Anyone See MA Movie "Crouching Tiger"?

Great movie! It seems like mythology centered around legendary fighters. It is not your usual action-packed flick. It is slow and profound, like breathing in the horse stance. I enjoyed it.

Bill

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It is all Greek to me
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Donna Barnas:

I have a friend of mine who has told me that this recent movie is getting rave reviews as the best Martial Arts movie ever made. I was wondering if any of you have gone to see it and what you thought of the movie. </font>
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It is a fine movie. Some stunning visuals and excellent acting. There is an actual plot beyond "You killed my master and I will avenge him using my mastery of the snake with D2 fangs style!" Part is very sensual without being the least bit pornographic.

The martial arts did not seem great to me. Drunken Master, with Jackie Chan, had much better martial arts scenes.

Definitely worth seeing - Alan




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Alan Antopol
 
I thought the movie was an instant classic. It is not JUST a martial arts movie any more than the ballet is just dancing or the opera is just music. It was profound. There were some awsome visuals and the plot was good. All and all it's more of an epic than some chop-sockey flick.

just my 2 cents

J-MAN
 
Donna,

Its a fun movie about romance, renegades and, of course, revenge with an emphasis on the romance. This is played out amidst mideval martial china with noble classes warrior classes and the like. The combat is enjoyable and quite acrobatic. The acting, for the genre, is exceptional. Go see it.
 
Donna,

I grew up going to the theaters in SFs Chinatown every Saturday afternoon. It was always a double feature- A Gung Fu flick and a love story.

Ang Lee apparently grew up doing the same thing in Hong Kong and this inspired him to become a director.

In "Crouching Tiger", Lee pays tribute to his cinematic roots. He weaves an awesome story that is a melding of Gung Fu Epic, love story, and tragedy- all very much from a Chinese point of view. This movie is what all those movies I saw as a kid hoped to become someday.

Mario

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Gaucho

Tuvo muy mala suerte...se callo en mi cuchillo.


 
Donna - go catch the movie ASAP. I saw it twice and enjoyed it both times.

The MAs here are based on dance movements, with really skilled and dedicated fighters developing the ability to defy gravity. This form of theatrical wire assisted martial art, though unrealistic, is ancient and was first represented in Chinese literature (like the source novels that inspired Croucing Tiger many decades ago).

I think you will enjoy the demolition of the tea house, as well as Michelle Yeoh (best known in America for the Bond movie, Tomorrow Never Dies) pitting a room full of edged and impact weapons against an opponent with a mystical sword. With three generations of fighting women, Crouching Tiger has its own feminine quality.
Jeff
 
that was SUCH a sweet movie

the action scenes were directed by Wo Ping; the guy who did the action scenes in The Matrix.

These action sequences made those of The Matrix look wimpy. they were pretty long and they used a LOT of weapons. the action was fast-paced and always kept you on the edge of your seat.

my only two gripes about that movie are the flying (which was just too rediculous for my taste) and the INCREDIBLY LONG flashback
 
Very good movie somewhat fairytaleish.

To satisfy the Hong Kong audiences the fighting is very fast and flashy. This does not detract in the least from my respect for the physical skills of the performers.

The visuals are stunning and the story is good.

I have never seen a martial arts flick with this much to offer. Go see it!!!
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Donna Barnas:
Okay, so what you guys are saying is that it is a real good movie, a definite must see, but it doesn't really have great Martial Art scenes which doesnt matter cause the movie is real good anyway.

hmmmm...........

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Definately not... The fight scenes in this movie are some of the best (if not THE best) fight scenes ever to grace the movie screen. People say the fight scenes are enought to go see this movie, and I agree. But I also agree with the rave reviews saying it is the best movie of 2000 and it is on many lists as #1 for 2000. It is a great, great movie in truly many aspects(action, acting, etc.). Roger Ebert gave it 4.0!

and BTW Druken Master did too have very good fight scenes but I think CTHD's were better, and I probably liked them more because I love weapons.
 
Well, Donna, if you learned to fly, that would not hinder you.

Try a Citabria, Taylorcraft or Cub. The Decathalon is pricerer. They burn about 5-7 gal. per hr.

CFI`s are not busy now; you could cut a deal for an introductory flight, and then another, another,...

You would be flying; cheap.
 
That would not work Daniel, she would not have a convenient hand or arm to dig her nails into upon take-off if she was flying herself...
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"You are no more armed because you are wearing a pistol than you are a musician because you own a guitar." ~Jeff Cooper
And the same goes for a knife...
And, I'm a Usual Suspect.
 
I was very disappointed by the movie, probably because I have seen so many great chinese MA movies.

Michelle Yeoh went to the same school as my wife in M'sia, and is well known by the denizens of the little town in which she grew up.

Poor girl, when the film premiered in her hometown, her brother was arrested outside the cinema for stockmarket manipulation....all bull**** charges, since that whole country is completely corrupt anyway.

