Although not a perfect film, the criticsm of House of Flying Daggers has seemed a bit overdone. The film itself is incredibly well choreographed and beautifully shot, with the colors almost becoming overwhelming in some parts, but adding to the aura and emotions. There are scenes, after which the audience cheered (the Echo dance), that will leave you speechless and anxiously waiting to see what Zhang Yimou will do next. All three leads (Ziyi, Lau and Kaneshiro) were great in their roles and the love triangle aspect was developed well and had some force behind it. The fight choreography was also crisp and exciting, with the special effects adding (unlike some Hollywood pieces) to the enjoyment of the action.

The only glaring criticism that could be fairly leveled at the film is the ending, which unfortunately (without giving anything away) becomes unbelievable and silly. However, those 10 minutes should not subtract from the movie as a whole, which is an overall success.