I 100% agree with you, however if you upscale it to 4k sadly there's some areas where you can catch a few strings I want to VFX those strings out in the future, the punching noises and sword fight sounds are to its own perfection, I can't mess with that, each of those fight scenes are like badass love stories told so ya, this movie is stand alone the sequel was unnecessary.
She was only 19 in the great ,, Come drink with me" ! And she was the female lead in this movie. The term ,, Legend " gets a lot of abuse, but Chen Pei Pei is apt.
For many who did not know, CHENG PEI PEI is a Shaw Brothers era superstar and screen legend of Chinese films in the 60's and 70's. She remained a formidable force in Chinese martial arts films with her greatest breakthrough, the legendary iconic sword film "COME DRINK WITH ME", which started the way for Chinese martial arts films.
Much appreciated for the acknowledgment of a well renowned Shaw Brothers legend, Come drink with me and Golden Swallow are monumental martial arts classics. Cheng Pei Pei along with the all-time great Jimmy Wang Yu and the unforgettable Lo Leih (Best known as the original Pei Mei) were just a few of the famous early pioneers of Martial film in Asia till A man by the name of Lee Jun-Fan brought to the screen a modern wonder to the audience and took not only Asia but the world by storm and forever changed the course of action entertainment.
Cheng Pei Pei in her 20s was very very very beautiful! Her smile, milky smooth skin, lovely silky hair and especially her eyes could easily attracted many men to fight over her. If the young Cheng Pei Pei and Zhang Ziyi were to stand side by side in this "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", Zhang's beauty would be no match for Cheng's beauty.
It's unique. I've never seen an action movie that is also emotionally devastating. It's an action movie that uses the action for the purposes of making your jaw drop at the elegance of it all; it's not interested in the things a regular action movie is interested in; yet it does them all, and better too.
bruh. Old school hong kong/chinese movies have unmatched choreography. The actors/actresses back then ACTUALLY trained kung fu for years (many were martial artists first and foremost). A lot of real acrobatics too. Sadly modern kung fu movies aren't anywhere near as good anymore. They rely a lot of poses and SFX.
I love the attention to detail. The Wudang move that li mu bai does at 3:48 instantly floors Jade fox. Jen, who had been studying the Wudang manual, pulls the same move at 4:42 and li mu bai knew the counter was to simply put your sword tip up so the attacker would be in danger of getting stabbed in the arm. Jen recoils, indicating she knew the move and its counter. That's two things Jade Fox doesn't know. If Jade fox is the master and jen the pupil, why is this happening? Li mu bai immediately started asking Jen who her master is since Wudang fighters didn't train women and Jade fox is clearly below her in skill.
@@seth1665 Yeah, I think it was intentionally slowed down to emphasize that what she was pulling off is something only a fighter trained in Wudan can do. The slo-mo also showed Li Mu Bai's shocked face at what Jen was doing.
@@Grimisnowhere Lol hardly. I just watch a lot of these wuxia films. I only noticed this move because it is actually recycled and is a major plot point in a later movie called "Reign of Assassins" which also stars Michelle Yeoh. The story is not as good as cthd but it's a much simpler movie about assassins fighting each other using different styles. Spoiler alert: This move was unstoppable because of a bendy sword so to counter it you have to go for the arm instead of blocking the strike.
2:33 I just love how Li Mu Bai unlocks the paralysis with these moves. He demostrates that not only he is a skillfull warrior with his entrance, but also knowledgeable of the body and secret tecniques and counter tecniques. So damn cool.
This is one of my favorite martial arts scenes. Policeman Tsai is formidable and actually lands a few hits, but Jade Fox is just downright scary and clearly the superior fighter. May and Bo are sideshows. But then Li Mu Bai appears and gives the audience a lesson in what Wudan warrior monk training is all about - stillness (as he tries to explain to Jen later). Mu Bai is still angry about Jade Fox murdering his master, and expresses it, but when the fighting starts, a stillness takes over both his demeanor and movements. Mu Bai's inner stillness contrasts with Jade Fox's inner anger and aggressive fighting. But she's got nothing he can't counter, and no answer to any of his attacks. Mu Bai is on a different level, always one step ahead, and calmly and efficiently dismantles her. Great choreography, screenwriting, and acting to show the stillness of his soul, which is the ultimate objective of monk training.
That’s one of my favorite things about this movie. Watchers can clearly see the skill differences between the fighters in each battle. Even between Jen and Dark Cloud, Jen should clearly mop the floor with him but her feelings affect her and it shows. Great stuff.
same man i watched it in cinema, people in theater didnt understand the whole flying part and it was strange and silly in a way when characters levitated
It seriously was, almost sam raimi esc 😂 I used to watch this movie a shit ton when I was a kid, this and iron monkey, haven't seen them in years, it would be like watching it again for the first time
@@IrregularPineapples Jen didn't necessarily betray Jade Fox but she did deceive her by having Jade fox unaware of her being able to read the Wudang style manuals for advanced proficiency whereas Jade Fox could not. Jade fox was illiterate and only study the illustrations.
