A film that works on many levels, be it action, drama, or romance, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is recommended viewing for anyone who likes their martial arts with some heart and soul.

Anchored by two tragic love stories that would make Shakespeare weep, Chow Yun-Fat as Li Mu Bai, a legendary warrior who has decided to give up his quest for revenge against the murderer of his master ,Jade Fox (Pei-Pei Cheng), to live a life of peace and prosperity with the love of his life, Li (Michelle Yeoh).

However, their plans are put on hold after Li Mu Bai's green destiny sword is stolen by Jen Yu (Zhang Ziyi), a cocky and rebellious daughter of a high ranking official who has been taught the Wudan arts by Jade Fox. The film also portrays a love story between Jen Yu and a desert bandit named Lo (Chen Chang).

Ang Lee's foray into the Wuxia martial arts genre has seen the revered director deliver his best movie yet in an impressive and varied filmography.

Filled with Chinese philosophy and tradition, whilst focusing on the themes of unattainable love and the relationship between teacher and student, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon features breath taking scenery courtesy of cinematographer Peter Pau and excellent sound effects.

Chow Yun-Fat exudes wisdom in his role as the legendary Li Mu Bai, and his chemistry with Michelle Yeoh helps make their love story that much more believable.  

Yet it is Zhang Ziyi as the deceptive pixie Jen Yu who steals the movie, the beautiful actress' background in dance (she was a member of the Beijing Dance Company) no doubt contributing to the demanding fight sequences required for her role.

Her performance has propelled her to international stardom as a new force in Asian cinema, and along with Yeoh, she has broken a long drought by portraying a strong, female character in an action film.

The fight scenes are well choreographed by Woo-Ping Yeun, who also worked on The Matrix, the film brought wire fighting to new heights on the Western stage. There is poetry in the swordplay and a delicate touch in the actors' movements as they fly from roof top to roof top whilst in battle. It is rare to see such beauty in violence, and even rarer in this day and age to see hardly any blood shed on screen.

The best fight scenes, not surprisingly, belong to Zhang Ziyi. The sword fight between her and Michelle Yeoh is a thrilling watch, while her battle against a bar full of martial arts warriors contains a keen sense of comedy throughout.