Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016) Action & Adventure, Drama

Michelle Yeoh reprises her role as the lovesick soldier Shu Lien this belated sequel to Ang Lee worldwide smash hit WUXIA drama, directed by Hong Kong action legend Yuen Wo Ping. English co-production between the Weinstein Company and the China Film Group, the film, which also stars Donnie Yen and Jason Scott Lee, always feels like cash, arriving in 15 years too late. Opening over the Lunar New Year holiday in Hong Kong and mainland China, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: sword of destiny (formerly CTHD: Green legend) set for release on 26 February of Netflix, when it will also fetch a simultaneous IMAX shows in the United States.

Yet the film recaptures the Yuen none of the delightful, Opera grace, which helped his predecessor scale cultural and linguistic divides to take $ 213 million in global box office, winning four Academy Awards and revitalize the genre. Screenplay by John Fusco makes few references to Wang Du Lu source text iron Knight, Silver Vase, preferring instead to rehash History number lazily beats from the previous film.

In sync just 96 minutes, sword of destiny feels heavily truncated, lacking in narrative substance. Scant feature and timid action choreography did not help matters, while over-reliance on simple sets and CGI landscape means Grant Mayor (Lord of the rings) production design lacks the resonance of the previous film.

18 years after the events of the first known CTHD Warrior Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) learns that the sword green destiny is threatened once again. A young thief, Wei fang (Harry Shun Jr.) attempts to steal weapons for the evil Lord Hades (Jason Scott Lee), but is apprehended. The estate sends for reinforcements which arrive under the leadership of Silent Wolf (Donnie Yen)-Shu Lien ex-boyfriend, whom she believes was murdered in Hades years earlier.

In the meantime, the young woman known as snow Vase (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) seeks training from Shu Lien, but also catches the eye of a fan Wei when he watches her from his nearby cells. Although all four warriors to juggle their duties and romantic urges, Lord Hades and his blind enchantress (Eugenia Yuan) close to the precious sword.

For the sword of destiny, there is a lingering much longer version history, with numerous incidents going inexplicable, while characters and motives of fall by the wayside. Curiously, only the narrative thread that is in the iron Knight, Silver Vase-the fifth and final chapter in Wang Du Lu crane iron Pentalogy-remains largely intact in the film. This applies directly to the personal histories of snow Vase and fan Wei, how they interact and connect with Yu Jiaolong, Zhang Ziyi character from previous films.

As a result, each scene pushes the story forward through the clunky Exposition, or there is some kind of universal WUXIA action, whether it's fighting, the sequence of learning or gravity-defying sliding roof. Unfortunately Yuen Wo Ping, who also serves as action Director on the film, stages these sequences with the lack of Visual or stylistic invention, and nothing comes close to his breakthrough work on Ang Lee film.

Without such flourishes distract or amuse viewers it falls to artists to perform in bowling, cliché heavy narrative. But in a story fueled by the burgeoning romance and long lost love, leading precious few sparks fly between the ice. Michelle Yeoh reacts to the discovery that her fiancée is alive with all emotional manifestations of terracotta warriors. Yen little more than shrug his flimsy apology, although promising amateurs Fan Wei and Vase snow no more than a fleeting smile.

Harry Shum Jr. (revenge of the Green Dragons) and newcomer Natasha Liu Bordizzo struggle to make something of their role, with no faces break out the way Zhang Ziyi did so impressively in the film. Jason Scott Lee, perhaps best known for playing the lead role in Rob Cohen's the Dragon: Bruce Lee story brings a remarkable physicality, his role as the villainous Hades.

Michelle Yeoh fares better here. Since 2000, her career has progressed in fits and starts, with none of her subsequent efforts in the genre to prove as commercially or critically successful. Crouching Tiger sequel must seem like a gift, and she proved how much she can only role with something approaching dramatic arc or emotional maturity.

Donnie Yen's career finally found a foothold in the belated result of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a surprise success, and thanks to films like hero Zhang Yimou, Peter Chan UNL (released in the West as a dragon) and Wilson Yip Ip Man trilogy, it became the most acceptable action hero of China. Unfortunately Silent Wolf is a minor role, requiring little of the actor. He figured prominently in two of the best fight sequences of the film, one put on a frozen lake, but even these pale in comparison with anything Yen Yung-