Must see, except for...

Rating: 10/10 (28 February 2001)

Are you a testosterone pumped martial arts fanatic who only watches martial arts films to criticise the styles, sneer at them for being unrealistic, scoff that the actors haven't spent ten years smashing bricks with their heads, and boast that you could defeat the lead with one hand behind your back? Do you believe that wirework is the puppetry of Satan? If so, please spare yourself some teeth grinding grief and don't go and see Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. You won't like it. It will make you think, and that will scare you, and when you get scared, you get angry, and then you will give this astonishing film low votes. Nobody wins when that happens.
Be clear on this, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon isn't a martial arts film in the Jet Li sense. It's a mature romantic drama, with spiritual/fantasy overtones in the style of Star Wars. Just assume that the characters are using the Force, and note they're doing it consistently: the pragmatic Shu Lien has to bounce off walls, while the talented Jen can leap dizzying heights, and the nearly transcendent Li Mu Bai merely has to point to soar into the sky. It's magic, it's extreme spirituality. Accept that, or please stay away.
However, if you have a soul and a mental age above the kindergarden level, you'll quickly understand what Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is doing, then you can just get on with being utterly astonished by the breathtaking beauty, excitement, joy and sadness. Then everyone wins.