First let me say that House of Flying Daggers is an incredibly beautiful film. The cinematography is breathtaking. Every time I woke up, I was awestruck at the images on the screen. And therein lay the problem: the languid pace and convoluted plot kept putting me out.
I’ve seen plenty of foreign films. I have no problem with subtitles. I own plenty of Chinese, Japanese, German, French and Spanish films. I have never fallen asleep through any of them other than this movie. Just to be sure, the third time I tried to watch this movie, I watched the dubbed version. No help there.
It tries to be another Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) but the acting failed and the plot failed. All that was left was special effect and incredible scenery. This movie was hollow to me.