1:44 who else loves that diving roll the guy did over his halberd buddy? so graceful, he's back into the fight immediately then does his double spin, it looks so cool!
And Jade Fox didn't even need to take out her sword. She just fought them with the cane! Even having mastered the curved blade he still wasn't good enough to defeat her.
well the scroll that jade fox li mu bai probably knows the whole scroll. he got the real training from teh wudan master they talked about. so he got the hands on traiing and the scroll knowledge that would of course means hes more skilled than jade fox.
Michelle Udon’s character Xiu Lian could certainly beat Jade Fox, she might not be as good as Li, but definitely stronger than the rest shown in the movie.
I just noticed that the first time jade fox draws her sword is vs Li mu bai. That means those 3 clowns were so beneath her level, she was about to kill them all without even the need to draw her sword. Wow.
The lady who played Jade Fox has incredible acting skills that switching back and forth between her and the stunt person made it so seemless. She's so underrated.
I always thought Li Mu Bai was the stand out character here. Chow Yun-fat had to have trained intensely for his role, his swordplay was almost mesmerizing. The speed, the fluidity, the grace in every move. Even his awareness of the knife blade in Jade Fox's shoe and her hidden drawing of her sword showed he was always at least one step ahead of her no matter what she did. That smile on his face at 3:20 was a perfect touch that showed his disdain for her. She should have known at that point that she was going to lose, but even then her arrogance almost did her in.
It's very Asian in its support for the established institutions. The desperation and inferiority of the rebels, the calm self-assuredness of the rightful elites. An American movie would have made the underdogs sympathetic, the privileged arrogant.
chow yun fat never had a background in martial arts yet he looks like a master. This is great acting and dedication. You totally believe in that idea that he's a legendary martial artist and swordsman
What a movie this was. I remember watching it with nearly my entire family on day 1 when it came to the theaters in LA. RIP Cheng Pei-pei, truly an amazing actress.
I remember watching this movie at least three times in theaters when it first came out. Loved the music, acting, choreography, cinematography, everything....
I love how the choreography matches her name with her fighting style (i know thats not uncommon in martial arts movies) shes cunning and sneaky and its so cool to watch
@@rotyler2177 confidence isn't always a good thing then, or it's just "succeed or die trying" type of mentality not unheard of in revenge business. Also I believe swordplay is very difficult, takes years to master, especially in those Wu Xia settings where only those from prestigious Houses or factions could either afford lessons or have the opportunity to learn from a proper Master. The guys was a detective/bounty hunter which means he has neither, even less can be passed down to his daughter who probably only focused on "tricks" rather than training.
At this stage, when Jade Fox looked at Jen, we thought her expression was concerning for Jen's safety. Only by the end of the movie did we realize that her expression was anger. Because she saw how Jen can use the real technique from the secret book. And realized she has been deceived for 10 year by this young snake lady
No such thing in real life, I studied acupuncture, these points are based on acupuncture points, it takes 5-10 minutes until any effect takes place. It's just for the movies and from the legends grew out of folk tales about masters.
Ang Lee is a director ahead of his time, this movie is a masterpiece and he also showed that he can make women badass without forcing them! Here it was shown that the audience does not hate women in movies but bad scripts
thank you Ang Lee and Yuen Woo Ping and these elegant Chinese actors/actresses - the whole team that made this movie, actually... what a great experience... timeless.
I know it wasn't meant to be, but that screaming charge into battle at 0:43 makes me laugh SO hard every time. The daughter's war cry is absolutely hysterical 😂😂😂
I miss these beautiful kungfu choreo so much. It's so aesthetically beautiful and also impossible for those Hollywood blockbusters to catch up. The Wuxia culture is just immaculate.
still one of my favourite fighting scenes of all times. the building up music, the crows/ravens, Jade Fox realisation her student is million times better than her... and the choreography ofc!
I love that you can tell Li is impressed by the thief. Since he knows Jade Fox doesn’t know these proper techniques. At all. She can’t even read so he could she have? But this thief, while clearly green, might be able to learn what Li wishes to pass down.
LOL, its been years since I've watched the movie in full so I don't remember the context but that was hilarious. I thought it was his ponytail that got caught on something at first.
@@bardgold4553 Yeah, that was Master Bo, the servant for Inspector Tsai. Bo is a bumbler for sure. I think comic relief has its place but I think he undermined the suspense of that scene. Your fear for Tsai and his daughter was undermined by the goofy antics
I still don't understand how he didn't see it coming. My only guess is that Jade Fox threw it at a supersonic speed compared to him and he couldn't react.
She caught his blade but faked a fatal injury. Guy probably let his guard down for a split second, and that meant death. From movie making side, editing that gives the blade less travel probably works a little better.
@@che9218 Yeah, Tsai had shown himself to be competent enough to contend with Jade Fox, including with her speed at close quarters. He had ample opportunity to dodge, was facing it so he could have seen it, and was not distracted by fighting at that point or having any foe near him.
