Are Asian films ready for prime time -- that is, for the mall cineplexes of America?
If the $60 million grossed so far in the U.S. by Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" means anything, the answer is an emphatic yes (and if the film's 10 Oscar nominations result in a Best Picture award, its take may well pass the $100 million mark).
But on mailing lists devoted to Asian cinema, the response has been less than ecstatic. "CTHD," claim posters, is not a real Hong Kong movie, but a Hollywoodized hybrid. American mall moviegoers, they imply, are going into raptures about the cinematic equivalent of a fancy California restaurant that serves white wine with stir fry.
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