“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny” Chinese Theatrical Poster
Director: Yuen Woo-ping
Cast: Donnie Yen, Michelle Yeoh, Harry Shum, Jr., Jason Scott Lee, Roger Yuan, Woon Young Park, Eugenia Yuan, Ju Ju Chan, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Veronica Ngo
Running Time: 103 min.
By Kelly Warner
Considering the popularity and critical acclaim of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, a sequel probably seemed like a no-brainer. Well, it took 15 years and the evolution of a streaming service into a production company to make it happen, but we finally have our Crouching Tiger sequel. And though it’s not nearly as good as the original, I still liked it.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny catches up with Michelle Yeoh’s swordswoman Yu Shu Lien eighteen years after the events of the first film. After the death of her beloved Li Mu Bai, Yu Shu Lien drifted into exile and gave up on the hero life. She muses that a swordsman’s legacy is remembered for twenty years after his passing. It’s meant as praise but to her it feels like a curse. She is a martial arts master that longs to be forgotten by the world, haunted by all that could’ve been but wasn’t. When the death of her father figure Sir Te lures her back to the city, it’s not long before Yu Shu Lien is fighting for her life with the famed Green Destiny sword back in her possession.
At the same time that she returns to the world of martial arts, the evil Hades Dai (Jason Scott Lee) makes it his mission to capture the Green Destiny sword and make it his own. Willing to kill untold innocents in order to procure the sword, Hades Dai sends his most trusted assassins after Yu Shu Lien. Hoping to keep the Green Destiny sword out of Hades Dai’s hands, Yu Shu Lien calls for help, but only five warriors answer her call… and one among them is supposed to be dead.
In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Yu Shu Lien and Li Mu Bai are in love with each other, but since she was betrothed to another man (a man long dead before that film’s story ever began), the two held to their oaths and honor, never giving into desires. That man was Donnie Yen’s Silent Wolf and his return to Yu Shu Lien’s life is an unforeseen complication that couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time. Putting aside their past for the time being, the two must fight side by side while Hades Dai’s warriors close in around them.
Sword of Destiny is a downgrade from the original film and it’s hard to deny it’s not something of a cash-in. However, that doesn’t automatically make it a bad film. How many sequels are not considered downgrades from their original films? Still, yes, some things about the film definitely suggest that money, not art or story, was the main objective behind the making of the film. The most obvious of which, at least around these parts, is the fact that the film was made in English and not Chinese. Did this bug me? Yes. Did I get over it as the film went along? Well, yes and no. It’s not a decision I agree with but at least some of the actors (most notably Michelle Yeoh) provide strong performances in the language. The reason behind the change in spoken language is likely linked to the fact that Netflix makes it easy to binge-watch and just as easy to quit a film and move onto the next one. Sadly, large numbers of American viewers can’t stand a movie with subtitles. I think that number might’ve even gone up now that so many are focused on their phones all day. It’s not easy to browse Twitter and read subtitles at the same time (a comment I remember reading from a viewer who complained that Netflix’s Narcos had too much subtitled dialogue). Netflix undoubtedly knows all of this. The decision to make the film in English will rub many the wrong way but there’s no changing it now. For those who want what I guess would be called a more ‘authentic’ experience, the film can be watched in Chinese with English subtitles thanks to a dub (there are other language options as well). It’s a weird reversal for kung fu fans that are used to watching Chinese films dubbed into English.
Though Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is known for its high-wire fight sequences, it’s really a romantic tragedy at heart. Sword of Destiny attempts to capture that same tone but it’s undone by a few lackluster performances, some underwritten characters, and the film’s unnecessary attempts to add humor to the story with its supporting characters. While Donnie Yen may be an upgrade over Chow Yun-fat in the action sequences, he doesn’t have the same dramatic chemistry with Michelle Yeoh. There is tragedy to their relationship but no believable romance. Yen makes for a cool character when the film calls for him to show his martial arts prowess, but there’s not enough to his character to make him memorable. Elsewhere in the story, two young characters (played by Harry Shum Jr. and Natasha Liu Bordizzo) fair a little better, caught in a conflict that wrestles with duty and compassion. It’s not particularly deep, but the young actors are likable. Zhang Ziyi’s Jen Yu character returns from the first film but Zhang Ziyi does not. This time played by Shuya Chang (Revenge of the Green Dragons), Jen Yu is demoted to a small but important role in the plot which I will not divulge here.
