What was your favorite shot in this entire film!? Want to vote on what I should watch next? Click here! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY FIRST TIME WATCHING will be uploaded Wednesday! Enjoy the day!

@BIGDTFC

3 жыл бұрын

Im not on patreon so i cant vote but i was wondering if you ever watched "the drop" 2014. Even if you dont make a vid out of it thats one you should watch on ur own time at least

@sasaraireborn

3 жыл бұрын

My favorite shot of the film has to be the bamboo forest, when li mu bai is trying to get her to understand that there is a different, and she needs a new master.

@isabeljimenez6067

3 жыл бұрын

Question ....... have you ever considered doing AFI's entire list of greatest films ever made? I think that would make for a great reaction series to follow, and as an aspiring filmmaker, a must see for you.

@samdeane5003

3 жыл бұрын

Got to see this at the cinema when it 1st came out. What a great experience. I always thought the desert flashback was a bit too long, but always felt it was a necessary part of the storytelling. I think one of the best shots is earlier when Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) is chasing Jen Yu (Zhang Ziyi) across the rooftops and then makes that awesome V-Line straight down a wall.

@DaSmerg123

3 жыл бұрын

The bar fight is pretty awesome and that opening courtyard fight sequence. This movie is standing the test of time. You'll have to check out Kung Fu Hustle one day

As an African American I saw this film in the suburbs of DC when it first came out. It was during the holiday season so family and friends had other obligations, including seeing Hollywood films at the time. I could not convince anyone to go with me. So even without a car (vehicle in the shop) I hopped on the subway to catch this movie at a theater near the Penetagon. What I recall was how long the lines were. They seemed to stretch out forever. What stood out the most though was how 95% of the people in these lines were Asian Americans. And not just your young, average moviegoers. I saw more senior citizens than I ever had seen before come out to watch a movie in the theaters. You had entire families out there from all indications. And I didn't need this explained to me. It was immediately apparent that this motion picture was a huge, social event for the Asian American community in the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia for those who don't know). They were out in force to see themselves represented grandly on the big screen. Without a familiar face seeing the film with me this had the effect of making me feel lonely in a soldout theater crammed with people. But I would forget that because I was quickly swept up by the story and transported to another world. I was in awe from beginning to end. The only downside was not having anyone to talk about it on the way back home. Suffice to say I became obsessed with the movie score because it instantly became one of my all time favorites. The CD for that score also became one of the first I transferred to a computer via ripping. I still have that audio to this day and have transferred it to every new device I get.

@GrainneMhaol

3 жыл бұрын

It's one of the most evocative scores ever.

@DynamiteProd

3 жыл бұрын

ya when My big fat greek wedding came out my grandparents went to the movie theaters for the first time in probably multiple decades. They were just supporting someone from their culture making a mainstream hollywood movie.

@barstro

3 жыл бұрын

I definitely have the same sentiments as you. I went to see this masterpiece in the theatre when it came out. I went alone just like you and was captivated by the music score and especially the fight sequences. Seeing this film on the big screen is a treat and gets you so hype. The only setback when viewing this in the theatre for me is not having the ability to rewind the fight scenes. I would have been rewinding certain scenes over and over. This is an excellent movie.

@janetuss6496

3 жыл бұрын

that's a beautiful story man

@danballe

2 жыл бұрын

Kick ass soundtrack

I second the people below who recommend Jet Li's Hero to you, it's an honest to god piece of art.

@wakboy7499

3 жыл бұрын

Oh! Hero!! Yes! That is poetry right there! react to that and tell me that Zhang Yimou is another level.

@themidianite1645

3 жыл бұрын

That's like, if you don't watch it now, you need to put it on the list.

@phillipuhal3647

3 жыл бұрын

Yes. Hero. Now.

@jaketrovillion6159

3 жыл бұрын

No joke, my instructors in film school made us study Hero in order to teach us color theory for film. Perfect movie for that.

@xx-ug9hn

3 жыл бұрын

Hero is not even close to the level of Crouching Tiger, it’s just more accessible, more action scenes

Chow Yun-fat is a legend of Hong Kong Cinema. Real ones already know.

