...on opening day in SF, and was totally blown away. This is now my all-time favorite wuxia flick.

Zhang Ziyi is really easy on the eyes. The fights blew me away, but her being on screen alone was almost as intense.

SPOILER ALERT!

IMO, Jen Yu really committed suicide at the end. If you think of it this way:

--she brought disgrace to her family, not once, but twice

--she was a wanted figure in the wuxia underworld

--even though she was a Wudan (or Wu Tang) adept, she would have probably never been fully accepted by the clan (Li Mu Bai and Yu Shu Lien discuss this), owing to her gender and her association with Jade Fox

--she broke Dark Cloud's heart, not once, but twice

Death seemed to be the most honorable option out. Loss of face figured greatly in the story, and even though I think Jen wanted freedom, she was still all too conscious of the restraints that bound her as a member of the ruling dynasty (she did mention that she was a real Manchu).

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densetsu no hitokiri, himura battousai.

asian girls in boots! WOO-HOO!

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