Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon returns to theaters in February

The film stars Hong Kong superstar Chow Yun-fat as Li Mu Bai, a 19th-century Qing dynasty swordsman who finds himself embroiled in a romantic adventure involving many fantastically coordinated, gravity-defying combat sequences. The film also features Zhang Ziyi as a governor's daughter secretly determined to become a martial artist, and Chang Chen as a bandit who loves her.

"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is not only a much-loved 21st century classic, but also a milestone in Lee's career; five years later, the filmmaker won best director at the Oscars for 'Brokeback Mountain,' but it was this surprise blockbuster, with its aerial stunts and swooning romance, that made him a household name for many. "When people fight, I treat it like conversation, like verbal drama," Lee told Entertainment Weekly on the film's 20th anniversary. "There is a relationship, an ongoing development, there is a conflict."

Two decades after its release, 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' has the chance to reach a whole new generation of moviegoers when it returns to theaters on February 17, 2023.