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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