Review of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) by Will G — 05 May 2012

Has all the makings of a stellar film other than a compelling script. Superior cinematography and locations ensure that the film is never less than beautiful to watch, and the score is also top drawer.

The kung fu sequences are solid throughout, with the highlight of course being the dojo fight between Zhang Ziyi and Michelle Yeoh which transforms seamlessly into an outdoor bout with Chow Yun Fat which incorporates the famous dazzling treetop sequence.

However, the film suffers from cliched plotting and occasional lapses in quality of dialogue, such as Michelle Yeoh's parting advice to Zhang Ziyi which comes off as faux-wisdom and is exactly the opposite of what should have been said.

The final scenes in the cave provide an anticlimax which is partially redeemed by the beautiful epilogue. However, Ang Lee would have done well to steer clear of CGI which looks woefully poor in comparison to the breathtaking stuntwork and photography, especially in the final frames of the film when it threatens to ruin what should be one of the most moving sequences in the movie.

The film as a whole is still good, and offers many memorable and brilliantly filmed scenes throughout that linger long in one's memory; it's just disappointing that it isn't better than it is.