This summer, MovieJawn is counting down our 25 favorite action movies of all time! We will be posting a new entry each day! See the whole list so far here.

by Nikk Nelson, Staff Writer

You ever have a childhood friend and when you’re kids you feel like you’ll be friends forever, but then you get to high school and realize you’re two very different people? Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon holds the unintentional title of being one of the main pieces of evidence that my close friend and I were growing apart. We grew up watching action, karate, and kung-fu movies, so when we saw the trailer for this, we noticed some similarities to The Matrix, and so were very excited to get tickets. But then, we ran into one of his football buddies and his girlfriend at the theater and they asked us what we were there to see. “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” I said proudly. They had, of course, never heard of it, and stared at my friend like, “Why do you hang out with this nerd, again?” When we walked away, my friend confirmed his embarrassment by saying, “I wish there had been a cooler way for you to say that.” It legitimately hurt my feelings. Pissed off wasn’t far behind—What, when it’s just you and me, we’re friends and into movies like this, but when one of your jock friends shows up, all of a sudden, you’re ashamed? 

Luckily, the film was heavy with themes of loss, betrayal, regret, and, overall, growing apart so it was a very emotionally cathartic experience. Add to that, there were some of the best fight sequences I had ever seen, coupled with one of the best soundtracks I had ever heard, and I was introduced to Michelle Yeoh for the first time, who has gone on to become (and rightly so) one of the most acclaimed actors in Hollywood. 

The film perfectly balances three interconnected storylines: Yeoh plays Yu Shu Lien, a semi-retired warrior heading up a private security detail for a wealthy family. Co-warrior and romantic interest Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) arrives unexpectedly, announcing his retirement, wishing to gift his famed sword, The Green Destiny, to his friend, Governor Yu. Li’s true intentions are to proclaim his love for Yu Shu Lien, but those plans are interrupted when The Green Destiny is stolen with clan fugitive Jade Fox (recently passed Pei-Pei Cheng) suspected. 

Jen (credited as Zhang Ziyi), Governor Yu’s daughter is revealed to be the thief and disciple of Jade Fox. Their martial arts talent captures the attention of Li Mu Bai, but Jen’s arrogance leads them to run away from town altogether, seeking adventure, a seed sown from their recent romantic sojourn with bandit, Lo (Chang Chen). 

Favorite fight sequences include Jen’s theft of the Green Destiny Sword and pursuit by Yu Shu Lien; The revelation/confrontation of Jade Fox by a father/daughter vigilante duo hellbent on revenge; Jen’s fight in the tavern with a rogue’s gallery of different fighters; Yu Shu Lien again confronting Jen with The Green Destiny in Jen’s possession, leading Yu through a delightful rolling arsenal of weapons trying to defeat the famed sword. 

It's impossible to pick a favorite performance. Chow Yun-Fat wasn’t a totally unfamiliar face with their previous American breakthroughs, The Replacement Killers with Mira Sorvino and The Corruptor with Mark Wahlberg. His turn as Li Mu Bai is a lot more subdued than I’m used to seeing from him, but that’s exactly what the character calls for. His quiet longing for Yu Shu Lien is legitimately heartbreaking. And, again, Michelle Yeoh’s talent was undeniable, even more than twenty years before Everything Everywhere All at Once. And, I’m almost positive this role is what landed Zhang Ziyi their role in Rush Hour 2—an equally delightful performance as villain, Hu Li. Her performance as Jen runs an emotional gauntlet: Repressed, curious, arrogant, passionate, vengeful, and haunted—the character is more rounded than a pinball. 

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ignited my passion for and curiosity about older kung-fu movies and Asian films in general. It led me to filmmakers like Bong Joon Ho, Park Chan-wook, and Takashi Miike. I have since spent a ridiculous amount of money with Terracota Film Distribution.