artfully done!

Rating: Null/10 (27 February 2001)

This movie was great!!! Okay, now that I got that out of my system, let me tell you why. Like the last critic, I'm also only 16. I was very happy that a subtitled movie made it to the U.S., and not just the big city theaters, but all of them! Even in small-town Louisiana! I hope we see more movies from foreign countries in our theaters. I am pretty used to subtitles, seeing as how I'm a Telegu Indian who doesn't understand Hindi (all the big movies in India are in Hindi). So I've become pretty experienced with subtitles. :) But in any case, the fighting sequences in this movie are very well done! They have a wonderful flowing quality and a grace which demands respect. I thought the movie was going to be set in ancient China, but it is set in a fantasy place where the fighters can fly. Incidentally, the tree scene was very creative. :) The scenery is beautiful and gives the perfect mood to the story. I loved Michelle Yeoh as Shu Lien. She carried herself very well as a lady warrior and had an aura of honor and stature about her. Ziyi Zhang is also great as the confused upper-class girl. She really is a firecracker! And her true love, Lo, is wonderfully charming and swashbuckling. The desert scenes are romantic. I won't give away the end, which is very sad. I think the message in this movie is to "Be true to yourself," as Shu Lien tells Jen. And don't wait too long to tell the one you love that you love them, because sometimes it's too late. Don't waste your life. Seize the day! Okay, I've babbled long enough. But I strongly suggest watching this movie. It was very artfully done. This movie soars and will take you with it!