Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Rating: 9/10 (5 December 2005)

I don't really understand the meaning of the title, but that is not important, this is a great Chinese martial arts film. Starring Yun-Fat Chow as Master Li Mu Bai, Tomorrow Never Dies' BAFTA nominated Michelle Yeoh as Yu Shu Lien, Rush Hour 2's BAFTA nominated Ziyi Zhang as Jiao Long, Chen Chang as Lo 'Dark Cloud'/Luo Xiao Hu, Sihung Lung as Sir Te and Pei-Pei Cheng as Jade Fox. Basically a treasured sword called The Green Destiny is stolen by an unknown martial arts person. Master Li not only wants the sword back, but is anxious to see and train the sword's keeper. Filled with silly dubbing and ridiculous stunt like moves makes it rather funny. For example, there are scenes when characters are flying through trees and jumping to high buildings, impossible. But I can see that BAFTA and Golden Globe winning, and Oscar nominated director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain) has created quite a masterpiece. It won the Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Cinematography, Best Music for Tan Dun and Best Foreign Language Film, and it was nominated for Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Song for "A Love Before Time", Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published and Best Picture, it won the BAFTAs for the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music, Best Costume Design, the David Lean Award for Direction and Best Film not in the English Language, and it was nominated for Best Special Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Make Up/Hair, Best Production Design, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound and Best Film, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, and it was nominated for Best Original Score. It was number 18 on The 100 Greatest Films. Very good!