Jackie Chan meets Peter Pan

Rating: 7/10 (29 July 2001)

This is a good film that fails to live up to the hype (a common phenomenon). There are many elements of the film that are superlative in this martial arts fantasy, but director Ang Lee can't seem to commit to a theme for the story causing it to meander aimlessly from one fight scene to the next. The film is remarkable in the fact that women play a prominent role, a marked departure from the second class status of women in eastern societies. Yet, Ang even hedges on this important point with Jen ultimately capitulating to the forces against her in an ending that is as unsatisfying as it is ambiguous. It is almost as if he is saying, `Women are strong too, but not quite strong enough.'
On the plus side, the photography and the choreography of the fight scenes are superb. While Bruce Lee was probably the most accomplished martial arts star ever, and Jackie Chan one of the most innovative and entertaining, the choreography by Yuen Woo-ping in this film is artistry that makes ordinary actors seem like skilled elite warriors. The use of wires in the fight scenes is incredible, creating eye popping acrobatic scenes that take the genre to a new level.
Unfortunately, the wires are overused and give the film a Peter Pan quality that reduces its impact as a serious fantasy adventure (if there is such a thing). By far, the biggest flaw of the film is the unsteadiness of the storytelling. There are too many subthemes and Ang doesn't commit to any of them. We have two love stories going on (Li/Yu and Jen/Lo), the theft of the Green Destiny, Li's desire to mentor Jen, Jen's relationship with Jade Fox, Jen's relationship with Yu, Jen's progress as a warrior, Jen's adventure in the desert, etc., etc. Ang drifts from theme to theme and never ties them together effectively. The most disconcerting of these is the overly long treatment of Jen's pursuit of Lo into the desert to get her comb back. This was one of the longest film non sequiturs I can remember, and it didn't add that much to the main themes.
The acting is excellent across the board. Chow Yun-Fat is the most prominent actor in China and his outstanding abilities are evident here. He renders a strong and sympathetic character that is both charismatic and dynamic. Michelle Yeoh is an accomplished martial arts expert, who is the only female star that Jackie Chan allows to do her own stunts. Her presence adds great credibility to the fight scenes and her dramatic performance is first rate. Newcomer Zhang Ziyi lights up the screen as Jen with impressive athleticism in the fight sequences and strong acting skills.

Overall, this is an impressively filmed adventure with a story that is too loosely wound to qualify it as a great film. I rated it a 7/10. It is undeniably great entertainment as its $120 million U.S. box office gross will attest. However, mass appeal is not necessarily a good gauge of filmmaking quality (as worthless blockbusters like `Scary Movie' exemplify). Despite stunning cinematography and mind boggling action footage, CTHD lacks a compelling story, leaving all its impressive elements adrift as nothing more than extraordinary window dressing.