Review of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) by Lewis C — 01 May 2010

One of the best and most stylish martial arts films of all time. The choerography and wire-work that was so impressive back in 2000, is still just as awesome today.

I've watched my fair share of martial arts flicks, both old and new, and none of them convey the "art" part of martial arts as effectively as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The action scenes are so graceful and mesmerizing that they almost seem like ballet. Every fight scene is a visual feast, with people flying, floating, leaping, and running straight up walls. And each scene manages to be more impressive than the last. It's poetry in motion. .

And pleasantly, there's a nice, story to serve as a background to the action. It's nothing you haven't seen before. A  rebellious young woman, forbidden love, revenge, etc. It's all simple and well-presented. All in all, there's not another modern martial arts film that I'd recommend over Crouching Tiger. It chooses to be elegant and restrained instead of gory and brutal, and it's a better movie for it.     .