There are plenty of films in Hollywood that are primed for sequels. Admittedly, the 2000 film, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON is not one of these movies. All the same, these epic Chinese martial arts films still have a decent amount of their appeal worldwide, and as such, it makes sense that Netflix would pick it up, in hopes of streaming it.

Below is the first trailer for the film. Check it out!

Of course, perhaps the biggest thing you’ll notice right off the bat is that unlike its predecessor, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: SWORD OF DESTINY is in English. That’ll likely initially turn a lot of fans off. After all, in a world where #OscarsSoWhite is a thing, many fans definitely want their films to have an authenticity to the culture they’re representing. That being said, this does make sense for Netflix. As a worldwide streaming service, they are like to appeal to the majority of the audience, which is English-speaking. As much as many may hate it, the simple fact is that subtitles turn people off. I don’t care which way you slice it, they turn people off. They just do. Better to cater to as much as their audience as possible–at least from a business standpoint.

In that same vein, it’s worth noting that the original film, while critically acclaimed in English-speaking countries, was widely criticized in China. Why, you ask? Chow Yun-Fat’s Cantonese accent and Michelle Yeoh’s Malaysian accent were apparently laughable to native Mandarin speakers. Of course, to those of us who aren’t native Mandarin speakers, it felt incredibly authentic. Unfortunately to those in the know, the original film was about as authentic as a film about a Jersey shore kid with a southern drawl. I’m not saying it’s right, but I’m just clarifying the perspective that Netflix is coming from.

Language issues aside, I have to say, I didn’t hate the trailer. The film’s title and premise is super generic, but the actual shots are beautiful, and the action looks to be relatively on point. Also, bringing back Michelle Yeoh and bringing on Donnie Yen were great decisions. Let’s just hope they result in a good film.

What did you think of the trailer? Let us know in the comments down below!

SOURCE: Netflix