Tai Chi Master
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Movie Reviews of Tai Chi Master
Movie Review: Martial arts 'buddy film' with maybe a little too much wire-fu
Summary: 4 Stars
Tai Chi Master is a tongue-in-cheek film, but it still has the spirit a good martial arts flick needs in order to work. The movie has a great cast of characters headed by Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), and Chin Siu Ho (who also teamed up with Li in the awesome Fist of Legend). I like this movie a lot, but it's probably not a film to rent if you're checking out martial arts movies for the first time. The production values are a little rough, which becomes quite evident with the wire-fu acrobatics (as in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Hero). There's also a lot of slapstick humor. Sometimes it's really funny but other times...well let's just say you'll be scratching your head more than once.
What I like best about Tai Chi Master is the friendship between Jun Bao (Li) and Tien Bao (Ho) which sits at the core of the film. Li and Ho have great chemistry, and it's no surprise they have worked together more than once. Jun and Tien become instant friends when they meet as children and find they share a deep fascination and dedication for the martial arts. Jun is a naive and disciplined, while Tien is mischievous and ambitious. As young men, they go out into the world and take wildly different paths which lead them into fundamental conflict with one another. The connection between the characters and the two male leads is what makes the film work.
The plot is good, yet still works in serving up lots of fight sequences. My only gripe there is that, with a star like Li, it's hard to understand why they went so over the top with some of the wire-fu. I'd have been much happier just watching Li do his thing without the effects. Wire-fu often requires too many slo-mos and cuts to work well in a movie that's a rough in the production department. A heavier focus on real fighting would have made the movie even stronger. I imagine part of the reason for the choice is that with the tongue-in-cheek tone, the action sequences needed to be a bit more cotton candy. Think an American action movie with their sometimes over-the-top stunts.
By the way, make sure you watch/buy the uncut international version with the option to watch in the original language with English subtitles. If you want dubbed English, you'll have the choice. I mention this because many martial arts movies are chopped and hacked for US audiences and sometimes a way to tell if you're getting something like that is that they don't offer Chinese with English subtitles as an option. I bought Dragon Dynasty's Special Collector's Edition of Tai Chi Master to ensure I got the real deal.
Movie Review: two of the greats
Summary: 4 Stars
in martial arts are brought to us - Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh. I thought i had saw this in the past under another name. The film is well made and i personally prefer to watch this in its original language and not dubbed. So i don't know how great or bad that transfer was.
But the film itself is great, it has the wire-effect going on. Its used when needed and its never anything outrageously crazy or anything. The fighting among the characters is some of the best especially when Jet Li begins to master Tai Chi. Nothing that villian does in the end fight scene is enough to barely scratch him. Its different to see two characters that started the movie out and life as friends. That they would turn out to be mortal enemies. He just couldn't see past all the fame, glory and money which led him down that path.
A solid film, all around. 4 stars
Movie Review: A Must Have Among Others: Especially for Martial Artist
Summary: 4 Stars
Although this movie has points of outright goofiness and cheesy comedy the martial arts technique is certainly sound. Other must haves are (in this order)
1. The Protector (THE MOST technically sound martial arts film I've ever seen)
2. Fist of Legend (THE 2nd MOST technically sound martial arts film I've ever seen)
3. Hero (Completely Fantastic Movie!!)
4. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Brilliant Story Line)
5. Flying Daggers (Good Love Story)
6. Iron Monkey (Great Forms)
7. Tai Chi Master aka Twin Warriors (Nice Technique but dumbly bad comedy)
7. Zatoichi (A Classic)
Movie Review: One of Jet Li's best... but the question is, "What @ the Transfer?"
Summary: 4 Stars
This really isn't a review (though the martial arts choreography in the film is pretty fanciful, it's still pretty solid). What I'd like to know is whether or not the featured film in this new edition has been is remastered. I have an earlier Hong Kong edition - however the transfer was mediocre at best. I'd preorder this edition, but I need to know: has Yuen Woo Ping's "Tai Chi Master" been remastered... or is this yet another edition of same lackluster transfer marketed in Hong Kong?
Please advise....
Movie Review: just a remaster not a new movie
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie exists in another form the movie was orginally named "Twin Warriors" i have that movie really great movie about if you are interested in learning about what Tai-Chi is about, along with the fights. i will be getting this movie and watch see if it stands up to the orignal