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| Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny - A worthy sequel it's not. Worthy to watch, it's not. |
Watch Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny
Written by: Wang Du Lu (book), John Fusco (screenplay)
Directed by: Yuen Woo-Ping
Starring: Donnie Yen, Michelle Yeoh, Harry Shum Jr., Jason Scott Lee
Rated: PG-13
Plot:
The green sword is the center of conflict as warriors try to defend or adversely steal it, lives hanging in the balance.
Verdict:
The sequel doesn't live up to the original. I don't remember much of the original, but I remember liking the movie and the story. This attempt is weak, and the story is as simple as it sounds.
Michell Yeoh does return and Donnie Yen is a new addition, but there weren't any standout fight scenes. If you're expecting Donnie Yen from Ip Man, you'll be disappointed. There are better films in the genre.
Skip it.
Review:
Netflix's latest movie is a sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). It was released in theaters and on Netflix simultaneously, though many theaters refuse to show it.
The only things I remember from the first movie are that it had good fighting and a layered story. This movie lacks both. It's directed by fight choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping. He's no Ang Lee who directed the first film.
The fighting style is fantastical, with combatants floating in the air for extended periods and performing physically impossible feats. Hero was my introduction into the Wuxia fighting genre.
With Donnie Yen, I hoped this would be adequate, but the first fight seemed like something from television.
The colors seemed off throughout the movie. The greens are tweaked too high, and everything else has an increased red hue.
It seems strange for the actors to speak English, un-dubbed. Usually it would be Chinese with English subtitles. I'm mixed on the choice. I like hearing movies in the original language, but subtitles make me read more than I watch the screen. It just feels off to have them speak English.
We get random scenes thrown at us with no context. The storytelling leaves much to be desired. Donnie Yen hires a rag-tag group to protect the sword. I never care about the group as much as I should. That part of the plot seems almost like a poor man's The Seven Samurai. I should feel a much stronger connection to this group, which contributes to a flat ending.
Michelle Yeoh is training a female warrior while protecting the sword too. Whats the deal with the sword? Why should I care? We also get a switched at birth subplot.
The fighting was disappointing. The Yen frozen pond fight was notable, but it didn't do enough. I could easily pick out better fights in the other movies I've mentioned. Yeoh also fights a witch, winning with Chekhov skill. I saw her method of victory coming and I wasn't impressed.
Instead of this, watch any of the other movies I named, Ip Man, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, or The Seven Samurai. Not only does Sword of Destiny not live up to the first one, it's not that great of a movie. It's more suited as a made for television venture. At least that way I could excuse some of the shortcomings. The fighting was lackluster, underscored by an uninspired story.
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