Dietrich

I ended up seeing this tripe at its "premiere" a couple months ago. I wasn't expecting a whole lot judging from director Sparks' previous film-making attempt. I was smart to go in with lowered expectations, but I had no idea this movie was going to be garbage. I am still trying to figure out as to why this movie is being sold as a horror film. There is actually nothing scary at all in the movie. Nothing. I honestly think the entire thing was put together by a bunch of monkeys. The characters have nothing to do, the acting is horrid, and the directing is bottle of the barrel. What you wont expect is just how much nudity is in this movie. Or that there is a graphic masturbation scene that feels so goddamn out of place. You cant help but think... where the hell did that come from??? It doesn't deliver in the horror front. It doesn't deliver in the porno front. 'Blood' is a failure from beginning to end. Do not waste your time or money on this thing. Im serious. Its that bad.

Simply put, this movie is a true modern-day classic and deserves all the praise and accolades it has received. Ang Lee must be commended for taking a well-worn genre and injecting new life into it by combining the fantastical with his own expert and subtle direction. 'CTHD' isn't as crazy as some wuxia movies of the past; there are no disappearing ninjas or flat-out gymnastics taking place in the sky, but it perfectly balances the somber, contemplative tone with out-of-this-world martial arts. I'v seen hundreds of films from this genre, 'Duel to the Death', Tsui Hark's classic 'Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain', etc. and I'm happy to say that 'CTHD' ranks with the very best of them. PS- to all those who are still confused by the 'flying' in this movie, you aren't supposed to question it, it's just something that's commonplace in these kinds of films. So, LET IT GO.

Rating: **** (out of ****)

To anyone out there who may be thinking, "Is it me or was this movie not that great?" Guess what....it's YOU. This movie works in every single way movies should work. Ang Lee must be praised for taking a genre and injecting new life into it by combining eastern filmmaking ideals and classic Chinese folklore with his own gift for lyrical restraint and expert direction. The movie feels like the beginning of a 'new-school' type of martial arts film, where the very idea of wuxia warriors and Taoist fighting as a means of reaching enlightenment is treated with respect and not as an excuse for stupid, ridiculous fight scenes like so many Jet Li and Donnie Yen flicks.

In short, if you want a wall-to-wall action flick with fighting from beginning to end, look elsewhere because 'CTHD' is not it. Sure, there is fighting...but the film is also very slow, contemplative, haunting and downright beautiful. Forget the hype, forget the critics, just sit back and enjoy. PS-this film must be watched in the original Mandarin. I've heard parts of the English dub on the DVD and it is awful.

**** (out of ****)