The first trailer for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, the sequel to Ang Lee’s 2000 wuxia classic, features kung fu bros in cowboy hats, an Assassin’s Creed-esque boss battle, and a grunged out techno remix of CCR’s “Bad Moon Rising.” It looks like fun, yes, but not much like the contemplative Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny Trailer 2 demonstrates once and for all that the goofier vibe isn’t just a matter of marketing.
‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny’ Trailer 2
In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Jen (Zhang Ziyi) steals the Green Destiny sword recently given up by famed warrior Li Mu Bai. The sword was forged from a meteorite and is nearly unbreakable, yet confers no mastery on its user. Instead, the Green Destiny becomes a symbol of everything denied to Jen as a woman, the embodiment of the warrior’s way that she is not permitted to follow.
In single combat the talented but poorly trained Jen is no match for Li Mu Bai, even though she wields the Green Destiny:
But the new Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2 trailer makes it clear that the Green Destiny is no longer a mere symbol for martial authority and power. Now, it’s a magical super weapon that can alter the fate of nations.
It looks as if the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon sequel will be a radical departure from the original, replacing a tragic meditation on the invisible bonds of our social station with a fight over a superpowered He-Man sword.
Directed by kung fu movie legend Yuen Woo-ping, chances are that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny will be a must-see. Not only did Woo-ping choreograph the original Crouching Tiger and The Matrix, but he also directed some of the best martial arts movies of all time, including Iron Monkey and Drunken Master.
Still, it’s hard not to be a little disappointed that the sequel to one of the most powerful and moving wuxia films in history looks like a goofball action movie.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny will be available Feb. 26 on Netflix.