@JamesVSCinema

3 жыл бұрын

🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

@liamjoyce7774

3 жыл бұрын

My hero man. Hope James watches Hardboiled and The Killer. 😎

@johnblack3204

3 жыл бұрын

@@liamjoyce7774 Hardboiled is so good!

@dec222

3 жыл бұрын

@@liamjoyce7774 I will also cast a vote for Hardboiled. Such an incredible movie. So damn stylish, such a ride.

@SquigglyP

3 жыл бұрын

Hell yes! Hard Boiled is easily Top 10 action cinema for me. Maybe top 5. It's one of those movies where the action is equally as important as the story and the style. Like, The Raid is a fantastic action movie, but the story is simple. Die hard is a great action movie with a decent plot and characters, but it's a kinda so-so efficiently shot / efficiently told story. Hard Boiled is one of the few, like Crouching Tiger, that checks off style, story and action. That long one-take sequence in the hospital may be the single greatest action cinema shot of all time. It doesn't crack my top 10 favorite films ever made, but it's absolutely in my top 10 of action flicks. Put that shit on a patreon poll it will win hands down. No contest.

One of my top ten favorite movies of all time. I could watch this every day. Now you need to watch 'Hero' and 'House of Flying Daggers'. You'll love 'Hero', especially, I think because of how they use color different colors to tell the story.

@JamesVSCinema

3 жыл бұрын

Hero has made its way on the polls a few times actually!

@mikaelhiort6725

3 жыл бұрын

Hero is Phenomenal.. Videogame, but in real life, but in a movie....

@sasaraireborn

3 жыл бұрын

@@JamesVSCinema Hero's use of color and cinematography is unrivaled in my opinion. If you love the crouching tiger style of film making, but are into a more dreamlike color palette, it's required watching.

@pomaimoikeha829

3 жыл бұрын

I think it impossible to say enough good things about these movies

@circa81

3 жыл бұрын

@@sasaraireborn James would just be gobsmacked by Hero, I still am after all these years.

Yeoh and Ziyi's kitchen sink dojo brawl... one of the best fights ever put to film.

@JamesVSCinema

3 жыл бұрын

WILD!

@TotallySquirrel

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed! Absolutely incredible scene! And the way the tempo of the music grows with the fight... Ugh, so good!

@jksgameshelf3378

3 жыл бұрын

It's hard for me to choose between the night scene and the dojo brawl. They're both so great.

@Askonti

3 жыл бұрын

@@jksgameshelf3378 Yeah, that first Yeoh v Ziyi night fight was a great way to show audiences what kind of action to expect. It's hard to fault, and I was giddy as hell in the theater. I single out the dojo fight because of the elevated stakes. We got to know both characters, their motivations, and why they're facing off. We sympathize with them and don't really want them to fight, but Ziyi is too selfish to give up the sword. When Yeoh tells her men to leave and bolt the doors, there's no turning back, and we're treated to an awesome example of skill > gear. Also, Yeoh trying to wield a monk's spade is too funny.

@ganthc

Жыл бұрын

Also worth noting is that Yeoh chooses weapons that are specifically trying to help her counter the Green Destiny sword. The dual katana blades, the spear, the hooked swords, the sword breaker (that is one reason she’s shocked that Ziyi handles that hit that sends her flying back, any other sword would have broken there), and lastly, the long sword. In the end, experience triumphs over the OP weapon.

Dang, 21 years ago...I remember catching this one in the theater, and being utterly transported.

@JamesVSCinema

3 жыл бұрын

It does an excellent job with that!

@tonyadler1319

3 жыл бұрын

It won best foreign picture and was up for best picture. Should have won best picture also.

@jksgameshelf3378

3 жыл бұрын

Same here. Seeing this on a huge screen with a great sound system just blew me away, especially the taiko drumming in the fight scenes.

@movieswithsammykitty

3 жыл бұрын

Me too! It was the first time I had seen anything like it.

@everausten

3 жыл бұрын

Same! Saw it in theatres. My first subtitle film. Always caught the Eastern cinema seasons on SBS after that.

Yo-yo Ma’s cello is super haunting. That gets stuck in my head for days.

You commenting on how great the first action sequence is and us knowing what is coming later with the fight between Michelle Yeoh & Zhang Ziyi. 😀

@tuesdae666

3 жыл бұрын

Hahaha yeah ikr.

