Truly unique; no other film like it.

Rating: 8/10 (20 November 2000)

Bruce Lee meets Jane Austen. I'm told that is how Ang Lee pitched this movie. If that's what he was aiming for, he succeeded spectacularly. The film is beautiful to look at; with incredible shots of the Gobi Dessert. The martial arts scences are sometimes dizzying and convey a certain majesty. There is mysticism galore. And a little gore. There is unexpected humor. But what carries the day amidst all this flash are the human stories. Two. maybe three (depending how you feel about the Jade Fox subplot), love stories are played out around the action plot. That action plot, which involves a missing mystical sword and a few revenge motiffs is nothing special. But its intertwining with the love stories really lift this movie into a special category. This especially is the movie to cajole, entreat, beg you friends who would not be caught dead going to a "king fu" movie to go see.