Far more complex than any other martial arts action adventure, director Ang Lee?s new film, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” successfully portrays a dream-like vision of ancient China, where the laws of nature and the confines of society crumble beneath the powerful force of the human spirit.

Lee?s film transcends a simple good versus evil interplay between characters by challenging the viewer with characters that struggle with the forces of desire, the need for revenge, and the will to power.

The plot revolves around the tangled relationship of three unique characters that provide both the stunning acrobatic martial arts movements and the deeply insightful drama. Li Mu Bai, played by Asian super-star, Chow Yun-Fat, is depicted as the most notorious martial arts expert in China. After attaining the highest level of expertise in a magical martial arts style, called Wu-don, he decides to leave his life as a warrior and begin a search for a more simple existence. He gives up his sword, named the Green Destiny, which is the embodiment of his skill and his prestige as a warrior, and entrusts it to his friend, Yu Shu Lien. This decision causes Li Mu Bai’s life to collide with the beautiful young heroine Jen. The path that Li Mu Bai’s life takes is forever changed because of his entanglement with both Yu Shu Lien and Jen.

Poignant physical and psychological performances by Yu Shu Lien and Jen make a convincing statement of feminine equality in which power is gained not through brute force but through keen awareness and incredible physical agility.

“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” far surpasses the usual elements of a Kung-Fu movie, namely over-dubbed dialogue, a serious lack of story line and hyper-choreographed battle scenes.

This intricate film is dramatic, visually stunning and musically powerful. Brought to life by the superb musical skill of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and the martial arts choreography of Yuen Wo-Ping, known for his work in “The Matrix,” the action and imagery carry this film so that the subtitles are not distracting, but rather add to the other-worldliness of the film.

Highly recommended, this film provides the viewer with an opportunity to be transported into an unforgettable world of myth and illusion.