Gorgeous, terrific movie-making.

Rating: 10/10 (24 July 2002)

It starts quietly enough. A swordsman returns to the woman he secretly loves, to tell her he's decided to give up the life of a warrior. As a token, he gives her his signature weapon, the Green Destiny sword, and asks her to deliver it to the governor in Beijing. Simple enough.
This kicks off "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," one of the most beautiful, passionate action/adventure movies ever made. Much has been made of the wu xia fight choreography, and many, sadly, have expressed their dislike for it as unbelievable. It's not supposed to be believable. It's supposed to be admired for its balletic artistry, its refusal to let the emotions of conflict remain stubbornly earthbound. The action choreography in this film is, like all true martial arts, both thrilling and meditative.
Most filmmakers working with this material would have gone overboard on the action. Ang Lee, however, is too good with actors and stories to make that mistake. He anchors "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," on its superb cast-- Chow Yun-Fat(how could it have been anyone else?) as the aging warrior Li Mu Bai, Michelle Yeoh, her face aglow with wary beauty, as Shu Lien, and the astonishing Zhang Ziyi as Jen, the new governor's daughter who is much more than she originally appears. A romance, an adventure, a meditation on how the choices we make narrow our paths in life, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is one of the great films of our time.