Hero with Jet Li, and Fearless with Jet Li are two of the best Chinese epics that came after this one

@frobeusns6404

3 жыл бұрын

Hero is an absolute must. Cinematography & Score in that film are god tier

@clapattack7235

3 жыл бұрын

Hero is amazing as well as that directors follow up movies House of Flying Daggers and Curse of the Golden Flower

@heytoast7129

3 жыл бұрын

I know it's not in the martial arts/wire-fu domain, but "Ocean Heaven" is another Jet Li movie that's a must in my opinion. Some beautiful shots and Li never seems out of place.

@knightyknight4837

3 жыл бұрын

@@clapattack7235 those were both really great movies as well

To me the themes of this movie are sacrifice & duty. All the main characters sacrifice their own happiness in the name of duty & honour.

@MrVvulf

Жыл бұрын

The perfect counterpoint to this movie is "Harakiri" (1962). The movie examines how some samurai hide behind a code they don't truly follow, and the hero learns too late that putting duty above humanity isn't worth it.

“Wuxia, in one form or another, has been around for nearly two millennia. The word itself - coined in the early 20th century - simplistically translates to “Martial Heroes” and Wuxia stories tell epic adventures, full of martial arts, romantic tragedy, high fantasy and eastern philosophy. Through books, poems, comics, and films, Wuxia perpetuated through the centuries...” I also suggest Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Curse of the Golden Flower. :) And perhaps Shadow.

@kenkakuknight

3 жыл бұрын

Oh man, I saw Shadow this past summer, and I was happy to see another Zhang Yimou movie. And Curse of the Golden Flower is one of my favorite films to subject my friends to. The level of dysfunction in that damn movie is unreal.

@edukid1984

3 жыл бұрын

@@kenkakuknight That level of dysfunction in Curse of the Golden Flower is a reflection of real history. It's a fictional story set in a real historical period called Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms in ancient China (whence the unified empire had once again returned to a state of prolonged fracture following the collapse of the mighty Tang Dynasty in 907 AD). There was, indeed, plenty of dysfunction in the many concurrent royal/imperial families which came and went in quick succession at that time - sons murdering fathers, brothers killing brothers, warlords overthrowing their former "Emperors", you name it. All in pursuit of the dragon throne and to be the coveted Son of Heaven.

@dmwalker24

2 жыл бұрын

The first time I saw this it was clear I was watching an epic in film form, every bit as much as if someone had made the Iliad, the Odyssey, or the Aeneid into a movie.

If you like this, house of the flying daggers is even more beautiful in my opinion. The use of colours is incredible

@JamesVSCinema

3 жыл бұрын

I’ll have to add that next!

@Gisechan

3 жыл бұрын

Hero is way better than House of the flying daggers in my opinion.

@circa81

3 жыл бұрын

@@Gisechan Yes Hero is miles better.

@IsThisThePrizeIveWaitedFor

3 жыл бұрын

I would also rank Hero above HoFD. Back when Hero first came out, I had a still shot from the movie as my wallpaper. Maggie Cheung in the leaves. ❤️

@PastaDon_

3 жыл бұрын

Curse of the golden flower as well

27:26 - They weren't intentionally trying to show the weapons. Michelle Yeoh's character was desperately trying to disarm Zhang Ziyi's character as she wasn't worthy of wielding the Green Destiny. Yeoh's character knew the sheer power of the Green Destiny sword didn't belong in the hands of an immature and improperly trained user who would corruptly use it.

Definitely watch Hero (2002) - a lot of the same cast as this movie with the cinematography turned up to 11.

@sentryward8744

3 жыл бұрын

that film is ridiculously beautiful also I would love to hear the his take on china's philosophy

@circa81

3 жыл бұрын

@@sentryward8744 He needs to watch the the original subtitle version. The English dub waters down the dialog way too much.

@seleneveneficus2809

3 жыл бұрын

@@circa81 Tarantino's cut and paste, shuffled the move to where it was like... Why? Definitely Original Chinese Version 💯

@kramhorse

3 жыл бұрын

Isn't Zhang Ziyi the only actor from Crouching Tiger in Hero? Anyway Hero was beautiful but Crouching Tiger is just plain beautiful filmmaking in every way

Ok. It's one of the most beautiful movies I ever seen. I love the choreography, the characters, the entire story as a whole...the 2nd act always gets me between her struggle to let go of tradition and like you said her free will. It's folklore at a modern take. I can't express how happy I am for you to see this film.