Everybody gangster until Li Mu Bai floats through a bamboo forest at night to put the smack down. This is imo the best kung fu movie ever. It's perfect.
@@sliceserve234 It's most likely coated in a poison powder. Notice how Li Mu Bai knocks away the head of the cane but also slaps away the ribbon with his sleeve. He knows better than to go near it and is slapping the powder away from his face. It is most likely some super deadly toxin in a fine powder form. The ribbon creates a cloud of deadly dust behind them and anyone foolish enough to follow would be killed instantly.
5:29 see the witch isn’t good at “Chinese gravity “ so she needs to use this so that she can “fly”. This movies so messed up once you forget about the fighting and study what’s going on. The dudes master was sleeping with her and not teaching her. Treated her less-than. Very interesting premise! Top 10 movie of our time.
The ribbon that shot out is a hidden weapon. You may have noticed the white powder swirling around the ribbon; that is poison. So Li Mubai quickly used his sleeve to block the ribbon to prevent being poisoned.
I like that this clip has the more accurate translation for Jen's line "just playing around," in the older version the subtitles translated it as "piece of cake," which never really worked for me in this context.
Yeah, trying to translate idiomatic expressions can be very tough. It would be interesting to ask a Mandarin speaker exactly what she said, and explain in detail both the literal and implied meaning in that context. Clearly she was trying to evade his question and act like what she had done was easy for her. But was she really saying she was playing around for her own amusement?
Also interesting that in the old version Lee Mu Bai's subtitle said "for you to die under Wudang's sword today is no disgrace" whereas here he just says she will die. That is a big difference. The first one is almost a way to reach out to and comfort her, to say that while your quest to reach your potential via theft and betrayal will fail, you will at least not be shamed by your death. All that's gone in this new one. I wonder which was more accurate.
4:45 That's a man, Maury! 5:27 The spinning ribbon always makes me giggle. Nobody else needs ribbons to fly in the film, but Jen has to have Fox use it because they're holding onto each other and well, they need the extra leverage.
that ribben is inner part of Fox's secret weapon, she doesn't want to throw away, doing that spining it better than draging over a wall when jumping over it,
The version I saw, the subtitles said "how many jade foxes are there?" and I always thought that was such a hilarious observation given the serious fighting going on
When I watched this in 2001, I had no idea that Cheng Pei Pei was a martial film actress during her younger years. I am so happy she took on this role and did some of the fight scenes even if she was already in her 50's.
lol😂 he hesitates you know, just like in traffic. He thought maybe she got some magic up her sleeve and it's dark. But yeah i would immediately just throw myself(duck) on the ground while protecting my head, reflex ya know.. The only reason he caught that on his head... There was a magnet on his forehead, unfortunately.
Fr though lol its his weapon too, you'd expect him to know how to avoid it, like a quick dodge or catch, maybe even hit it with the other one that was still in his hand. Lol
I've always wondered about the operation as a whole. Tsai must have been one hell of a detective and a force to be reckoned with. His superiors allowed him to track Fox alone with no back up in the city. We understand there's a revenge component but Jade Fox was a known killer and apparently extremely hard to track. Other warriors of Wudan besides Li had to be after Fox since she killed one of the leading masters but they apparently failed for years. Tsai on the other hand, tracked her alone with his daughter in tow. Li never would have discovered Fox if Tsai hadn't made the connections during Jen's theft. I wonder if Tsai would have fared better if his daughter and Bo hadn't been in the fight?
Perhaps. His credibility as a fighter is greatly undermined by his death though. He had ample opportunity to see that blade coming and dodge it but took it right in the face
After 2 decades no one has even come close to this Masterpiece and the beautiful fight scenes, now is only "heroes" with ugly costumes and a ton of effects that are not even innovative. Nothing like true talent!!!
![Neo vs Smith Clones [Part 1] | The Matrix Reloaded [Open Matte]](/img/1.gif)
Twenty years later and this movie is still great to watch.
I 100% agree with you, however if you upscale it to 4k sadly there's some areas where you can catch a few strings I want to VFX those strings out in the future, the punching noises and sword fight sounds are to its own perfection, I can't mess with that, each of those fight scenes are like badass love stories told so ya, this movie is stand alone the sequel was unnecessary.
I think it's one the greatest movie of all time
@@corrollasful There are no strings.
Damn, I remember it being better back then. :/ I kinda didn’t like it this time around.
@@peterfuentes5893 agreed it definitely hasn't aged well
The lady that plays Jade fox was 55 here, amazing, she needs more recognition.
Cheng Pei Pei, a legend in Chinese martial arts cinema.
LOVE Cheng Pei Pei!
She was only 19 in the great ,, Come drink with me" ! And she was the female lead in this movie. The term ,, Legend " gets a lot of abuse, but Chen Pei Pei is apt.
She also played the matchmaker in Mulan
no she doesnt
For many who did not know, CHENG PEI PEI is a Shaw Brothers era superstar and screen legend of Chinese films in the 60's and 70's. She remained a formidable force in Chinese martial arts films with her greatest breakthrough, the legendary iconic sword film "COME DRINK WITH ME", which started the way for Chinese martial arts films.
