2/4/2001
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon stars Chow Yun Fat as Li Mu Bai, Michelle Yeoh as Shu Lien, Zhang Zi Yi as Jen, Chang Chen as Lo, Sihung Lung as Sir Te, adnd Pei-pei Cheng as Jade Fox. (These are the name I got from the official site and others. Spelling and name order are different on some sites. Since I do not know Chinese they may not be correct.)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a beautifully photographed film. The scenes are pure, clean, and spectacular. It is a story of a warrior, an outlaw, a loyal friend, an evil villain, and a young misguided daughter. It is a fantasy as well as a very traditional Chinese story. A little background into the chinese cinema may be needed. Do as I did, ask a friend who speaks Chinese.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Opens as Li Mu Bai speaks to his friend Shu Lien, who is guarding a caravan going to Peking. The goods are to be delivered to Sir Te. Li Mu Bai gives her his sword, The Green Destiny, to give to Sir Te, and will meet her in Peking. Li Mu Bai has returned from Wudan Mountain early. He is tired of being a warrior. What direction his life will take is a mystery. He has one unfinished task, avenge the murder of his master. The sword is delivered to Sir Te. He has a guest, Governor Yu's daughter, Jen. She is seen admiring the sword. That evening it is stolen by a very skillful thief. The thief is followed to Governor Yu's compound. And the rest is a lot of intrigue, fighting, and cunning by the participants.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a complex love story as the backdrop to a standard Kung Fu epic. A warrior wanting to avenge his master's death by the villian, Jade Fox. He cannot marry the widow of his brother, Shu Lien. While, Jen cannot be with her lover Lo. This film is good. I was distracted by the subtitles. They were in the middle bottom of the screen. My focus on the words made me miss some of the spectacular scenery of this film.
I give it 3 out of 5 Jade Combs: