leads an Oscar-winning kung-fu movie that has recently been named the genre's best of the 21st century. Yeoh's movie career began with her amazing roles in martial arts movies, like Police Story 3: Supercop alongside Jackie Chan. While she has moved away from the genre later in her career, one title remains among her most acclaimed movies.
There have been some great recent kung-fu movies, but few from the 21st century have matched the impact of Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The film stars Yeoh, alongside Chow Yun-fat and Zhang Ziyi, in a story set in Imperial China. It went on to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
25 years after its release, . The new poll from The New York Times compiled the rankings based on votes from industry figures. Bong Joon-ho's Parasite topped the list at #1, but Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is the highest-ranked kung-fu movie at #16.
The excerpt reads:
When Ang Lee debuted this wuxia masterpiece starring Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun-fat and Zhang Ziyi, the film appealed to Western and Eastern audiences alike, a rarity at the time, and demolished box-office records. This action drama marries acrobatic, aerodynamic martial arts with repressed love and forbidden futures. Seared in memory: the showdown between Yeoh’s swordswoman and the thief played by Zhang using a multitude of weapons, and the balletic sword fight between Chow’s warrior and Zhang in a bamboo forest.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's ranking in the NYT's new list is an impressive achievement for the movie, but also not an entirely surprising one. The film has been hailed by many as one of the best movies of the last 25 years for some time, and its legacy continues to go strong decades after its release.
It was also a box office success in America, breaking through the barriers that had prevented many international movies from reaching this audience.
. It was also a box office success in America, breaking through the barriers that had prevented many international movies from reaching this audience.
However, . The film uses two beloved action movie stars, Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun-fat, as well as spectacular kung-fu action sequences, but delivers a movie that is far more complex and moving than audiences might expect from the genre.
There might be some surprise in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon outranking Michelle Yeoh's Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once, which is #77 on the list. However, it is hard to deny that .

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It is the highest-rated kung-fu movie on the NYT list, but it is a film that defies genres in order to deliver an unforgettable experience.. Of course, there is some stunning action, which, alongside The Matrix, redefined fight sequences for years to come.
While aspects of the NYT list of the best movies of the 21st century can certainly be debated, is one of the most impactful movies of the last 25 years. With this new high acclaim for it, perhaps more people will revisit it and discover how well it has aged.
Source: The New York Times