there are people flying just haven't got a clue this film is not a historical epic, it's a fantasy film set in mythical China. And fantasy doesn't mean childish who said that adults have to only like realism films and anyway the relationships between the characters in this film is as real as any film out there. And just as bad as the `what people don't fly, this is rubbish' crew are the `I've seen loads of better Martial Arts films then this' brigade. Maybe you have but this wasn't loved because the great fighting alone it was loved for the whole package the fact that character and plot had as much if not more importance then the fighting, that's what was revolutionary (but I doubt it was the first). But the fact that the film was a huge hit should be admired by the Martial Arts snobs because maybe it will influence a lot of those films to have more plot which would make the whole genre much better. I only watched CTHD because someone told me it was good and I had heard all the critics praise and to be honest I thought I was going to see an okay film. But after seeing it I was blown away, not by the action great as it is, but by the characters and plot. Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh are wonderful but the real star is Zhang Ziyi who is fantastic as the troubled Jen. The ending is really terrific and emotional and probably my favourite part of the film. And for me the two best fight sequences are the first Jade Fox fight (I love the way Chow Yun Fat smirks when he easily knocks her down), and the second is when Jen takes on all the fighters in the tavern.
I wasn't expecting a great film because I never believe in Hype but this film for me is one of the only films in history that deserved every bit of praise it got, but of course it's not going to be for everyone. So those that like adventure and romance just open your mind to the mythical China setting lay back and watch one of the greatest films of all-time. 10/10