Come Drink with Me is directly referenced later in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, AND in Kill Bill Vol. 1.
Much appreciated for the acknowledgment of a well renowned Shaw Brothers legend, Come drink with me and Golden Swallow are monumental martial arts classics. Cheng Pei Pei along with the all-time great Jimmy Wang Yu and the unforgettable Lo Leih (Best known as the original Pei Mei) were just a few of the famous early pioneers of Martial film in Asia till A man by the name of Lee Jun-Fan brought to the screen a modern wonder to the audience and took not only Asia but the world by storm and forever changed the course of action entertainment.
She wasn't bad in flirting scholar either
Thanks for that info...i watched these types of movies in the 80s and early 90s...
Cheng Pei Pei in her 20s was very very very beautiful! Her smile, milky smooth skin, lovely silky hair and especially her eyes could easily attracted many men to fight over her. If the young Cheng Pei Pei and Zhang Ziyi were to stand side by side in this "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", Zhang's beauty would be no match for Cheng's beauty.
This movie is over 20 years old and the fight sequences are unmatched.
It's unique. I've never seen an action movie that is also emotionally devastating. It's an action movie that uses the action for the purposes of making your jaw drop at the elegance of it all; it's not interested in the things a regular action movie is interested in; yet it does them all, and better too.
If you only watch American films, then yeh.
The fights scenes are brilliant, but unmatched? No. The Raid movies easily have better choreographed fight scenes.
bruh. Old school hong kong/chinese movies have unmatched choreography. The actors/actresses back then ACTUALLY trained kung fu for years (many were martial artists first and foremost). A lot of real acrobatics too.
Sadly modern kung fu movies aren't anywhere near as good anymore. They rely a lot of poses and SFX.
@@jkingsley3656 modern HK cinema is a travesty.
I love the attention to detail. The Wudang move that li mu bai does at 3:48 instantly floors Jade fox. Jen, who had been studying the Wudang manual, pulls the same move at 4:42 and li mu bai knew the counter was to simply put your sword tip up so the attacker would be in danger of getting stabbed in the arm. Jen recoils, indicating she knew the move and its counter. That's two things Jade Fox doesn't know. If Jade fox is the master and jen the pupil, why is this happening? Li mu bai immediately started asking Jen who her master is since Wudang fighters didn't train women and Jade fox is clearly below her in skill.
nice. i didn't catch that. her move was just slowed down.
@@seth1665 Yeah, I think it was intentionally slowed down to emphasize that what she was pulling off is something only a fighter trained in Wudan can do. The slo-mo also showed Li Mu Bai's shocked face at what Jen was doing.
I never knew it was the same move. 👍
I would have never gotten that, are you a martial arts master? thats some attention to details
@@Grimisnowhere Lol hardly. I just watch a lot of these wuxia films. I only noticed this move because it is actually recycled and is a major plot point in a later movie called "Reign of Assassins" which also stars Michelle Yeoh. The story is not as good as cthd but it's a much simpler movie about assassins fighting each other using different styles.
Spoiler alert: This move was unstoppable because of a bendy sword so to counter it you have to go for the arm instead of blocking the strike.
2:33 I just love how Li Mu Bai unlocks the paralysis with these moves. He demostrates that not only he is a skillfull warrior with his entrance, but also knowledgeable of the body and secret tecniques and counter tecniques. So damn cool.
lets hope so
I remember seeing that for the first time in theaters. That was SO cool. I don’t think anyone ever saw that in film before.
@@adcan1371 Its actually very common in early Chinese wuxia movies.
I swear the dude with the halberd was an ABSOLUTE liability through that whole fight 😆 🤣
...with no self awareness. 😅
COme on, he is doing his best okay ?
Lmaooooo bruh on everything
Should’ve just stayed on the leash😂
Guan Dao, but yes.
This is one of my favorite martial arts scenes. Policeman Tsai is formidable and actually lands a few hits, but Jade Fox is just downright scary and clearly the superior fighter. May and Bo are sideshows.
But then Li Mu Bai appears and gives the audience a lesson in what Wudan warrior monk training is all about - stillness (as he tries to explain to Jen later). Mu Bai is still angry about Jade Fox murdering his master, and expresses it, but when the fighting starts, a stillness takes over both his demeanor and movements. Mu Bai's inner stillness contrasts with Jade Fox's inner anger and aggressive fighting. But she's got nothing he can't counter, and no answer to any of his attacks. Mu Bai is on a different level, always one step ahead, and calmly and efficiently dismantles her. Great choreography, screenwriting, and acting to show the stillness of his soul, which is the ultimate objective of monk training.
That’s one of my favorite things about this movie. Watchers can clearly see the skill differences between the fighters in each battle. Even between Jen and Dark Cloud, Jen should clearly mop the floor with him but her feelings affect her and it shows. Great stuff.
