"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" meets "My Dinner with Andre"

Rating: 4/10 (28 May 2003)

Saw the movie today. Thought it was funny --- in all the wrong places. I didn't mind so much that it was "talky" - but that much of the talk was repetitive Philosophy 101 nonsense. But that problem was overshadowed by the repetitive nonsense of the endless fight sequences. (One recommendation - when the fight starts in the playground, take a bathroom break if you need one -- believe me, it will still be the same scene when you get back.)

In many respects, the movie feels like some mediocre film school version of "'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' meets 'My Dinner with Andre.'"

The movie wasn't unbearable, but watching it through did feel like a waste of a lot of time. If I'd had it on video there would have been some serious fast-forwarding.
Specifics - Writing was not good. Actors were no better or worse than the last time. Effects were good except for some tatty-looking blue screen work in the highway scene (it looks about as real as footage from when Lucy, Ricky, Ethel and Fred "drove" to California on "I Love Lucy.") Plot development is okay (and unlike complaints I heard, I felt satisfied with the point in the plot the movie ended.) However, by the end I felt that 75% of the plot in TMR is just a MacGuffin, which is a little frustrating.
Oh! and it has one of the dullest sex scenes ever recorded on film.
I'm still interested in seeing number 3 come the Fall. But I'm not particularly excited about going to see it.
P.S. One question: Why is it that the residents of Zion all seem to need new clothing (90% of what we see is torn and tattered - except for the female councillor's FABULOUS beaded hat) but seem to have access to large supply of sunglasses in dozens of different styles? What do they need sunglasses for underground anyway? Maybe there was a big sale at K-Mart.