Call me Stupid American

Rating: 6/10 (11 January 2001)

Beautifully shot, beautifully acted, beautifully choreographed, beautifully scored. I just can't get past the fact that people fly in this movie- just float away in the middle of an otherwise breathtaking fight scene. My wife chalked it up to a "cultural difference" that I couldn't possibly understand. Perhaps. Is there some Chinese legend I don't know about that says true martial arts masters can fly? Bending the laws of gravity is one thing. But when a character raises one fist and lifts off the ground a la Superman, my suspension of disbelief stops there. I could have seen my way past it if it had even been explained within the context of the plot. But it's just put up there, and we're meant to take it on faith that for whatever reason, these people can fly. The flying didn't even seem to serve a true purpose, except to make the film even more "visually stimulating." I thought the fight scenes were so good, the flying was an unnecessary effect that tainted my view of the rest of the movie. I'm disappointed that my most lasting impression of this otherwise stunning film will be of people floating away to the snickering of the audience.