Steve C

There's a lot to be said for a modern movie that's completely earnest. Being earnest is a big risk - you have a large cynical western audience ready to write you off as naive. Or at least this must be the judgement of producers and studios.

Movies like Amelie, Babe, and anything by Zhang Yimou (which constitute probably 3/4ths of my favorite movies of the last 5 years) are proof that there's a huge demand for honestly joyful and thoughtful entertainment.

Roger Ebert said that this movie hangs with you a long time after you see it...that's exactly my experience. Do not miss this movie in the theater if you have the ability to see it there.

Sorry to filter this through Star Wars - but if you threw a few gadgets in there and called it "Episode 1" we'd have the best SW film ever. It's been a year and a half and I guess I still haven't gotten over that atrocity...

But back to the film at had. Wow what an experience! I'm trying to think of an action movie I've seen that's better than this and I can't come up with one. The story was intriguing - the action wasn't just thrown in, and the characters' motivations all through the movie were natural (characters weren't just forced into action scenes for no reason).

Great acting all around, great plot, GREAT direction. It'd be a tough call between this and Traffic for best picture. Where do I pre-order the dvd? Give me more, Ang Lee! Excuse me while I bookmark his imdb page...