She's got nothing for him because in stillness he sees her every move. Jade starts panting in frustration. LMB effortlessly throws her down.
I agree. A good fight scene is about motives and reveals what kind of characters people are.
This scene still gives me chills. I can still remember watching this film in the theater in awe.
Lol chills?
@@jd2161 that's right baby.
Same here. On another note. The first trailer for Peter Jackson’s LOTR Fellowship of the Ring previewed before this movie.
@@jd2161it’s called frisson
same man i watched it in cinema, people in theater didnt understand the whole flying part and it was strange and silly in a way when characters levitated
Rest in Peace 💐 Cheng Pei Pei
一代俠女 鄭佩佩 一路走好
Jade fox catching the dart and throwing it back at the daughter is such a badass sequence!
It seriously was, almost sam raimi esc 😂 I used to watch this movie a shit ton when I was a kid, this and iron monkey, haven't seen them in years, it would be like watching it again for the first time
Cheng pei pei deserved an award. That moment when she knew her student had betrayed and surpassed her
In case you haven't known, she won best supporting actress for her role in the Hong Kong film awards.
That was heartbreaking...to know someone u loved dearly, would betray your trust...
how did she betray?
@@IrregularPineapples
Jen didn't necessarily betray Jade Fox but she did deceive her by having Jade fox unaware of her being able to read the Wudang style manuals for advanced proficiency whereas Jade Fox could not. Jade fox was illiterate and only study the illustrations.
@@AManOfFocusCommitmentSheerWill i see thanks for explanation
1:44
who else loves that diving roll the guy did over his halberd buddy?
so graceful, he's back into the fight immediately then does his double spin, it looks so cool!
And Jade Fox didn't even need to take out her sword. She just fought them with the cane! Even having mastered the curved blade he still wasn't good enough to defeat her.
Everyone is gangsta until Li Mu Bai flies into the fight...
Everyone is gangsta until Li Mu Bai pick up a stick
Li Mui Bai is like the GM with the ban hammer
Forreals. Reminds me of Wong Fei Hung
I love how he shows up and is like "you don't know shit" and tosses her. LOL
@@magetaaaaaaindeed
I love the way Jade Fox shouts during battle. She's the most badass old woman warrior in the history of cinema.
I think the landlady roaring lion would agree to disagree
@@thunderenriquez255But… “I thought the Lion’s Roar was a myth!”
Li Mu Bai really demonstrated prowess in his fighting skill. His moves are so effortless that his doesn't breathe as hard as Jade Fox.
well the scroll that jade fox li mu bai probably knows the whole scroll. he got the real training from teh wudan master they talked about. so he got the hands on traiing and the scroll knowledge that would of course means hes more skilled than jade fox.
@@joeswanson733 he was also the greatest master the school ever produced wasn’t he??
@@mookiestewart3776 that too
Jade struggles and pants because her mind is full of hate, rage, fear. Undisciplined. LMB is not laboring with such hindrances.
Seeing Jade Fox realize at 5:06 that her "apprentice" is actually stronger than her is a pretty cool moment.
And hearing him say "Who is your master" cut deep.
Thank you, Scene City, for the perfectly timed popup that covers the subtitles!
Chow Yun Fat is the best. Puts so much charm into everything he does.
The actress, Cheng Pei-Pei (and her character Jade Fox) is a total badass. Would love to see her and Michelle Yeoh duel in this movie.
Just realized she was the matchmaker in the live action Mulan movie
Michelle Udon’s character Xiu Lian could certainly beat Jade Fox, she might not be as good as Li, but definitely stronger than the rest shown in the movie.
@@imtheconstitution1190 Man really called her Michelle Udon 😭😭
The way she put dude on pause was nasty
@@imtheconstitution1190
Michelle can beat Jen, Jen is superior than Jade Fox. So Michelle can beat Jade Fox no sweat
I just noticed that the first time jade fox draws her sword is vs Li mu bai. That means those 3 clowns were so beneath her level, she was about to kill them all without even the need to draw her sword. Wow.
Great observation!
Facts
Yeah, once Li attacked, she threw all her hidden tricks at him.
its like in all sword play movies. when you're not a threat. sword sheathed.
when you're a threat. sword deployed.
Not to mention, that quarterstaff of hers is one handy little multi-tool.
The lady who played Jade Fox has incredible acting skills that switching back and forth between her and the stunt person made it so seemless. She's so underrated.
Her name is Cheng Pei Pei, a veteran actress since 16 years old and has acted in several Wu Xia movies since the 70s.
I think she did fight in this movie as far as I know.
Martials Arts movies don't get any better than this. Great story, acting, music, effects, and absolutely brilliant choreography.
The athleticism of Jade Fox actress is incredible but the acting is also top knotch, all her facial expression sseem totally believable
I always thought Li Mu Bai was the stand out character here. Chow Yun-fat had to have trained intensely for his role, his swordplay was almost mesmerizing. The speed, the fluidity, the grace in every move. Even his awareness of the knife blade in Jade Fox's shoe and her hidden drawing of her sword showed he was always at least one step ahead of her no matter what she did. That smile on his face at 3:20 was a perfect touch that showed his disdain for her. She should have known at that point that she was going to lose, but even then her arrogance almost did her in.
