"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"

Rating: 10/10 (7 April 2007)

You can bet that when director Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" came out in 2000, that many got to see the martial arts movie in an accessible, wholesome fashion. An adaptation of the works by Du Lu Wang, the film is set in ancient China and concerns two martial arts warriors (Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh) who are dispatched to retrieve a stolen sword, which leads them to the rebellious daughter (Ziyi Zhang) of a prominent nobleman. More than just a martial arts movie, the film builds on the relationships between the characters and the timely vibe. The action scenes (with choreography by Yuen Wo Ping from his work on 1999's "The Matrix") are astounding, and are reminiscent of the old-school kung-fu flicks Lee and us grew up on as children. Certainly one of the most praised action movies of the last 20 years, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" has received a lot of attention especially in the United States, from those not used to what Asia has to offer.
10/10