In the villain role of Hades Dai, Jason Scott Lee (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story) gives his most impressive film appearance since the early 90s when he was considered to be an up-and-coming star. Nearly unrecognizable from his younger self, Lee is all muscle and madness as the film’s central antagonist. There’s not much to Hades Dai beyond MORE POWER but it’s an entertaining villain and it makes me want to see more of Jason Scott Lee in future films. A less successful villain is Eugenia Yuan’s Blind Enchantress. Whereas the gravity defying fights of the original film hinted at fantasy elements within the world of Crouching Tiger, this film fully embraces the fantastic. I was open to the idea of a sorceress with prophetic abilities but the character is written paper-thin, with only a couple lines of dialogue to explain her motivations.
It’s Michelle Yeoh who makes the film, I think. It’s not until recently that I realized how much I love her character – even in the original film, which I watched in the week leading up to this, Yeoh is the one that I keep thinking back on. Yu Shu Lien is the best character that Yeoh’s ever played and she slips back into the role as though she’d never left it. Even the shift from Mandarin to English doesn’t hinder her performance. When she narrates her story, one almost forgets she’s speaking English at all. To me, that’s a sign of a great performance: when you forget what language you’re hearing.
Sword of Destiny doesn’t exactly feel like the natural progression of the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon story, but it uses enough of the original film’s cast and crew to make it feel like it belongs beside it (or at least a few steps beneath it). Ang Lee sadly did not return to the director’s chair. In his place is Yuen Woo-ping, the action choreographer of the first film and a director of many other unrelated martial arts pictures. I actually think it’s one of Yuen Woo-ping’s better films as a director, showing restraint in the drama and the skill of a master when putting together the action (unfortunately he remains tone-deaf when it comes to comedy, though). Along with cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel (X-Men: Days of Future Past), Yuen Woo-ping captures some moments of dazzling beauty on film. The fight sequences range from very good to amazing. There is one sequence on a frozen lake that I truly loved – it’s pretty, it’s unique, and it’s just so damn cool. In the finale, the film relies on CGI more than I’d like, but it’s still a fun time.
Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was something rare: a beautiful rumination on love that also appealed to action junkies. The sequel is a fun martial arts action movie and little more. I mean, let’s be clear: you won’t be seeing Sword of Destiny nominated for Best Picture in 2017, okay? Occasionally Sword of Destiny appears to strive to be something more, but it never comes anywhere close to touching the greatness of the original. And maybe that’s okay. In my eyes, Sword of Destiny didn’t need to be another modern classic. Maybe the extended time between the original and the sequel has some part to play in that. By this time, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’s place in film history is secure, and no lesser sequel will ruin its legacy. Sword of Destiny is a flawed film but it’s often a very entertaining one.
Kelly Warner’s Rating: 7/10
Even though you justified Sword of Desinty as not being nearly as great as Part I, your score is a lot higher than expected! I mean… I’ve seen you give movies you “really like” a score of 6 out of 10…. so, I’m assuming it’s safe to say that as long as you’re not expecting the same quality as Part I (story, acting, etc) , then Part II is pretty legit.
And good insight on the whole subtitles/twitter thing. Considering the masses, it makes perfect sense.
When I started the review I was debating between a 6 and a 7. But as I went along, I realized I really had enjoyed the film and would like to think that others will, too. So a 7 it is.
I think that being a Crouching Tiger sequel is both a blessing and a curse. More people will see it but they’ll also inevitably judge it more harshly. Viewed on its own terms, it’s a slick wuxia/martial arts film that should appeal to fans of the genre and fans of Yen, Yeoh, and Yuen Woo-ping.
Great review Kyle, it seems this movie is really splitting people down the middle, with opinions ranging from painfully average to surprisingly good. What I can’t help feeling from all the more positive reviews though, is that even though they don’t say it directly, it seems that the movie is best treated as everything that ‘Man with the Iron Fists’ was supposed to be but wasn’t, rather than a sequel to the original classic. I’d like to check it out, but don’t have Netflix and have no intention of getting it (I live in Manila, the city with the worst internet speed in Asia!), so unless they decide to give it a physical release I’ll have to miss out.