Chow and Yoeh did not even speak proper Mandarin at the time, but the perfectionist director Li An moulded and carved the actors into the characters.
It's very Asian in its support for the established institutions. The desperation and inferiority of the rebels, the calm self-assuredness of the rightful elites. An American movie would have made the underdogs sympathetic, the privileged arrogant.
@@IrishCarney At the same time the movie does show how the institution led to tragedy for three women.
@@commenter4898 Men died left and right and it was a tragedy for three women?
@@lickalotlickalot2210 Only one of those died men can be considered a protagonist
chow yun fat never had a background in martial arts yet he looks like a master. This is great acting and dedication. You totally believe in that idea that he's a legendary martial artist and swordsman
This movie is a perfect example of film as art.
It's in my top 10 movies of all time. Never got tired of watching it
Yes, fully encapsulated in the 'Through the bamboo forest scene'.
That exit was definitely extra LOL i love it
Somebody needs to do a "Helicopter Helicopter!" meme
*Who's here on 2024? RIP CHENG PEI PEI (JADE FOX)*
What a movie this was. I remember watching it with nearly my entire family on day 1 when it came to the theaters in LA. RIP Cheng Pei-pei, truly an amazing actress.
She died? 😮
This movie has the best choreography in history and no one is going to convince me otherwise.
RIP, Cheng Pei-pei.❤One of the best villian intros ever!
I remember watching this movie at least three times in theaters when it first came out. Loved the music, acting, choreography, cinematography, everything....
4:40 I love the sequence here, he simultaneously defends her attack effortlessly and exposes her identity.
I love how the choreography matches her name with her fighting style (i know thats not uncommon in martial arts movies) shes cunning and sneaky and its so cool to watch
She probably got the name after she became known for that fighting style. It's a style name, which are not given by parents.
She could not read the manual so she fills in the gaps with trickery and ninja skills. Very cool.
That poor girl. Jade Fox killed her mother and father and she lacked the skills to avenge them.
Was reckless of her father to bring her along. Plus, what also baffled me is she was sword less.
@@rotyler2177 confidence isn't always a good thing then, or it's just "succeed or die trying" type of mentality not unheard of in revenge business.
Also I believe swordplay is very difficult, takes years to master, especially in those Wu Xia settings where only those from prestigious Houses or factions could either afford lessons or have the opportunity to learn from a proper Master. The guys was a detective/bounty hunter which means he has neither, even less can be passed down to his daughter who probably only focused on "tricks" rather than training.
@@che9218yes that makes sense, May was mostly playing the long range game with the blowgun
At this stage, when Jade Fox looked at Jen, we thought her expression was concerning for Jen's safety. Only by the end of the movie did we realize that her expression was anger. Because she saw how Jen can use the real technique from the secret book. And realized she has been deceived for 10 year by this young snake lady
As an adult now I realize Jade Fox was the only victim in all this. Everyone kept scamming and betraying her for martial arts lessons 😢😢😢
I always loved the pressure point paralysis move 😂
they used it on girls and have their ways...lol
I could see it coming. It's my favorite move when I fight.
No such thing in real life, I studied acupuncture, these points are based on acupuncture points, it takes 5-10 minutes until any effect takes place. It's just for the movies and from the legends grew out of folk tales about masters.
@@tibork3845 of course it’s not real
F'd his meridians up good
Ang Lee is a director ahead of his time, this movie is a masterpiece and he also showed that he can make women badass without forcing them! Here it was shown that the audience does not hate women in movies but bad scripts
0:30 RIGHT over the subtitles?!
And no captions...
thank you Ang Lee and Yuen Woo Ping and these elegant Chinese actors/actresses - the whole team that made this movie, actually... what a great experience... timeless.
I know it wasn't meant to be, but that screaming charge into battle at 0:43 makes me laugh SO hard every time. The daughter's war cry is absolutely hysterical 😂😂😂
For some reason bring to mind that Leeroy Jenkins moment in warcraft, LMAO
😂😂😂😂😂 you are crazy 😂😂
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! LOL
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Cheng Pei-pei, an iconic actress whose talent and charisma left an indelible mark on the film industry.
I miss these beautiful kungfu choreo so much. It's so aesthetically beautiful and also impossible for those Hollywood blockbusters to catch up. The Wuxia culture is just immaculate.
2:14 I like how the dad just stands there while she redirect the dart lol
this movie is/was ahead of its time.. so epic
It completely changed how action sequences were done.
Not ahead of it's time, it's the best traits of decades of martial arts films.
A well-earned Academy Award. Doubles were not used as the actors and actresses performed their own fighting.
The performed most of them, but Zhang Ziyi had a double if you look carefully ^^
@@jojoaugustus1383 4:45 There's the male double. The actors didn't do some of the acrobatics, but I believe all of the standing fighting is theirs.
