Master of Tai Chi (2005)

AKA: The Tai Chi Master

Director: Yuen Woo-ping, Yip Chiu-yee, Lee Kin-wu

Writer: Wong Wing-fai 

Producer: Pak Wai-fai, Siu King-fai 

Cast: Wu Jing, Amy Fan Yik-meng, Yue Hoi 

Running Time: 127 min.

Plot: See review below.

RAGING GAIJIN'S  REVIEW: This DVD requires a bit of explanation. It's a condensed version of a Chinese TV show from the late 90's called "Master of Tai Chi". The show starred Wu Jing of "Tai Chi II" fame and was co-directed by Yuen Woo-Ping. Tai Seng has taken 25 episodes from the show and edited them into one 128 movie. While the result is understandably a little jumbled, this is a DVD that should not be missed. Simply put, it contains some of the greatest onscreen martial arts any fan could ever hope to watch. 

Tai Seng has been releasing several of these TVs on DVD recently and I've steered clear of them. The film quality always looks poor and they seem to resemble soap operas more than martial arts flicks, with what few fights they have displaying an over-reliance on wires. "Master of Tai Chi" completely blows away all these notions. While it's shot on video, it has decent production values for television, and the fighting sequences from Yuen Woo-Ping and his team are top-notch. 

The basic premise is that Wu Jing is a student of Tai Chi. Alongside his master he fights injustice and partakes in duels across the Chinese countryside. However, the nature of this DVD means that the fighting takes the forefront. Hours and hours of episodes have been edited down so that only the bare minimum of plot and dialogue is left. Truly, the movie often feels like an endless pattern of: conversation, fight, conversation, fight, etc. But with fights this good, no one will be complaining. 

I'm no expert on Tai Chi but I can't imagine a movie better expressing its technique and philosophy. The highlight of the entire movie comes at the one hour mark when Wu Jing must face off against several opponents on various levels of a pagoda. In a sequence reminiscent of "Game of Death", Wu Jing moves from floor to floor, fighting people from around the world. During this twenty minute sequence, he fights a Korean kickboxer, a Mongolian wrestler, a pole fighter, a guy whose body is indestructible, a Japanese ninja, and a drunken-style fighter. Yuen Woo-Ping has completely outdone himself with this scene. It's truly some of the best fighting I've ever witnessed. There are really no words to describe it; you just have to watch it for yourself. You'll thank me later. 

Wu Jung looks about twelve years-old and he smiles too much, but he's still a talented martial artist. Yue Hoi plays his instructor in Tai Chi and he's incredible. He even fends off two opponents while in the bathtub! Also look for Billy Chow, Jet Li's foe in "Fist of Legend". Just about everyone in the show looks great fighting and they all seem like true professionals. There're no amateurs involved, that's for sure. 

While the story and characterization are severely truncated, I can't bring myself to mark this movie down. The plot is serviceable and remarkably coherent for how much I'm sure has been trimmed out. And while things like plot and characterization are crucial to any film, most people don't watch kung fu flicks for their story; and when the fighting is this incredible, this non-stop, you just have to make an exception. There are only two reasons I can think of for someone not to watch this: 1.) you're morally opposed to watching Tai Seng's edited TV shows. In that case, make sure you track down the full show on VCD. It's truly that good. Or 2.) you don't like martial arts fighting. In that case, you're beyond my help! 

I honestly believe that years from now this will be considered one of Yuen Woo-Ping's masterworks. It ranks alongside "Fist of Legend", "In the Line of Duty IV", "Iron Monkey", and his other classics. Tai Seng's DVD is 128 minutes of nearly non-stop fighting, all from a master of action choreography. Fighting fans, rejoice: martial arts movies don't get much better than this. 

RAGING GAIJIN'S  RATING: 9/10