“An apple a day keeps doctor away but CTHD brings you close to the medicine shop”
There was a time when Chinese movies use to hit Star Movies very frequently, and used to love watching them because of these reason.
Discipline shown in the people shown learning Marshal arts
Nice to see Chinese tradition
Fast Reflex actions
But sometimes, I used to get bugged with these movies for these reasons
Too…too much action
Lack of proper Plot
And it used to be damn slow.
10 Oscar Nominated Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (CTHD) was a great hype movie like the over boring Charlie’s Angels. The first thing when it got released in Mumbai was to see the movie and went with a very high expectation and what I got was 2 human being flying all over the place.
The story centers on the legend Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun Fat), and his attempt to hand over his mystical sword Green Destiny. As ’’lady destiny’’ would have it, the sword is snatched by a thief who turns out to be Jen Yu (Zhang Ziyi), the daughter a governor.. She is under the mentorship of Jade Fox (Cheng Pei Pei), the villain responsible for the death of Bai’s mentor. Bai and Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh), a childhood buddy and unrequited lovers, tail Jen, without knowing her identity at first, but then trying to underplay it so as not get her in serious trouble, not yet knowing of her relationship with Jade.
Apart from this you have Jen Yu’s desert Bandit and lover who has shown the shades of comic in this movie. The entire movie is all about stealing the sword and then putting it back again with background of revenge by Jade Fox and her intentions to kill Chow Yun Fat and use Jen Yu’s skill. But Jen Yu is smart and learns more than what she shares with Jade Fox and becomes powerful in the skill.
The above thin plot will make you cry within and think what has this movie to offer, yes many things, Lessons on how to fly and how to make a movie as slow as possible.
The stunts are very well done, especially the Fight on a thin Bamboo tree. The movie is terribly slow, as if they have all the time in the world to finish the movie.
Yesterday in the Sunday Times, I saw Rashid Irani, giving 5 star rating to this movie and I was not surprised because Rashid Irani now a days doesn’t write critical review but writes a review for the Oscar. Just because Oscar has nominated this movie for 10 nominations he has given 5 star rating.
This movie has nothing, no plot, and too much flying stuff. John Woo must be cursing himself to start the trend of this flying stunt. If this movie was about magic then, you could have expected these flying stunts but not, this movie is about skills in Marshal Arts and none of the Marshal Arts makes a human Fly, from a Gr Floor to the 6 floors with easy as Superman does. It was like watching the Chinese version of Superman.
No doubt in the entire movie, the patrons in the theatre were laughing whenever these artists were flying with every dialogue. It was as if they didn’t knew how to walk and knew only to fly.
If Oscars wanted to have such kind of movies, then they could have very well watched out very own Hero Mithun. Mithun’s all latest movies you can see him flying and doing these kinds of stunts. Definitely Oscars must have had some drugs or Alcohol when they watched this movie.
Acting
As far as acting goes Chow yun Fat is a poker face, he has acted similar to Replacement Killer wherein he didn’t have anything to do but shoot. Michelle Yeoh is wasted in this movie, but she has played her part well. But the surprise package of this movie is definitely Zhang Ziyi she has done her part really well.
Overall, this movie is really waste of time and money, as it has nothing to offer but Flying Human Beings and absolutely crawling plot.
Climax
The climax of the movie was pathetic, like a normal movie, in the end you expect a big fight but no, you wont find Chow yun fat , in any action. It was one of the bad ending of a Marshal Art movie. In every Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan movie, you have the big fight at the end , but nothing like that in CTHD.
Overall it’s a ’’CRAWLING PLOT - FLYING HUMAN’’
Don’t go by the hype it’s a movie as bad as Charlies Angel.