"Where Movie Critics Get A Taste Of Their Own Medicine!"
|
|
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
by Herb Kane
March 21, 2001
out
of 4 stars (PG-13)
CRITIC DOCTOR EXAMINES: Ross Anthony (Hollywood Report Card), David Fear (culturevulture.net), Joel Siegal (Good Morning America), Chuck Rudolph (matineemag.com), Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times), Jay Carr (Boston Globe), The Crystal Lich (moviecrypt.com), Jay Carr (Boston Globe), Ron Wells (filmthreat.com), Eric Lurio (Greenwich Village Gazette), Michael Wilmington (Chicago Tribune), Norm Schrager (filmcritic.com)
Ross Anthony (Hollywood Report Card) said, "Though
the film ends in a question mark instead of a period, there's
hardly a criticism to make." Indeed! This is the first film
I encountered that has received an overwhelmingly amount of positive
reviews. I was literally shocked! But it all makes sense.
"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is a subtitled martial
arts fantasy starring Chow Yun-Fat (as Li Mu Bai) and Michelle
Yeoh (as Yu Shu Lien). Li, a swordfighter, asks fellow warrior
Yu to retrieve a stolen 400 year-old jade sword (Green Dynasty).
The movie is beautifully filmed and is a magical presentation
of romance and respect. It makes me actually want to watch more
martial arts films.
David Fear (culturevulture.net) said, "Mention the
phrase 'martial arts film' to most moviegoers and visions of badly
dubbed actors gruntingly executing chop-socky moves dance through
their heads."
I can relate to that. I didn;t expect anything of this magnitude.
Generally, I could care less about watching martial arts films.
That is, until now.
Joel Siegal (Good Morning America) said, "It was filmed
in Mandarin, but after the first few moments you won't notice
the subtitles. After all, it was Confucious who said one picture
is worth a thousand words. But he never met Ang Lee. These pictures
are worth, easily, a million."
I was really hesitant that I would enjoy a subtitled movie. But
this movie makes me want to watch more. I have a deeper appreciation
for this material and I have director Ang Lee to thank. It visually
exciting and the romance element was unusual.
Chuck Rudolph (matineemag.com) said, "Chow Yun-fat
and Michelle Yeoh are two of the most charismatic Asian film actors
in cinema history, yet neither one is able to do much with Schamus's
nonspecific, insolent dialogue, and what should be the heart of
the movie is instead its cancer--if we don't care about the heroes,
what else is there? The creation and handling of the tragic bond
between Shu Lien and Li Mu Bai is so antiquated and unconvincing
that it borders on disrespect."
But that was an interesting element, Chuck. Roger Ebert (Chicago
Sun-Times) got it right: "There are times when they're
together that you forget about swords, and are just watching a
man and a woman, tenderly cherishing the unspoken bond between
them." It's this silence that is powerful because it is rooted
in a deep respect. It's different. I like it.
Rudolph also criticizes some of the movies special effects:
"The use of the now-popular 'wire' effects that allow fighters
unusually graceful and soaring movements is creative, but it goes
too far in the wrong direction, becoming sheerly unbelievable
instead of fanciful and awe-inspiring. By the time one of the
characters literally flies over a river (not jumps, but actually
flies), it's hard not give up on the film altogether."
Your statement is unbelievable, Chuck! This is one of the
nost creative elements of the film - and it was done extremely
well.
Jay Carr (Boston Globe) talks about the dreamy fight seen
among the trees: "You know the combatants are on wires -
they would have to be in order to run up and over the sides of
high walls, or vault from treetop to treetop using the bent trees
as catapults. But the wires become as unimportant as they are
invisible."
The Crystal Lich (moviecrypt.com) adds, "When you
watch these characters take small leaps that propel them fifty
feet through the air, you quickly forget you're watching a special
effect and become convinced that, with the right natural ability,
training, and understanding, such a thing is possible in the REAL
world."
Despite the one or two negative reviews, it's practically unanimous
among critic the film is one of the best:
Is it the best martial arts film? Maybe. I haven't seen them all,
of course. But I would suffice to say the film is going to break
new ground for its genre.
Michael Wilmington (Chicago Tribune) summed the movie up best: "This is a film that really soars. One of the best adventure movies of the last decade, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is also gravely, eerily beautiful: poetic and moving in ways that we usually don't associate with violent genre films."
Norm Schrager (filmcritic.com) says, "If you can't find something in this movie to set your heart aflutter, call the doctor."
Better yet - read the "Critic Doctor!" I give this movie four stars.
--CRITIC DOCTOR
© Copyright 2001 by Herb Kane
All rights reserved.
www.criticdoctor.com
|
|
CAST:
Li Mu Bai: Chow Yun-Fat
Yu Shu Lien: Michelle Yeoh
Jen Yu: Zhang Ziyi
Jade Fox: Cheng Pei Pei
DIRECTOR: Ang Lee
PRODUCERS: Hsu Li-Kong, William Kong, Ang Lee
SCREENPLAY: Wang Hui-Ling and James Schamus and Tsai Kuo
Jung, based on the novel by Wang Du Lu
U.S. DISTRIBUTOR: Sony Pictures Classics
RELEASE DATE: 12.08.2000
RUNNING TIME: 119 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Violence, sex)
|
|