The characters can, for lack of a better word, fly. The year 2000 was not a great one for movies, but a few small gems stand out. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was absolutely one of them. If any other movie managed to be so lyrical, so wonderfully entertaining, and so invigorated with the power and potential of cinema, I certainly didn't see it. The image imparts a very film-like look that is smooth and detailed.
Colors are subtle but beautiful and solid, never smearing and retaining an extremely natural look.
Blacks are pure with very strong shadow detail - in even the darkest settings everything is clearly visible. There are a few defects to be found on the print, but they are extremely rare and never distracting. Edge enhancement is also minimal, and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon looks every bit as beautiful on DVD as it did theatrically. A really terrific job indeed. Matching the beautiful picture in terms of quality is the wonderful Mandarin Chinese Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track.