Great kung fu, but still missing something

Rating: 8/10 (12 December 2000)

I was expecting this to be unparalleled; what else can you expect when you combine Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, director Ang Lee, fight choreographer Yuen Woo Ping, music by Ma Yo Yo... but what ended up happening, I think, is that the picture has trouble supporting its own weight. There's too much going on in the film: a whole subplot that becomes (sort of) the main plot is introduced halfway into the movie in the form of a flashback, and the other main conflicts aren't adequately built up to and then resolved. There's multiple unrequited loves going on, a "I must avenge my master's death" plot, and a very Star Wars-esque "dark side of the force" issue. In any case, the kung fu, the graceful wire-supported floating around, and the amazing setting are more than enough to make this a great film. But it's not absolutely superb. Perhaps my expectations were just too high. To its credit, I've watched plenty of kung fu movies, and there were still times during the film when I was just blown away. 8/10