crouching tiger hidden dragon sword of destiny

A Case For Better Action Movies: CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY (2016)

As the 1990’s drew huge fervor in Western audiences for Hong Kong cinema with Jackie Chan and Jet Li crossovers, director Ang Lee helped pave the way for Asian cinema ina fashion hugely rewarding. The award-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, released in 2000, achieves some of the highest marks in wuxia filmmaking with a story that brilliantly taps into its source material with a sense of substance and quality that bookmarks it as one of the most memorable movies in history. Surely, the film mingles differently among moviegoers as do all, but the majority on this one is quite certain with Lee’s signature vision setting a visible standard in artful storytelling and drama based on Chinese folklore. On that note and despite its successes as a standalone feature, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon remained as one of several stories recorded in the ancient work of author Wang Du Lu whose pentalogy […]

The Final Trailer Has Arrived For CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY

Lee B. Golden III

That fans still have an interest in seeing Yuen Woo-Ping’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny on IMAX is an interesting thing to bare in mind, even as The Weinstein Company is rolling back its theatrical locations in most areas around the U.S.. That said, there are still people who don’t have Netflix and probably won’t be able to partake in the fandom right away as soon as those who do, but hopefully that will change. As for the film, the reviews are in and the reactions of so far been of a mixed breed with reflections on the film’s more “Westernized” feel, due in part from its approach compared to Ang Lee’s 2000 masterpiece. Whether this fares at all with your opinions on film is entirely up to you while I look forward to catching this myself for a more informed opinion; I initially preferred this on be […]

Watch The Final Trailer For CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY

Lee B. Golden III

A final trailer has arrived for the February 26 U.S. release of Yuen Woo-Ping’s latest, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny. Michelle Yeoh leads the way with newcomer and actress Natasha Liu Bordizzo, and actors Harry Shum Jr., action star Donnie Yen and actor Jason Scott Lee with John Fusco adapting the fifth entry into the late Wang Du’lu’s classic Iron/Crane Pentalogy. You’re more likely to find it on Netflix than on IMAX this month with TWC scaling back its theatrical openings – this on top of all the obvious and noticeable differences here compared to director Ang Lee’s award-winning treatment in 2000. Nevertheless, hopefully you’ll still take something away from your experience at home with all the names attached and the action starpower on hand. The reviews are already circulating as of last week which leaves plenty of time to speculate, so check out the new trailer below […]

IMAX, TWC Scale Back IMAX Plans For CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY

Lee B. Golden III

It’s understandable by now that folks using Netflix won’t really have much of a need to go to a theater to see a film. This is essentially what discouraged America’s biggest IMAX theater chains from investing hugely with The Weinstein Company into the day-and-date IMAX and Netflix release of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny seventeen months ago prior to its initially planned release last August. The date has since been set in the U.S. for February 26, and it appears nothing has changed during that time. Alas, word from The Wrap now writes that The Weinstein Company and IMAX are pulling back on the IMAX release of the film, essentially scaling down to 12 locations, compared to Tim Miller’s newly released superhero smash, Deadpool, which will still play on 330. Hong Kong and China will see their own releases one week earlier from that of the U.S.. Yuen […]

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY Wields New Character Posters

Lee B. Golden III

With the release of the second international trailer for Yuen Woo-Ping’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny earlier this week, a fresh slate of character posters have finally been unveiled featuring our prime cast, hosting actress Michelle Yeoh, actor Donnie Yen, actress Natasha Liu and actor Harry Shum Jr. Adapted for the screen by writer John Fusco, the film engages the fifth installment of author Wang Dulu’s Iron/Crane Pentalogy which sees Yeoh back in the role of swordswoman Yu Shu Lien following her appearance in director Ang Lee’s award-winning 2000 film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Rounding out the cast are Roger Yuan, Eguenia Yuan and Jason Scott Lee. The film’s release rollout begins in China in early February with subsequent releases in Hong Kong, the U.S. and on Netflix thereafter. Check out the posters below next to a line up of previous artwork. View post on imgur.com

Swords Clash In The New International Trailer For CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY!

