Tai Chi Master
AKA Twin Warriors (USA)
12/03/00
Review
Format: Dubbed DVD
Stars: Jet Li, Chin Siu Ho, Yu Hai, Michelle Yeoh, Fannie Yuen, Yuen Cheung Yan

(From box): A childhood incident separates two friends, who grow up to take two different paths.

Michelle Yeoh is on the cover of this wirefu funny-film with Jet Li, but has a part so miniscule compared to Chin Siu Ho that it's ludicrous. Jet and Siu Ho are ex-monks who leave the temple and yadda yadda. One thing to remember is NOT to get the dubbed version of this. I KNOW that they cut out important dialogue for American audiences and it makes me mad. Another thing is that this is a wirefu movie with the exception of a few parts. So, that said, I'll continue.

I think I'll make this a short review because my left arm is in a cast and I didn't really enjoy this film much. Almost all the fights in this are absolutely ludicrous with gorgeous scenery. Too bad. The first one of note is where Chin Siu Ho fights another monk and they both use Lohan I believe, but even here there isn't much worth noting. It's a very short fight, maybe a minute, and there really isn't much Lohan involved. Yu Hai gets involved and he speeds it up for 20 seconds but that's it. So, instead, they follow it with a really long silly pole fight between Jet/Siu Ho and some 50 other monks. Lots of wirework and dumbness.



Yeoh makes an aweful appearance later on with a fight in a restaraunt against another woman with atrocious wirework that's far overdone and it's sick to see her used like this. Another thing worth noting is that Yeoh gets hardly any specific martial arts style in this, as usual. She just kinda kicks and punches. Lame. One time she's drinking and I EXPECTED her to do some drunken style against Jet but nooo, just more boring punches. Ugh.



There is one fight early on that has some substance, though. Chin Siu Ho fights a few guards to prove himself in an arena. It starts off with some guards fighting one other one, which is filmed exceptionally well with full view of their bodies and everything. Good choreography too, almost Shaolin style. Chin Siu Ho comes in and the main guy punches his forehead and hurts his hand. Good stuff though there was a bit much of editing and slomo, plus sliding bodies.



Jet and some 20 other guys take on the entire Ching (Qing?) army which is rediculous. I can't stand this stuff. Too much wirework, all weapons, and obvious odds make this another reason I'm beginning to really hate Yuen Wo Ping. Jet takes on Siu Ho in a sword fight again with tons of wirework. They get on this wooden thing and, well, just imagine lots of wood on wires, flying all over the place.



Jet goes crazy and learns T'ai Chi. How nice. I was so skeptical at this point I was ready to just assume things would go bad and I could just stop now. Jet does some interesting things though, like making a wrirlpool in a pot and gathering a bunch of leaves with his Ch'i in a ball. Fantasy bs really, but some nice Taoist (not T'aoist like they pronounce it here) philosophy.



The last bunch of fights start out bad. Yeoh takes on the main general in a wired sword fight. zzz... Jet, however, uses some cool T'ai Chi to mess with some guards with spears. But overall it's another wirework scene.



I was surprised at the last scene though. Jet actually does some T'ai Chi against Siu Ho. A lot of it is in slomo but it was during the choreograhped hand movements. I was impressed greatly. Jet's presence just lights up the scene here. Some occasional bs like Siu Ho getting flung 30 feet into the air and the two of them fighting on a net, but the T'ai Chi Jet did was great. He finishes Siu Ho off with some grabbing moves, which are also good.



In the end I wasn't satisfied, despite Jet's awesome demonstration at the climax. There wasn't enough drama in the fights, too much wirework, and not enough good stuff. No personl fughting either really except for the fight where Siu Ho shows off. If you're a Jet fan, it's fine, but I wouldn't bother otherwise, maybe a rental.

All in a day's work


2.5/5

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