I watched a recording of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I had seen it in the theaters and thought it was great. Upon seeing it again, I think if anything I underestimated it the first time.
I am not normally a fan of martial arts films unless they are ridiculously over the top. Ang Lee is one of my favorite directors and I think he manages to make the martial arts scenes as visually beautiful as a dance sequence while keeping the sponteniety of a fight.
I have seen movies that try to interweave to many plotlines. I have seen movies that fail because the plot isn't interesting enough to justify being the centerpiece of a movie. I think this film strikes the perfect balance.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the amazing scenery that is captured in this film. I didn't really have a mental picture of China in my head before seeing this movie. Now I have some feel for how large and varied a country China is. Much of what this film shows is very beautiful.
As long as you aren't turned off by subtitles, I recommend this movie. On my scale of 1-100, I rate it a 93.
