I hate martial arts movies. I love ballet and dance. And as I enjoyed this movie, I kept wondering if the Fort Worth Dallas performance of the Nutcracker Suite that I would be seeing the next night would be half as beautifully choreographed. (It was.)

I always think of Kung Fu-type movies as male-macho movies. But this one has all the emotion and passion I love in a film, plus breathtaking photography in wonderful historic settings. This is truly a movie that everyone will enjoy.

Traversing the spectacular, diverse landscapes of mainland China—the majestic Gobi desert, the southern Bamboo Forest, the elegant metropolis of Beijing—award-winning director Ang Lee's inspired and nostalgic vision of imperial China celebrates the glorious days of the bygone Qing dynasty. Adapted from an early twentieth century novel by Wang Du Lu, Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon rewrites the martial arts film by skillfully balancing the worlds of the epic romance and the classic "wuxia" (heroic warrior story) genre.

Asian superstar Chow Yun-Fat stars as Li Mu Bai, a powerful and skilled martial artist who opts to retire after years of obeying the Giang Hu warrior life. Li entrusts his 400-year-old sword, the legendary Green Destiny, to his longtime friend and sequestered love, Yu Shu Lien (played by the celebrated Hong Kong actress Michelle Yeoh). Shu Lien reluctantly agrees to deliver the worthy blade to her father's friend in Beijing, Sir Te (Lung Sihung).

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But Li's hope for a simple, meditative life cannot be reconciled with the irresistible urge to avenge the death of his late Master, poisoned by the notorious female assassin, Jade Fox (Cheng Pei-pei). When the magical jade sword is stolen in the night by a masked thief, an extensive police investigation ensues. The search digs up several suspects, including a stubborn young politician's daughter and her sinister governess. Shu Lien has her own suspicions about the identity of the bandit, and her enterprising spirit brings her face-to-face with the assassin's accomplice. Meanwhile, Li learns the true identity of his late master's killer.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon features breathtaking action and spectacular stunt sequences choreographed like an elaborate ballet by Yuen Wo-Ping (The Matrix) with an exceptional musical score that features cello solos performed by the great Yo-Yo Ma. In spite of the film's epic scale, it observes modest Taoist themes about righting wrongs and discovering internal strength. Chow (The Replacement Killers, Anna and the King) demonstrates, once again, that he is a star of the first magnitude, while Ang Lee again proves that he is one of the world's most versatile directors.

About the author, Madelyn Miller: Madelyn Miller is a member of the Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics Association. She adores art house and foreign films and seems drawn to anything with a travel theme. She never met a film festival she did not like. Although she travels as executive editor of www.travellady.com about half the time, when home in Dallas you will often find her in movie theatres. Her film video collection is gradually replacing her cookbook library. Her favorite popcorn is heavily buttered; straight from a popcorn machine in a movie theatre. Chocolate inspires her to write better reviews. Website: http://www.travellady.com

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