Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

The setting is China at some time in the distant past. The story revolves around the struggle for possession of an ancient sword, but the most engaging dramatic elements arise from the relationships between the warrior characters. The film never completely frees itself from the artificiality of its genre’s routines, but director Ang Lee and company have still succeeded in generating a genuine sense of enchantment, and the overall effect of the action scenes and the special effects alike is unusually satisfying.