Hollywood marketing departments are always declaring that their particular film has something to offer to every type of moviegoer, but, until now, they’ve all been blowing smoke up your ass.  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon defines the term “something for everyone,” and, what’s more, it accomplishes this rare feat in a way that will leave you breathless.

Allow me to use an anonymous family to illustrate Dragon's appeal to a wide array of potential viewers. Mom likes sweeping romances, and Dragon offers one of the year’s best. It’s also one of the finest martial arts films ever made, which thrills little Bobby to no end.  Big sister Claire is a big fan of Yo-Yo Ma, who provides the film with a number of haunting cello solos.  Aunt Sally is an aging militant feminist, but even she’s impressed by Dragon’s strong portrayal of women.  Grandma enjoys the picture’s subtitles, on account of not being able to hear a goddamn thing, and Dad has a little thing for Asian chicks.  Despite the vast differences in this family’s cinematic taste, each of these six people is going to ride home from the theater with a smile plastered on their face.

Dragon is set in and around Beijing in the early 19th century.  Giang Hu warrior Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat, Anna & the King) has just quit the martial arts business, choosing literally to hang up his blade in favor of a life of meditation and reflection.  His sword, a 400-year-old weapon named Green Destiny, is temporarily presented to an old friend, Yu Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh, Tomorrow Never Dies).  But the sword is stolen one night, leading Li to momentarily interrupt his new lifestyle to face the evil force that took the life of his Giang Hu master.

Meanwhile, Yu befriends young Jen (Ziyi Zhang), the Governor’s wispy daughter who is being forced to marry a guy she doesn’t like.  She is jealous of Yu’s adventurous past, but Jen doesn’t realize her dedication to an honorable life cost her a shot at trying to land Li.  When the sword is stolen, Yu suspects Jen may be involved.  And then the fighting starts.

Maybe “fighting” isn’t the right word.  This is more like air ballet. When Dragon’s first hand-to-hand clash hits the screen, you’ll think your eyes are playing tricks on you.  In fact, some people even snickered and guffawed at the pre-festival press screening at the Toronto Film Festival (where Dragon was the audience’s pick for the best picture).  Choreographer Yuen Wo Ping (The Matrix), who directed the original Drunken Master film, outdoes himself here, and the result is likely to knock the socks off kids weaned on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Don’t get the idea that Dragon is just an action flick – martial arts films have never been able to boast acting this strong before.  Though Chow Yun-Fat is the best-known actor of the bunch, his role is really just a supporting effort.  Yeoh’s part is a lot juicier, and she handles it remarkably well.  The two Hong Kong legends do an incredible job of acting uncomfortable and stumbling around, like actual people trying to hide their feelings for each other.  As good as they are, Dragon’s real star is Ziyi Zhang, who is both breathtakingly beautiful and astonishingly believable as a pint-sized punch Princess.

Dragon’s biggest problem is that its story is a bit muddled.  The film is based on a five-volume novel by Wang Du Lu, so there’s a good chance that a lot of the original continuity was abandoned to keep the running time from exceeding the two-hour mark.  Dragon also features a goofy “be true to yourself” message, and there are probably a couple of times when you may think, “Geez, this is just Mortal Kombat with an international cast and a love story.”  There’s probably a very fine line between the two, but Dragon is definitely superior in every aspect.

Dragon is the first Chinese-language feature that Taiwanese filmmaker Ang Lee (Ride With the Devil) has directed since 1994’s Eat Drink Man Woman.  Like most of Lee’s films, Dragon is beautifully shot and surprisingly funny.  The gorgeous cinematography comes courtesy of Peter Pau, who has shot big Hong Kong features like The Bride With White Hair and John Woo’s classic The Killer.  Wang Du Lu’s novel was co-adapted by first-timer Kuo Jung Tsai, Eat Drink Man Woman’s Wang Hui-Ling and longtime Lee collaborator James Schamus.  With this feature, Lee proves he is one of the industry’s most versatile directors.

2:00 –

for martial arts violence and some sexuality