Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (12)
Released January 5.
REVIEWED BY PETE HENSHAW
IN what has been classed an Artshouse meets Martial Arts production director Ang Lee seems to be sitting on a wondrous, if unexpected, gem.
It is the effects which quite literally take your breath away in a film starring Chow Yun-fat and bond-girl Michelle Yeoh.
Lee manages to avoid the cliched martial arts scenes and instead combines some well shot dialogue which is pulled off with top acting.
The film does its best to mislead you as the action is not immediate but it is worth the wait for when it does explode into life.
The part-mythical, part-epic and part-romance, story is set in 19th century China and follows fearless warrior Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-fat) and female fighter Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh).
The pair discover that a magical sword belonging to Bai has been stolen and the culprit is a wild young fighter named Jen (Zhang Zi yi).
As they begin their quest to regain the sword it becomes clear that there is more to the skills of Jen than meets the eye.
From bizarre bar room brawls to tree top mayhem the fight scenes are something to behold and with the excellent standard of acting continuing throughout the two hours this is a film most will enjoy.
Basically, with all the female fire power in the film this could be construed as an eastern Charlie's Angels, only a lot better, and I mean a lot.
Even if you are not the biggest fight film fan you still have to see this one as the fighting seems to rise above violence and becomes more artistic.
Verdict: Black Belting Rating: 9/10
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article