09-22-2003, 09:38 PM
vicnuts, I hate (and love) keeping this debate so open, especially about HT, CD as I find it to be an excellent movie.
For once, after reading your list of classic kung fu movies, I find we agree on a wide range of movies. I would like to add some of Yuen Wu Ping's classics such as Dreadnaught and Wing Chun to your list.
But when you say that Crouching Tiger lacked a cohesive story, I wonder if we watched the same movie at all. I thought the movie was a fine example of showing what it is to follow ones heart instead of old traditions. I thought Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun Fat were totally believable as two people who loved each other but kept themselves seperate to honour an old friend. You could sense the passion and the ache of denial in both of them.
Then there's Xang XiYi's performance as the headstrong girl who doesn't understand why there are all these rules and why the strong don't just do as they please.
I felt all the other characters in the movie were merely props to further the stories of these three characters.
And the fight scenes... I felt that the use of wire work was entirely justified and that they exploded with action. Chow Yun Fat, who admitedly is not a martial artist, was well directed in using minimal movements to show the strength of a trained warrior. He was able to disarm Xang XiYi using only a stick and very simple motions.
Then there was the fight in the courtyard with all the different weapons being used by the two women. This fight scene alone makes the movie worth the price of admission. Finally for a bit of humour is the scene where Xang XiYi trounces all the men in the resteraunt.
I think the biggest reason people are dissapointed with this movie is that they expect a traditional kung fu movie and Crouching Tiger is something else entirely. It's more of a fable that happens to have a few fight scenes scattered throughout it.
Admitedly, I can't defend Matrix 2 as much as I can CT, HD. Whereas I enjoyed the movie, I recognize that they went way over the top with the special effects. I do feel that the use of the special effects were warrented in the case of Neo as he would need a much greater challenge than anything offered from the first movie. I'm still looking forward to the third part to see what they do to top the first two. Is it going to be another case of more for the sake of more or are they going to try something new? Only time will tell.
For once, after reading your list of classic kung fu movies, I find we agree on a wide range of movies. I would like to add some of Yuen Wu Ping's classics such as Dreadnaught and Wing Chun to your list.
But when you say that Crouching Tiger lacked a cohesive story, I wonder if we watched the same movie at all. I thought the movie was a fine example of showing what it is to follow ones heart instead of old traditions. I thought Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun Fat were totally believable as two people who loved each other but kept themselves seperate to honour an old friend. You could sense the passion and the ache of denial in both of them.
Then there's Xang XiYi's performance as the headstrong girl who doesn't understand why there are all these rules and why the strong don't just do as they please.
I felt all the other characters in the movie were merely props to further the stories of these three characters.
And the fight scenes... I felt that the use of wire work was entirely justified and that they exploded with action. Chow Yun Fat, who admitedly is not a martial artist, was well directed in using minimal movements to show the strength of a trained warrior. He was able to disarm Xang XiYi using only a stick and very simple motions.
Then there was the fight in the courtyard with all the different weapons being used by the two women. This fight scene alone makes the movie worth the price of admission. Finally for a bit of humour is the scene where Xang XiYi trounces all the men in the resteraunt.
I think the biggest reason people are dissapointed with this movie is that they expect a traditional kung fu movie and Crouching Tiger is something else entirely. It's more of a fable that happens to have a few fight scenes scattered throughout it.
Admitedly, I can't defend Matrix 2 as much as I can CT, HD. Whereas I enjoyed the movie, I recognize that they went way over the top with the special effects. I do feel that the use of the special effects were warrented in the case of Neo as he would need a much greater challenge than anything offered from the first movie. I'm still looking forward to the third part to see what they do to top the first two. Is it going to be another case of more for the sake of more or are they going to try something new? Only time will tell.
Gullible isn't in the dictionary.