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THE
TAI CHI MASTER (2005)
A.K.A.
- Master Of Tai Chi
Reviewed
by Mike Banner
After
Yang Yu Qian is saved from a beating by a mysterious Tai Chi
fighter he seeks out the fighter's master, Chang Ching
Ying. He travels to master Chan's village but is refused
tutelage because he is not a family member. Undeterred,
he starts labouring in the village by day and picking up
whatever Tai Chi he can from various sources at night.
Meanwhile, Lord Tun, after fighting two years previously,
sends his men to find master Chan for a rematch so he may test
his kung fu skills. Can master Chan resist the advances
of Lord Tun's men and how will Yang fair when his new found
skills are tested?
This
DVD from Tai Seng is actually a 25 part television series that
has been edited into a 2 hour movie. This heavy editing
leads to the film's main strength and main weakness. as
a drama, the film fails to satisfy as the story feels rushed
and choppy and the characters don't get time to develop
relationships. An example of this is the central romance
in the movie as we're not shown enough of Yu Qian and Siu
Kay's budding relationship developing to really make us believe
in it whilst some characters seem to appear out of nowhere and
others just disappear.
Lacking
an emotional punch, the film occasionally feels less like a
cohesive drama and more like a reason to fight. This
though can be said of many kung fu films (including many that
I like) but what can't be said for a lot of kung fu films is
that they contain as much action as this or of such a high quality as
this. I would imagine that when Tai Seng were
editing this they included as much action as they possibly
could as 'Tai Chi Master' is packed with fights, I counted at
least a dozen, and the quality of these encounters is
terrific. From the opening duel between Billy Chow and
Yue Hai to the final bout between Chow and Wu Jing, the film
doesn't let up on the action. The choreography by Yuen
Cheung Yan is excellent and is filmed with clarity, precision
and the occasional moments of flair by Yuen Woo Ping and his
fellow directors. Wirework is kept to a minimum, which
is a good thing as far as I'm concerned, with the highlights
of the numerous action sequences being a fight in an arena
filled with swords dangling from above and Yang's ascent
through a pagoda housing seven kung fu masters.
Tai Chi
(as far as I know) is about 'sticking' to your opponent and
using their power against them and these principles are
demonstrated brilliantly by a very talented cast. Wu
Jing possesses a boyish charm and fantastic screen fighting
ability, carrying himself with dignity and fighting with grace
and power reminiscent of Jet Li. Yue Hai executes his
Tai Chi with great authority and moves nimbly for a man of his
advanced years whilst veteran kung fu star Billy Chow is as
menacing as ever and is perfectly suited to the role of the fearsome
Lord Tun.
The
wonderfully choreographed, filmed and performed kung fu from a
large and talented cast is the reason to watch this movie and
for this it is highly recommended.
Rating:
 
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