Most movies can be neatly tucked away into one category or another. Not so with Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which manages to merge several genres together.
It's 50 percent action flick, 50 percent drama -- and 100 percent cinematic masterpiece.
The story focuses on the theft of a coveted sword and the quest for honor and vengeance. Spoken entirely in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles, its fresh, original and beautiful.
Michelle Yeoh (best known for starring in the 1997 James Bond flick, Tomorrow Never Dies) portrays a tough fighter who attempts to return the sword to its rightful owner, Li Mu Bai (The Replacement Killers' Chow Yun-Fat, wonderful in this role).
The true star -- and standout performer -- is Zhang Ziyi, who portrays teenage fighter Jen, the rebellious daughter of a Chinese nobleman.
To say this film is visually stunning would be a great understatement. It's an action movie with profound artistry and depth.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon holds the rare distinction of being simultaneously slow-and-fast paced.
Unlike Hollywood films -- which are cut with lightning precision -- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon takes its time, unfolding slowly, methodically. The gentle pace works well: you can sit back, relax and enjoy the show.
And what a show it is! The camera shots are flawless, the performances captivating. It's one of the most visually stunning films in recent memory.
And the fight scenes are the downright breathtaking (only The Matrix has such genius action scenes). The characters square off in various lengthy fighting matches -- punching, kicking and flipping all over the screen.
They defy gravity -- running up the sides of buildings, flying through air and even tangling in the tree tops. Making Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's action sequences even more enjoyable is the presence of strong female leads. Of the four main fighters, three of them are women (and two of them aren't even young women -- how's that for shattering stereotypes?).
Grade: A
(PG-13, 2 hours)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is currently showing at
Hollywood 20, Wolfchase Galleria, Malco Majestic 20, and Ridgeway Four.