The movie was what I expected it to be. Nowhere near the greatness of the first. The first is the best martial arts film of the last 15yrs or so. It had a great story, great acting, superb sound, and Woo Pings best choreography since the first Matrix. The choreography in this one was pretty lackluster. The frozen pond fight was probably the closest thing to something the first film may have had. Overall give it a 6.
These movies are based off a series of novels, right? So maybe Harvey just picked one at random which wasn’t one of the better story-lines. BTW, if I recall, wasn’t it originally intended to be a prequel, not a sequel?
I know very little about the Wang Dulu novels that inspired the films. I’m not sure they’ve ever been published in English (I’d like to read them), though there do appear to be comic book adaptations of some sort. An English-language book of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny was released recently but it sounds like it’s more loyal to the screenplay for the film and only claims to be “based on the writings of Wang Dulu” instead of being a direct translation. I may read it later on, I’m kind of curious.
After doing a bit of research just now, it seems there are five books in the series. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon appears to be Part 4 and Sword of Destiny is apparently based on Iron Knight, Silver Vase, the fifth and final book of the series (the story of the book sounds far more epic than the one seen in the film). I only vaguely recall the original plans to film a prequel — I think I’d forgotten it completely until you mentioned it. It makes sense, though, considering there are three earlier stories in the timeline. Should Sword of Destiny prove successful for Netflix, they may take ideas from those stories for future films, whether they be prequels or sequels. The ending of this film certainly leaves the door open for more.
They used the 5th book, Iron Knight Silver Vase. CTHD is the 4th book.
Thanks for the info. As for more movies, it probably depends more on the schedules of the actors than anything else.
I bought the 3d version of this movie and I will tell you “it is absolutely beautiful ” so if you have the 3d set up get it you will not be disappointed.
I finally got around to watching this one recently, and was surprised at just how pedestrian and instantly forgettable it was. I confess I watched the Hong Kong Blu-ray, so chose to watch it in Cantonese (which I know is technically still bastardizing the originals Mandarin), a decision I imagine made it much more tolerable than viewing it in English (ironically, the HK release doesn’t come with the option to watch it in its original language).
The depth of the original is nowhere to be found in Woo-Ping’s sequel, and the occasional echoes of the originals soundtrack felt out of place and unearned. Yeoh also looks rusty in the action department, here in her first kung-fu heavy role since 2010’s ‘Reign of Assassins’, while Yen’s underwritten Silent Wolf struggles to do anything other than look contemplative when not kicking butt. It’s fair to say that the next time I want to check out a movie which pairs these 2 together, I’ll be re-visiting 1993’s ‘Butterfly and Sword’.
Ouch. Was it really surprising that there was no depth?
I knew this was going to be a formulaic movie, and I enjoyed it as such. I do get that Crouching Tiger 2 should strive to be much more than that, but I viewed this movie in the same vein as the basic wuxia films from the 90’s.
I thought the acting was decent. It’s strange how the foreign Blu Ray doesn’t have English as an option. I wonder how the dubbing actors were. I do think Yen and Yeoh have pleasant voices.
Definitely not surprising, but still, even the action scenes came across as rather dull and uninspired. The highlight for me was the fight on the frozen lake (who ever thought we’d get a Donnie Yen vs Roger Yuan showdown?)…but even that I’ve seen done better plenty of times before (‘Nine Demons’, ‘The Postman Strikes Back’, ‘Dragon, The Young Master’).
I guess I was just hoping for something a little more cinematic, and less HBO movie of the week. I did enjoy Veronica Ngo’s role though, was always hoping to see a lot more of her in action after ‘The Rebel’ and ‘Clash’, but Vietnam seemed to suffer the same fate as Thailand in terms of its action movie scene quickly fizzling out.
As for the Cantonese dub, I can confidently say that Yen is dubbing himself, for everyone else though I’m not too sure.
That is very disappointing about Vietnam. I guess it all had to do with what the censors did to Cho Lon?
Yeah I’d say so. After the whole ‘Cho Lon’ debacle, local filmmakers just seemed to lose interest in pursuing the development of the countries action output.
Its been awhile since i saw thisnon netflix but i dont recall seeing the jen yu character at all. Anyone want to fill me in?
Her name isn’t directly mentioned, but she appears in Snow Vase’s flashback sequences.