Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000 - ★★★★★
An early showing at the BFI IMAX at 11 am on a Sunday! But the chance to see this incredible film on a giant screen was too good to miss.
I first saw it a year or two after it came out, probably on DVD. So twenty or more years ago; and pretty much all I remembered was the spectacle: the fighters running up walls and flying over rooftops and so on.
I had exactly zero memory of the story. Which is strange, because it's a pretty good one. That 'Sword of Destiny' is actually cursed, in my opinion, but you know: there's always going to be some youngster coming after the greatest gunman; someone trying get the Elder Wand from its current owner. That kind of thing.
I'm giving this the coveted five stars because I don't really see how it could be better than it is. That puts into the group of 'One of Martin's favourite films,' and that's fine, because I think it belongs there.
Panel discussion afterwards with a group of women who work in action films in the UK in various ways, including a couple who are stunt performers. That was good too, though people need to be more conscious of their microphone technique in a big space like that.