This was my gateway drug to foreign language films. I saw this in theaters when it first came out and was in awe. It opened me up to a whole world of art from Asia, Spain, and the new wave of French horror. There are so many talented filmmakers worldwide.

@kenwu7

3 жыл бұрын

Very true, i think a lot of people miss out on so much great stuff world wide

Saw this in the theater when it came out and I was in tears at the end. It was so fantastic, the action, the choreography, the visuals, the cinematography, THE SOUNDTRACK and the story. ❤ If you don't dig subtitles the English dubbing is actually really well done!

Michelle Yeohs stunts are off the charts

@JamesVSCinema

3 жыл бұрын

💯

@rannierunsfast

3 жыл бұрын

Her ankle or acl was in jured too while filming. So that's super impressive

House of Flying Daggers and Hero are two that kind of scratch that same itch as this film. Some people would argue which ones are the inferior films but they're all still worth a watch at least once; especially if you're a cinematography nerd. I love cinematography, color and sound design so I can geek out over stuff like this. The choreography for each film isn't too bad either.

@kenwu7

3 жыл бұрын

十面埋伏 aka house of flying daggers. Great film. Underrated. Love these films because western films can never create the type of choreography from the east

This film is part of the "Wuxia" genre of Chinese fiction, which translates to "martial heroes". A big part of this fantasy genre is that these heroes have super human abilities, like their ability to be lighter than air, or have super human strength/speed. This movie remains grounded by it's very human story, with Wuxia fantasy elements peppered in. The result are the beautiful choreography and fight scenes that highlight very important moments in the story.

As people have said, "Hero" is a great movie. You'll LOVE the colors and the storytelling is amazing. The coloring blew me away when i saw it the first time.

This is an absolute masterpiece. The slow pace gives the chance for a beautiful story of love and loss to be fully told.

being bilingual and understanding Chinese makes this movie so much better. In the restaurant when she beats everyone up, she literally recites poetry, like it rhymes.

@moviesthatsit

Ай бұрын

ty for this!

Wrote a thesis on the cinematography in this. Completely amazing!

Yes, you should watch hard boiled one of the best chinese and action movie ever made.

@JamesVSCinema

3 жыл бұрын

Will look into that!!

@grantterlecky1248

3 жыл бұрын

Probably the wildest shoot em up movie ever

@circa81

3 жыл бұрын

Hard Boiled ruined other action films for me. Nothing else can match it.

@RyoMassaki

3 жыл бұрын

Hard Boiled is really excessive in every possible dimension. Only war movies can keep up with such a high body-count.

@lanagievski1540

3 жыл бұрын

Massively back this, it’s a must watch

Since people are recommending Hard Boiled, better make it a double feature w/ John Woo's The Killer (1989).

@bazzakrak

3 жыл бұрын

The Killer can only agree 100% with that, have been watching that one at least twice a year since 1994 when I saw it for the first time.

Funfact: during that final swordfight Michelle Yeoh had a torn ACL. Hence her character doesn't move as much

So glad you got to see this film and that you enjoyed it. It came out when I was in college and my friends and I saw it multiple times in the theater. That film was so unique when it came out. Martial arts films existed in droves, but the flying martial arts-style combat film was a compete novelty. It was the first of its kind. Ang Lee is an impressive director who went on to win a directing Oscar for Brokeback Mountain just five years later. It's hard to believe that the guy who directed this film, Brokeback Mountain, Sense & Sensibility (the one with Emma Thompson), and The Life of Pi is the same person.

Love this movie, Ang Lee really broke the wall for other period wushu movies like Hero with Jet Li and the other Zhang Yimou movies like House of Flying Daggers and The Curse of the Golden Flower. Total eyecandy when it comes to set design and costumes with amazing choreography and great stories.

This film is on some next level stuff man. So glad you had the opportunity to check it out!!

@JamesVSCinema

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jamal!! Me too!

