The name "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" is a literal translation of the Chinese idiom "卧虎藏龙" (Wuo hu zhan long) which describes a place that is full of talented or extraordinary people who remain hidden and undiscovered, or simply means "talented or extraordinary people hidden from view". It is from a poem of the ancient Chinese poet Yu Xin (513-581) that reads "暗石疑藏虎，盘根似卧龙", meaning "behind the rock in the dark likely hides a tiger, and the coiling giant root resembles a crouching dragon."
The famous ancient strategist Zhuge Liang (181–234) had a nickname called 诸葛卧龙 (Zhu Ge Wo Long). Zhu Ge is the family name. Wo Long is Crouching Dragon. The story is that before he was invited to be the chancellor of Liu Bei, the Shu's king, Zhuge Liang was a hermit living in Longzhong as a regular farmer. But Liu heard his name and knew he got great talent and capability, so Liu visited him for three times hoping that he could be Liu's strategist. After refusing Liu twice, Liang came to be touched by Liu's caring for the people and his sincerity and accepted his invitation at the third time. Now you know why he was called 诸葛卧龙.
In the movie, the female protagonist Jen's nickname, Jiaolong, is "delicate dragon" in Chinese. And Lo's name, Xiaohu, means "little tiger". So the title means all the main characters (the talented and extraordinary) generally as well as Jen and Lo specifically.
My head is still exploding having just watched The Force Awakens in 3D IMAX. Absolutely awesome - one of the best cinema-going experiences I've ever had. Definitely the best Star Wars film in three decades, and maybe the best one ever. You'll laugh, cry and want to leap in the air. The new cast are all great, but when Han Solo and Chewie arrive it's like your childhood comes crashing into the present. Harrison Ford is one of the best things in this film.
Critics have complained that this film borrows too much from episode IV. I think it is more homage for the fans and doesn't bother me one iota. It may not be perfect but man is it FUN. It's a wonderful throwback to the original trilogy that recaptures the humour and fun so lacking from the prequels. Star Wars is back!
Disney have clearly learned from Marvel's successes and are doing some major world building here leaving many questions unanswered. Comic book movies are often rebooted and no-one complains but many other movies are considered sacrosanct. What JJ Abrams has done here is to produce BOTH a sequel and a reboot. It's inspired, and helpfully sets up a world of stories to explore in future movies.
This is just the beginning. Welcome to the Star Wars Cinematic Universe....
When I was a kid, I still remember the first time I read Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns". As a child whose idea of Superman & Batman was Christopher Reeve & Adam West, it was a revelation. Dark, brooding and so far removed from the movie and TV versions of these characters, yet so much more interesting for it. I remember dreaming of a movie version of Frank Miller's Batman & Superman.
This is why it was so surprising to me that when this film was announced, I wasn't more excited about it - here finally was "The Dark Knight Returns" adapted for the screen. The problem, was that I had watched 'Man of Steel' and wasn't enamoured with Snyder's vision - I felt that while that movie had had the potential to be good (the trailer's had made it look awesome!) it had failed to deliver on the fun - it just wasn't as fun as a Superman film should be. Nolan's Batman films were FUN, although the first one was a little weak, The Dark Knight found the perfect formula and ran with it. Dark and brooding, yes, but with humour and fun too. I never felt the fun with the Man of Steel - we're talking about a flying alien here! - and It was with this feeling that I sat down to watch Batman vs Superman.
It's worth noting here that I watched the Ultimate Edition at home - I never saw the theatrical cut that everyone had hated so much - but its safe to say my expectations weren't high. Having watched it, I am pleased to be able to say that it I actually enjoyed it way more than I expected, and it was not the complete train-wreck I feared. My conclusion is that it still lacks a sense of fun, and takes itself too seriously, but SOMEWHERE on the editing room floor is an absolutely AMAZING film. With the right editing this could have been something incredible. I've always felt that Snyder's films tend to be all style but no substance. While he has definitely matured in his ability to create multi-dimensional characters he still has a way to go. The whole Martha coincidence was just terrible writing, but that being said, there was actually a lot to like here (Ben Affleck makes a great Miller Batman. He nailed it.
It is a great 9/10 action movie, but I'm just not sure it was a great BOND movie. I like the fact that they tried to inject some intelligence into the story and some character depth, but seriously - trotting out the dead parents/brooding orphaned hero thing is a little too Bruce Wayne for my tastes. Even Silva had echoes of Ledger's Joker about him. There were moments to love but it was all a little too dark for a Bond film in my opinion.
The truth is, I just don't really like Daniel Craig's current take on James Bond. For a start he's blonde which just doesn't seem right. Secondly, he's so cold that he's sucked all the fun out of the franchise. Where's the sex? The one liners? The humour? (Yes there is Berenice but she was only in a tiny portion of the film!)
I understand the decision to make Bond more realistic - the invisible car of Die Another Day was a sign that things had just gone too far. However, I think it is important to remember why we love Bond in the first place. We want it to keep it's sense of fun. Hopefully, with the end of the movie "resetting" the layout to the Connery/Moore characters, we can finally see a less brooding version of Craig's Bond. Here's hoping for some Bond/Moneypenny pithy banter in the next one.
