Good and bad, but don't expect too much

Rating: Null/10 (30 January 2001)

First of all, after reviewing the other comments before this, I was surprised at the shallowness of most of the reviews.
From a cinematography perspective, the movie is incredible. Ang Lee continues his tradition of beautiful shots. While some people complain about the pacing, as you can see in many other movies, slow pacing is used to build atmosphere and tension. From a western perspective, yes, I also found the movie a bit slow in parts (the whole desert seduction just kept going and going and going,) but from a filmmaking perspective, it is a great achievement.
From a cultural perspective, I found the dialogue incredibly bad, not so much for what was written or the character's motivations for saying what they did, but the delivery. Perhaps in China, you can deliver a dramatic line with no pacing or pauses, but in the west it sounds a lot duller.
As a kung fu film fan, I was most disappointed with the quality of the fight scenes. Perhaps, Lee looked for the best actors, not necessarialy the best fighters.
Also, I am not a big fan of wire-fights. If you watch any of Jackie Chan's movies, or Jet Li's classic "Fist of Legend," you get a true sense of superhumanity, and any wire fights afterwards pale in comparision. (One such incredible actor who will no doubt become a household name in a few years, James Dean Bradley, the white guy in Jackie Chan's woefully underrated and barely released in the US "Gorgeous," is one amazing example.
All that being said, I would wholeheartedly recommend seeing this movie, because the story is so strong. Every character has 2 or three different and competing motivations for every single decision they must make, and the decisions they actually make make their character really come alive with complexity and emotion.
If I would compare this movie to another, it would be John Woo's "Last Hurrah for Chivalry." Again, there is a strong story, lots of wire fighting, and good cinematography.
In summary, if you are looking for good fighting, you can wait for the video to see this movie. If you are looking for a good time, then go see it on the big screen.