The Best Movie this Year bar none

Rating: Null/10 (28 December 2000)

Yes, there is lots of hype for this movie, but in this case I think the hype is well deserved. Unlike various other movies in this genre, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon manages to stand head and shoulders above the competition. Why? Simple, incredible acting. Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeoh, and newcomer Zhang Ziyi are incredibly gifted actors, and truly show off their acting talents. This move could have fallen flat and felt more like a videogame than a story, but it doesn't.
I can't wait for this movie to get a broader national release so that more people can experience this movie. If you have not seen this, or if you're a bit warry of seeing a movie that is in chinese with english subtitles, don't be. Visually this movie is stunning, the fight choreography is spectacular, and the love stories are well done. In most movies that I see, action and adventure in particular, the love story is thrown in as more of an afterthought to "get the girls" to come and see the movie. I found the love story in this movie to be both very interesting and touching. Another gripe that I hear people saying is that the flying and wall crawling are silly. I just want to remind them that this is a particular style in China, much like Tolkienesque fantasy that we have here in the west. I don't think it detracts from the movie but enhances its appeal.
Musically this movie is beautiful. Yoyo Ma did various cello pieces in this very traditional sounding yet maintaining the modern feel to it. I see now why they were calling Chow Yun Fat the Humphrey Bogart of Asia, and I think he is better than Bogart at conveying emotion. I think Michelle Yeoh stole the show with her performance. I've been a huge fan of hers since I first saw her in Supercop, and have followed her ever since. The other person that I'm really starting to respect is Wo Ping. The fight scenes that he set up are just spectacular. I found my jaw dropping at what I was watching on screen, and shouting and cheering the fighting. It was beautiful, graceful, and stunning. It also emphasizes the story, which is rare. Usually the fight scenes take away from a story to just show off a different type of "special effect".
So to reiterate, this is by far the best movie of 2000. I encourage everyone to see this movie, it is simply incredible. I also agree with another reviewer here, I can't wait to get this on DVD. :)