Easily one of the most stunningly beautiful movies ever made. the way the choreography informs the story and vice versa, the camera work that captured the right shots for the editing, the score and the scenery,,,,, it all flows so naturally. Thr fight in the bamboo forest takes my breath away every time.

The wonderful references to Chinese mythology, so subtle and beautiful. I love this movie.Glad you do too.

My fave movie ever! ♥ everything is beautiful about this movie: the cinematography, the choreography, the music, even the language Also I like how they leave the ending open. Did she die, or did she get her wish? Most Hollywood films would've made that decision for everyone

Happy to see this one pop up. Keep killing it James.

@JamesVSCinema

3 жыл бұрын

Happy to hear this Tris!!

The handwriting scene is phenomenal. Without dialogue we see her piecing the calligraphy and the martial arts together. The extended close up of the brush just smacking us in the face with her technique and the suspicion shown with a POV shot of the hand from the other side of the table. Then my favourite shot in the film is the shift of the eyes from the brush to Jen.

I'm glad you enjoyed this film, James. It's one of my favorites. Nice to get a filmmaker's perspective. Thanks.

Memoirs of a geshia is a beautiful film also both ladies are in it and yo yo ma does another amazing sound track

I love the ending, she fulfills the tale of the kid who jumps off the cliff and flies

Yesss!!!! This was one of my favourite movies as a kid! I LOVE this film! And I haven't seen anyone react to this before. Thanks for this! And thank you Patrons! You have good taste!

It was so amazing seeing Chow Yun Fat doing this style after watching all his earlier work. Glad this hit the feed, it's long past time for a rewatch. And that score is always in the rotation.

My favorite shot from this film was the part from the beginning to the end!

I really love how you managed to capture the beauty of the cinematography in here ❤ No fancy colors or exubering arty stuff, just swift and mystical camera movements, as clean as still water, and also a top notch editing ❤ One of my top ten favorite movies !

Please , consider watching Hero, it's one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen

@tommyboy049

3 жыл бұрын

I was about to say that. The Cinematography and use of colors that also add to the story being told is right up his alley

This movie is pure magic but the ride is so powerful and emotional I can only watch it once a year at most.

Always look forward to your reactions. Glad you liked this one, I saw it as a teen and viewing with a decent surround sound system is such an experience. Made me fall in love with sound design. Great reaction.

Saw it in the cinema when I was a kid. Instant masterpiece and left its mark on me. I can watch it forever.

A great action/comedy in the same vein is "Iron Monkey" produced/presented by Quentin Tarintino for western audiences.

Never seen this movie, your reaction to this film gets me curious, (I’m only at the beginning of your reaction).

@JamesVSCinema

3 жыл бұрын

Definitely check it out!

"Like my mom shows up in this movie...schools her with her weapon of choice...a belt" 🤣🤣🤣 LMAO. Golden commentary! Bravo!

@JamesVSCinema

3 жыл бұрын

Hahaha love me some comedy

This is an amazing movie. I was so happy I got to see it in theatres when it came out. More amazing than the movie is that the theatre was packed with kids and adults, and not a single person got up and left when they found out it was subtitled. It was just that captivating!

everybody out here talking bout Hero and House of Flying Daggers, but Kung Fu Panda is also where it's at.

Saw this opening night at local theater chain near ASU in Tempe Az and will always remember the silence during that 1st epic fight scene, followed by the roar of applause at the end of it and it's accompanying musical score. Goose bumps and teary eyes of joy.

Love the range of your film reactions, thank you

Hero, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and The Curse of the Golden Flower are a beautiful masterpiece, they all so poetic and full of arts :D

I was, essentially, a kid when I watched the trailer for this... It's one of the few times I was blown away by the trailer, and yet, the movie still blew me away. Good movie then, good movie now...

Something so magical and authentic about watching the action scenes. Shot wider and with fewer cuts than western produced films with actors doing their own moves. So exhausting watching the 'Michael Bay' style 10 cuts in a second close up action scenes.

The fight between Jen and Ju Lien is definitely my favorite fight scene of all time. There’s so much character and conflict. Jen is like Anakin Skywalker, she has potential to be better than anyone, but is stubborn and impatient. This can be seen in her fighting style, super aggressive and acrobatic. Ju Lien in the other hand is more experienced, she knows she can win the fight and remains calm throughout it, trying to separate Jen from the Green Destiny. That weapon gives an unfair advantage to Jen, but in the end Ju Lien wins exploiting it’s superiority.