@@AtenRa wow well spotted
still one of my favourite fighting scenes of all times. the building up music, the crows/ravens, Jade Fox realisation her student is million times better than her... and the choreography ofc!
this scene is incredible, i didn't remember this movie well because it's been so long i saw it, made me want to watch it again
yup
the part when she made dude freeze in place lmao
I love that you can tell Li is impressed by the thief. Since he knows Jade Fox doesn’t know these proper techniques. At all. She can’t even read so he could she have? But this thief, while clearly green, might be able to learn what Li wishes to pass down.
I see why that guy with the Guan Dao was tied down. He was more hindrance than help. 😆
LOL, its been years since I've watched the movie in full so I don't remember the context but that was hilarious. I thought it was his ponytail that got caught on something at first.
@@bardgold4553 Yeah, that was Master Bo, the servant for Inspector Tsai. Bo is a bumbler for sure. I think comic relief has its place but I think he undermined the suspense of that scene. Your fear for Tsai and his daughter was undermined by the goofy antics
What sucks about this scene is that at the end the girl loses both her mom and her father to the same killer😭😭🫂🫂
5:13 rewatching this part, my man lowkey walked right into that
I still don't understand how he didn't see it coming. My only guess is that Jade Fox threw it at a supersonic speed compared to him and he couldn't react.
@@brianmerritt5410 Or maybe he was getting tired from the fight and his reaction speed decreased. Then again, I could be wrong.
She caught his blade but faked a fatal injury. Guy probably let his guard down for a split second, and that meant death.
From movie making side, editing that gives the blade less travel probably works a little better.
@@che9218 Yeah, Tsai had shown himself to be competent enough to contend with Jade Fox, including with her speed at close quarters. He had ample opportunity to dodge, was facing it so he could have seen it, and was not distracted by fighting at that point or having any foe near him.
it was coming to fast
That exit was so damn cool. With the scream/cry and the twirling "rope" ugh so cool
3:33 All these years later I just realized where that foot blade was really headed. Jade Fox is savage.
Lol I love how he just reads it and stomps it out like its nothing.
Everybody gangster until Li Mu Bai floats through a bamboo forest at night to put the smack down. This is imo the best kung fu movie ever. It's perfect.
Certainly one of the best movie of all time.
The escape part of the fight always causes me to laugh no matter how many times I watch it. Using that ribbon as a helicopter is really entertaining.
Somebody should do a "Helicopter Helicopter meme"
I thought it was more a defensive move to cover their retreat
@@sliceserve234 It's most likely coated in a poison powder. Notice how Li Mu Bai knocks away the head of the cane but also slaps away the ribbon with his sleeve. He knows better than to go near it and is slapping the powder away from his face. It is most likely some super deadly toxin in a fine powder form. The ribbon creates a cloud of deadly dust behind them and anyone foolish enough to follow would be killed instantly.
@@sliceserve234 to blind li mu bye
The ribbon maybe laced with poison and whoever followed them may get tangled and hurt
3:40 The way he moves the sword while advancing is pretty sick
i mean that's what he calls it the 玄牝 Xuan Piu move, which is literally "the mystery pussy swordsmanship", so you can see the sword as serpent
Like a snake
This is the movie I saw the most times in theater. I think I saw it 8 times in theater when it came out. Such a beautiful film!
this movie had the best martial arts fights, they are really long and very well choreographed! peek wire work with no CGI
There were times I disliked the wirework. Amazing jumps and flips are great, but I don't like it when they just float with no real pushoff.
Easily the greatest martial arts film in history! direction, choreography, talent, sound, All departments are flying!!!
3:24 is still the one of the cleanest moves in the entire movie.
She was 50+ in this movie , so iconic , she truly up the standard in female martial art movies and none ever came close to, may you rest in peace.
5:29 see the witch isn’t good at “Chinese gravity “ so she needs to use this so that she can “fly”.
This movies so messed up once you forget about the fighting and study what’s going on. The dudes master was sleeping with her and not teaching her. Treated her less-than.
Very interesting premise!
Top 10 movie of our time.
The ribbon that shot out is a hidden weapon. You may have noticed the white powder swirling around the ribbon; that is poison. So Li Mubai quickly used his sleeve to block the ribbon to prevent being poisoned.
I like that this clip has the more accurate translation for Jen's line "just playing around," in the older version the subtitles translated it as "piece of cake," which never really worked for me in this context.
Yeah, trying to translate idiomatic expressions can be very tough. It would be interesting to ask a Mandarin speaker exactly what she said, and explain in detail both the literal and implied meaning in that context. Clearly she was trying to evade his question and act like what she had done was easy for her. But was she really saying she was playing around for her own amusement?
Also interesting that in the old version Lee Mu Bai's subtitle said "for you to die under Wudang's sword today is no disgrace" whereas here he just says she will die. That is a big difference. The first one is almost a way to reach out to and comfort her, to say that while your quest to reach your potential via theft and betrayal will fail, you will at least not be shamed by your death. All that's gone in this new one. I wonder which was more accurate.