She was much better in another movie, "Wing Chun", unfortunately not available easily in the west, I think.

All that flying about in the movie was not done well at all, and the pacing and themes of the movie were very different from ANY chinese MA movie I have seen.

For a REAL chinese MA movie, I would suggest Tsui Hark's "Once Upon a Time in China" with the Wu Shu exponent Jet Li in it. It was such a hit with chinese audiences that they made 4 sequels after it, I think.

Now that's a REAL chinese MA movie, not this westernized touchy-feely crouching this crouching that movie.

I'm really sorry, but this movie, in my mind, in no way is up there with the best chinese MA movies I have seen.

SYK writing from the far east.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by SYK:

For a REAL chinese MA movie, I would suggest Tsui Hark's "Once Upon a Time in China" with the Wu Shu exponent Jet Li in it. </font>
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I completly agree with SYK, Once Upon is a much better movie, especially on DVD.

 
>Now that's a REAL chinese MA movie, not this westernized touchy-feely crouching this crouching that movie.

SKY and E_WOK,

Are you guys on Crack?

Just joking. Once upon a time... is a great movie but know where near as good as Crouching Tiger.

Crouching tiger is much more than a MA movie. Has a great story and incredible acting. Its really a statement about the role of men and women in society. It also has great fight scenes and the cinematography is just incredible.

Once upon a time... is a good movie. But the acting is just ok and the story is just ok. You can make an argument that the fighting is better. But a better movie ? not in a millon years.

How can it be westernized touchy feely its from Taiwan and in chinese. And why does the fact it has emotional content make it bad? In fact it makes it better, it is what seperates it from every other chop socky flick. ( I love those too though)

Regards,

v

 
Argh, Bukidnon, maybe I did not express myself clearly....I don't think that there is anything wrong with the HUMAN content in the movie(the girl's desire for freedom in her life, unfulfilled love between Chow and Yeoh, etc).

It's just that these ARE NOT the common themes of a chinese MA movie. And I dare anyone to present evidence to say that these themes are commonly present in Chinese MA movies. I tell you, 100% they are not.

My wife watches movies in Cantonese and she has been watching chinese MA movies since she was a little girl. She is a chinese MA movie BUFF and she too, was VERY DISAPPOINTED by the movie.

It's as if you have a Clint Eastwood western, and suddenly you make women's rights a major theme of the movie. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?

Bukidnon, no offence to you.....I am happy with the movie's success and I support it all the way. For goodness sake, Michelle Yeoh is my wife's schoolmate! But I strongly feel that it is not representative of the dozens of chinese MA movies I have seen, and it has been heavily WESTERNIZED for consumption in the west.

Chicken Kung Pow and Chop Suey are not that good once you have eaten in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Taiwan, HK and China.

But, if you like it fine! But see some other chinese movies also(unless you already have) and maybe your opinion will change. May I suggest----

1)Hardboiled &
2)A Better Tomorrow, both with Chow Yun Fatt, dir John Woo (contemporary)

3)Fong Sai Yuk, with Jet Li, dir Tsui Hark

4)A Chinese Ghost Story

And dozens of others, I don't know their English names.

I also find it quite amusing that while westerners are giving very good reviews of the movie, back home here, it was regarded in a very HO-HUM manner.

Happy watching and long live Michelle Yeoh!

Also don't take crack while watching!

Best wishes from the far east!

[This message has been edited by SYK (edited 02-17-2001).]
 
Since I am free at the moment, I want to comment on the movie, "Once Upon a Time in China".

Like those old Bruce Lee films, the themes underlying this film are those that resonate throughout chinese history, foreign repression and the hardship suffered by the common chinese people through centuries of a corrupt, inefficient and authoritarian govt.

Wong Fei Hong is a mythical chinese folk hero whose story appealed to the chinese psyche in the way that "Justice Pao" did, incorruptible, fighting for the common man against corrupt chinese officials, english opium traders, militaristic japanese and western slavers etc.

Yet Wong accepted the benefits and enlightenment of western/japanese contact, as shown by his long-time love affair with his english-educated girlfriend, whom he doesn't understand but loves anyway.

One telling moment during the OUATIC movies is when the historic figure Sun Yat Sen looks at his western pocket watch and tells Wong, "Time is running out for China".

China is so stuck in its old ways, its corruption and ignorance and it is so big and unwieldy that it can't go forwards....hence all the human suffering on such a large scale.

Against such a backdrop of human tragedy, larger issues, and multi-layered complexity, the story of Wong Fei Hong takes place.

You have to be chinese and feel it to understand it.....dong ma, Bukidnon?

That's why I feel that OUTIC is a real chinese MA movie. "Crouching" was tailored for a western audience, either purposely or indirectly.

Don't be offended by my criticism, I am just saying it as I see it, OK?
 
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