Great reaction. I remember seeing this with my brother in the theater the weekend it was released here and we were the only two in the theater. It was great to watch with zero distractions from other patrons on the big screen lol.

Your reactions always bring me joy. I'm not the biggest fan of this film but it's by far one of the best martial arts movies I've ever seen and I have a soft spot for it.

@JamesVSCinema

3 жыл бұрын

Ayyyy Ethan how are ya buddy!

@EthanButler

3 жыл бұрын

@@JamesVSCinema Great, man. Hope you're staying safe!

I've seen this many times but seeing your excitement made it like my first, lol! Such a great reaction! 😃👏🏽🌸

Bro, your reactions to these movies have me laughing!! Keep doing what you doing!!😂😂😂

(reaches down, tightens seatbelt, checks headrest, here we go. Adjusts volume.)

The most visually beautiful and eye-pleasing film ever made. Insane that the sets and props were largely practical. The choreography is just impeccable. And all this with a great plot to boot. It's not my favorite film ever made, but it might be the runner up.

You're awesome and this channel's awesome, keep up the great reacts and reviews man!

@JamesVSCinema

3 жыл бұрын

Hahaha my man Tyrion Lannister haha. Thanks brotha!

@tyrionlannister1628

3 жыл бұрын

@@JamesVSCinema I drink and I know things.. It's what I do. :)

Really enjoyed your reaction, I enjoy all of them tbh, but this one especially made me smile! Thank you ever so much. Wish I could afford the patreon, maybe some day :). Hope all is well, look forward to your future videos as always. I loved this film as a kid when I first watched it but seeing it again as an adult is just a whole different level! So impressively created and willing to take some big risks to really give the choreo that freedom of dimension. Its beautiful and just goes to show how integral having your lead acting stars able to do the choreo is! Gives so much more flexibility with camera choices and editing too. Thanks again.

Seeing this on opening day was amazing. The audience roared to their feet after the first fight scene. I've never seen or been apart of such a reaction to a film before or since.

THANK YOU lmfao I still remember being in 9th grade having seen this three times already in theaters and taking two friends to see it and they literally fell asleep and I was like it's so good how did you fall asleep?!

To extract that much from a first view especially about the inner conflict of Jen was superb. You got a subscriber here

27:36 when you mention how they are showing all the weapons there, that's epic. There's an interview with Michelle where she tells that when they arrived to that scenario and she saw all those weapons she asked the director "Wich ones you want me to use for this scene?" and he said: all of them. hahahaha Michelle is a beast when it comes to coreography! I'm so happy she is finally getting the hype she deserves.

My reaction to the first female fight scene was the same in the movie theater. I was so amazed at the perfect execution I was too stunned to stand up and start clapping!

Hell yeah! I remember getting this DVD a long time ago and watching it with my dad.

A belt A shoe A chair A frying pan An guitar.... F ing awesome reaction Ty

Hell yeah! I remember getting this DVD when it came out and watching it with my dad.

I wish you could have seen this in the theater. The bamboo scene was just breathtaking!

Great reaction to an understated masterpiece! So much of this film is told in the faces of the actors and they all do a phenomenal job. Best of all, you got the good subtitles! Upon re-release, they (without approval from the director) changed the subtitles from the original version and in the process butchered half of this films' poetry. Just one example. Here are Mu Bai's last words in the original: "I've already wasted my whole life. I want to tell you with my last breath I have always loved you. I would rather be a ghost, drifting by your side as a condemned soul than enter heaven without you. Because of your love, I will never be a lonely spirit." And in the re-release: "I've already wasted my whole life. I want to tell you with my remaining strength that I love you. I always have. I'll drift next to you everyday as a ghost just to be with you. Even if I was banished to the darkest place, my love will keep me from being a lonely spirit." All the changes are that bad. Another reaction channel did the film and got the good subtitles too. I don't know if changed them back or if you guys were just lucky, because the original subtitles were not available for a long time.