1:49 The rhythm of that dialogue works so well there with the fight choreography for some reason.
Subtitles gave up and said "Y'all make up y'all own damn dialogue!"
passing of a legend, the incomparable cheng peipei
It's the unofficial version of Revenge of the Sith. Old Woman: Emperor. Young Girl: Anakin. The rest are the Jedi. Tell me I'm wrong.
this movie came out 20 years earlier or so.
Li mu bai is Obi-Wan
Young girl know new trick that old woman dont. Li mubai try harder to pull the young from dark side, but failed.😅
When there are no good Chinese films for CNY, there's always Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon :)
I know the later sword fight is unbelievable but this scene is underrated.
Very underrated
Masterful. The greatest martial arts movie ever made.
No. That would be Kung Fu Hustle.
Not even close.
@@Aethgeir Surf Ninjas?
House of Flying Daggers has this beat for sure but this is great.
@@dwaynesbadchemicals Kung Fu Hustle is the greatest kung fu comedy movie no doubt but far from the greatest martial arts movie.
5:15 “Let’s see if I can catch my own blade with my head”
5:18 “Yes, I did it”
4:45 That's a man, Maury!
5:27 The spinning ribbon always makes me giggle. Nobody else needs ribbons to fly in the film, but Jen has to have Fox use it because they're holding onto each other and well, they need the extra leverage.
that ribben is inner part of Fox's secret weapon, she doesn't want to throw away, doing that spining it better than draging over a wall when jumping over it,
The version I saw, the subtitles said "how many jade foxes are there?" and I always thought that was such a hilarious observation given the serious fighting going on
I love the spinning cloak move and the no look stab through the back.
3:47 play time is over. Love that part... Jade should feel some honour knowing a master will take her life.
Holy shit, this is still choreographed better than most fights in film today D:
5:11
That catch and throw was top notch
Props to the sound engineers too
When I watched this in 2001, I had no idea that Cheng Pei Pei was a martial film actress during her younger years. I am so happy she took on this role and did some of the fight scenes even if she was already in her 50's.
I loved Jade Fox. My favorite character.
Mine too!😊
Rip. Cheng pei pei. You will always stay as jade fox in my mind
One of the most awesome movies of all time
04:14 "Now there are two of them!" where have we heard that before? lol
5:15 I do not know kung-fu, but I swear could dodge that...that speed....
no you cannot.
lol😂
he hesitates you know, just like in traffic.
He thought maybe she got some magic up her sleeve and it's dark.
But yeah i would immediately just throw myself(duck) on the ground while protecting my head, reflex ya know..
The only reason he caught that on his head...
There was a magnet on his forehead, unfortunately.
Fr though lol its his weapon too, you'd expect him to know how to avoid it, like a quick dodge or catch, maybe even hit it with the other one that was still in his hand. Lol
@@FuTienyueh I know, sometimes you are driving slow but the cat is just staring at you, not moving..
not in low light darkness
I absolutely loved this movie as a kid… me & my dad watched it so many times 😁
Spectacular movie starring some of the most amazing old school Shaw Bros stars from their golden years.
didn't watch this movie as a kid but all i heard was good things, then finally got to it during covid & lord jesus... i fell in love
RIP to Jade Fox - Cheng Pei Pei. July 17, 2024
Such a beautiful movie from the language, settings, choreography, and cinematography!!
This movie is just still so good to watch!!!
Daym!! The choreography is insane!! 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
1:50 this scene always cracked me up.
such a bad ass scene, love she blocks the killing blow and makes her appearance... also the sound is just amazing.
RIP Cheng Pei Pei ⚰️🪦💐
I love how resourceful Jade Fox is. She might not have learned everything but she was very creative in her fighting.
I love the detective character. He can't fight to save his life, but he's an excellent detective.
That Scene City logo always comes out in the most inconvenient of time even for a split seconds
I've always wondered about the operation as a whole. Tsai must have been one hell of a detective and a force to be reckoned with. His superiors allowed him to track Fox alone with no back up in the city. We understand there's a revenge component but Jade Fox was a known killer and apparently extremely hard to track. Other warriors of Wudan besides Li had to be after Fox since she killed one of the leading masters but they apparently failed for years. Tsai on the other hand, tracked her alone with his daughter in tow. Li never would have discovered Fox if Tsai hadn't made the connections during Jen's theft. I wonder if Tsai would have fared better if his daughter and Bo hadn't been in the fight?
Perhaps. His credibility as a fighter is greatly undermined by his death though. He had ample opportunity to see that blade coming and dodge it but took it right in the face
@@IrishCarney He was fixated on his daughter's safety. Another reason they shouldn't have tried to assist.
After 2 decades no one has even come close to this Masterpiece and the beautiful fight scenes, now is only "heroes" with ugly costumes and a ton of effects that are not even innovative. Nothing like true talent!!!
This is an anime levell fight in terms of choreography. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I genuinely believe this fight was that good.