Lee B. Golden III

With the Ip Man 3 craze settling by next month, wuxia fans will have plenty of space to take in action legend Yuen Woo-Ping’s newest directorial bid, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny. This one clearly takes a few liberties apart from its award-winning predecessor from helmer Ang Lee, but a proper screening will tell if we’re bound for a sequel worthy of similar attention. At any rate though, we have a new trailer now circulating the airwaves and it doesn’t hold back on the fluid swordplay action we can expect to see from a glistening epic like this. The Wing Chun (1994) get the band back together once more with Yuen reuiniting with Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh for the latest adaptation of the fifth book from Wang Dulu’s Iron/Crane Pentalogy, with release dates in Hong Kong and China set for February 18 and 19 followed by a […]

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY Presents Fresh New Character Posters

Lee B. Golden III

As marketing rolls onward for director Yuen Woo-Ping’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny, we now have a slate of new international poster art making the rounds which you can view below. The film is already a priority for many fans waiting to see what comes of this latest reunion between Yuen, and cast members Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh, and for good reason as the first film is a commercially and critically acclaimed feat. Bearing that in mind, the trailers and this week’s artwork are what count the most as introductory footage and you can be the judge for yourself as to what it means for your expectations. At any rate, I say it’s still a priority for my own viewing as well among other titles in 2016 and the poster below sell it quite adequately. Check it all out album beneath featuring Yeoh and Yen, along with […]

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FIVE A DAY: Here Are Five More Titles To Look Up In 2016!

Lee B. Golden III

It’s Tuesday, and that means I have five more titles to offer as my top list of titles I’ve rounded down to as priority for 2016, and as you’re about to see, this one’s for the Donnie and Sammo fans. You can click here to view Monday’s first five, and remember that these are in no way listed in any particular order. That said, I also can’t mention action star Donnie Yen’s name just once in today’s list as he has at least three titles pending in 2016. The biggest and most long-awaited of them is director Yuen Woo-Ping’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny, which premieres in limited theaters and on Netflix in February, 15 years after Ang Lee’s award-winning first. The Chinese and U.S. (Netflix) trailers both leave their own impressions but otherwise serve appealing glimpses into a production that primarily reunites three of Hong Kong Cinema’s […]

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY Gets An International Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

The most recent Netflix trailer for director Yuen Woo-Ping’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny, drew a number of reactions mixing postive with some that were negative, if not critical in some capacity. That said, there are a few points worth throwing out regarding this new follow-up based on Wang Dulu’s Iron/Crane Pentalogy, and with respect to all the things that made Ang Lee’s 2000 predecessor, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the classic that it is today. If you’ve seen the first trailer then you might have an idea on where some of those points lie – be it some of the bad CGI and choice of song to the fact that the film is entirely in English whereas the first film is in Mandarin. It’s all worth discussing for the sake of better filmmaking, but for all intents and purposes, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny appears to […]

Michelle Yeoh Makes A Comeback In The New Trailer For CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY!

Lee B. Golden III

The wait is over and the official trailer has finally arrived for director Yuen Woo-Ping’s new movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny. I doubt that the trailer here though parallels any of the aesthetics that made the first film such an award-winning feat, particularly since it was garnered as a foreign film with plenty of deserving accolades. Nonetheless, it is rewarding to finally see this sequel come to fruition after so much hype, even if it is in English. Michelle Yeoh returns as swordswoman “Yu Shu-Lien” on a mission to protect the Green Destiny from the forces of evil. She is rejoined by fellow film familar, action star Donnie Yen as “Silent Wolf” a new entry into the sequel inspired by author Wang Du Lu’s ancient Iron/Crane Pentalogy with a script by John Fusco, and a cast that adds Jason Scott Lee, Eugenia Yuan, Roger Yuan, Harry Shum […]

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY Wields A Trailer Tease!

Lee B. Golden III

If you’re pining for more Donnie Yen action post-Ip Man 3D, you won’t have to wait very long. Director Yuen Woo-Ping’s latest directorial offering in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2: Sword Of Destiny, is on course for a theatrical and Netflix release in February and the first footage is now available in the form of a trailer teaser. Preceded by a tie-in novel next month from Weinstein Publishing, the film rejoins Yen with returning actress, martial arts star Michelle Yeoh from a script by John Fusco that centers on a band of warriors aimed at protecting the 400-year old blade, The Green Destiny. Other cast members include Harry Shum Jr., Jason Scott Lee, Roger Yuan, Eugenia Yuan and Veronica Ngo and we’ll soon learn a little more about how they all fit into the visual feats aimed at continuing the legacy awarded in director Ang Lee’s 2000 hit film. For […]