I’m seeing loads of people suggested Hero. It’s going to happen. That movie will surely have you just as excited . Camara work use of color is second to none. Absolute eye candy. Let’s make it happen.

I remember coming out of the theater so pumped after seeing this. I wanted to run up walls.

I can't believe I forgot just how much I love this film! It's been years since I've seen it. YEARS. But I remember thinking it was just so beautiful and the fights were crazy and elegant at the same time, they're all just flying and defying gravity, it's so cool. And YES, the music is fantastic. Thanks for reminding me to revisit the score. I bought the soundtrack back then, and it's amazing, especially the percussion. SO GOOD. Edited to add (after watching your whole vid): And the CELLO. Oh holy shit, I forgot how gorgeous it is! It is the pure embodiment of yearning. So beautiful and aching and sad.

This movie won an Oscar, if my memory serves. It was one of, if not the most exciting movies of the year, and revitalized American interest in Kung Fu movies and Eastern Film for close to a decade. Many of the movies people are listing below were popular in the west because of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It was a Phenom, it set a trend. It was brilliant, a lot of the movies that followed were too. Great shit.

You might enjoy King Hu's film "A Touch of Zen" as well, it's a fantastic wuxia with some of the best coloring and art direction out there for these types of movies, and the locales are beautiful.

I saw the trailer when it came out or s clip and I thought that’s silly then after watching it’s one of my favorite movies it’s so good and badazz it’s awesome! Thanks for reacting to this masterpiece

Top 5 movie for me. The scenery was incredible. The fight in the bamboo trees is one of my favorite scenes ever, period. It was so different than anything you would see in a traditional martial arts flick before it. Incredible fight choreography mixed with high art. This film set the groundwork for the next wave of great martial arts movies like Hero and House of Flying Daggers. I will still watch it every time I see it on. ✊🏽

Beautiful film 🙌🏼 incredible cinematography

I LOVE wirework, and I think Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon has some of the best wirework out there. super fluid and beautiful.

The fight between Yu Shu Lien and Jen Yu is great because it shows how a character is great technique and more importantly a LOT of experience could win and that the only advantage Jen Yu had was ultimately down to having a legendary weapon. Yu Shu Lien could use anything in that room and could change up her style and adapt as needed. When she went 100% she was CLEARLY a better fighter.

all the while on watching this i keep thinking, “Goddam! He gets it. He really gets it.”

An amazing film 😍. I am glad you got a chance to enjoy it!

I enjoyed your reaction as always! I had the same reaction when I watched this as it kid and it also probably lead me to enjoy anime too haha. My favorite shot in the film would probably be the wide angles of that iconic sword fight, and the fight scene when the fly through the trees.

Oh nice... Few reactors have reacted to this.. I think you're the second one I've seen. Very enjoyable. Subscribed for this.

I would describe this entire movie, as a whole and even in the most tumultuous scenes, as "graceful."

Ahhh absolutely gorgeous film!!!! Thanks for the awesome reaction :)

At the time this was released, it was received as the greatest thing ever, what was funny to me was that I've watched so many of these movies, and saw many of the actors in the movie in movies like this on Saturday afternoon and in the older movie house years before. It was looked at as "chop socky" films and now this gets nominated for an Academy Award. It was crazy to me, fantastic, but crazy.

My family and family friends used to watch this movie when we would visit each other. It was one of those movies I saw a few times but with big enough time gaps that I would almost forget what happened when I saw it again or there would be scenes I didn't remember. It wasn't one I saw too often but it was still somehow a staple in my childhood though. Even now, I don't remember most of it lol except for a few scenes.

One of my favorite movies of all time. Such a beautiful film!

And, if you haven't seen Police Story 3/Supercop, Michelle Yeoh cemented her bad ass status in that film by jumping a motorcycle onto a moving train.

It is one of the best films I've ever seen. I came to see an action film. Ended up crying at the beautiful love story.

This is such an awesome film. One of my favorites in terms of action. Everything was so fast

When I was a teen, we spend hours in our youth center, watching "King fu" - movies (martial arts wasn't a thing). They were all like this. Ang Lee and Tarantino in Kill Bill made their movies as a homage to that genre.

Can't wait to see your reaction to THAT fight scene in Hero now, it's so god damn good!