Good Movie - No masterpiece

Rating: 6/10 (3 March 2001)

This is a good movie but something kept bothering me as I watched it. Then it struck me! I have seen this movie dozens of times before. It's a melodramatic Western (an eastern western?). I think the reason this movie is getting praised so wildly is because it is in Mandarin. Mainstream people are slapping themselves on their backs congratulating themselves they sat through a sub-titled movie and thus are now "sophisticated". I believe if this movie were made (not dubbed) in English it wouldn't achieve the acclaim it is receiving. The cinematography is outstanding - from the lush green mountains to the brittle desert. The acting is fine and the fight scenes amazing though tedious after a while. Add those elements with a predictable hackneyed script and characters and you have a good movie. I gave it a 6 out of 10. O Brother was a lot more fun and Not of This World was vastly superior. It's a good movie that I have nearly forgotten about - 3 days later. BTW - I have no interest in martial arts and have seen about 200 sub titled movies in my life.