"Better a fallen rocket than never a burst of light."
~ Tom Stoppard, The Invention of Love

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016, PG-13)

I remember Netflix sending me emails about this movie when it first came out, but I didn’t get around to it until much later.  Like many sequels in which the original film doesn’t really call for it, it’s not all I want it to be.  Though it has its good points, my biggest reaction coming away from it was a desire to watch the original again.

18 years after the events of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Yu Shu Lien fights to protect a mythic sword, the Green Destiny, keeping it out of the hands of the warlord who covets its power.  With little cover and few allies, she enlists the help of a handful of swordsmen/women to help her.  Among them are Snow Vase, a fiercely determined young woman who still has a lot to learn, and Silent Wolf, a stunning warrior and a figure from Yu Shu Lien’s past. 

For starters, the story is somehow thin and overcomplicated at the same time.  Several major characters all have important secrets in their pasts that complement one another a little too neatly and rely on exposition-heavy reveals that mostly lack drama.  The villain, Hades Dai, is a credible threat in that he’s powerful and has a big army, but he isn’t very compelling as an antagonist.  And a few major plot elements feel transparently designed to echo important beats from the first film without investing them with the same level of heart.

I feel a little weird about bringing this up, but it also looks cheap.  I don’t know if it’s something about the lighting, the film itself, or some sort of effect, but a lot of shots have this slightly fake look to them, almost as if the actors are standing in front of a matte.  Although there’s nothing wrong with having a small budget, in this case, I feel like it either wasn’t enough or the production didn’t know how to use what funds it had effectively, because I can see that lack in the movie.

Not that there’s nothing to like.  Snow Vase has an interesting character arc for me, and I like her interactions with Yu Shu Lien (she also has the best of the “secret past” reveals, which has some real emotion in it and is presented more show than tell.)  While I don’t think they’re used especially well, the small band of hired swords who help Yu Shu Lien are enjoyable and definitely have their moments (although some of the humor from this group is pretty forced.)  Yu Shu Lien herself is wonderful – over a decade-and-a-half later, Michelle Yeoh doesn’t miss a trick in the role.  Though the writing for her scenes with Silent Wolf can be hit-or-miss, she and Donnie Yen still bring it whenever they’re onscreen together.  (Side note:  the film also features Harry Shum Jr., Mike from Glee, in a major role, which is kinda fun.)  The fighting is mostly pretty good – Donnie Yen in particular is excellent – and I feel like some of the movie’s best storytelling comes in these scenes.  Overall, however, this a movie that feels kind of messy and a little hollow, which is not what Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (or Yu Shu Lien) deserves.

Warnings

Lots of stylized wuxia violence, thematic elements, and some drinking.

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