The Master

I noticed there wasn't a lot of information on this movie, along with some low rating and negative reviews. Nonetheless, I vowed to own every Jet Li movie, so I had to buy this and watch it. And I must say, I was positively surprised!

Jet Li plays the student of Uncle Tak (Yuen Wah), who is a kung fu master and has established a shop for traditional Chinese medical treatment in America. Meanwhile there is an "evil" martial arts club that causes trouble, challenging and beating up kung fu masters all over town. Only with the help of Jet can these hooligans be stopped.

You can't enjoy this movie if you over-analyze every detail and point out the goofs, which are rather numerous. "The Master" is probably one of Jet's goofier movies, with a lot of miscommunication jokes and silly sidekicks. If this isn't your deal, try focusing on the great non-wired action scenes with Jet Li and Yuen Wah, who are both excellent fighters. All in all, this movie isn't for everyone, and it's definitely not Jet Li's best by far. HOWEVER, if you consider yourself a true Jet Li fan and can withstand some silly humor, then you should definitely see this movie. The fights were surprisingly good, which made me enjoy "The Master".

In "The Master", one of his earliest and relatively little-seen flicks, Jet Li is basically placed in a fish-out-of-water situation: he comes from Hong Kong to America (knowing only a few words of English) to visit his old kung fu teacher, is followed everywhere by three Mexican small-time crooks who want him to teach them the martial arts, and tries to protect his teacher's shop from a gang led by a rival kung fu master. The main problem with the film is that it lacks urgency: much like the bad guy in Jackie Chan's "Thunderbolt", the villain has no real motive for his actions apart from wanting to prove that he is "the best". To put it in his own words: "When I finish with you, I'll go to China and beat all the kung fu teachers there!". But it has some pretty funny moments (watch Jet describing his experiences on his first day in America), great (if sometimes brief) fight sequences, and even a warm message about interracial friendship and acceptance: those Mexicans may seem like silly stereotypes at first, but if you think about it, the movie shows how people can overcome the barriers of their different races and languages to work together and help each other. (**1/2)

I checked this out because I wanted to see Jet Li and Jerry Trimble go at it. And for the first hour of the movie, I was disappointed with a slow-moving, mediocre action film. But, man, was I in for a treat that last half hour or so - specifically the final fight scene (where Li and Trimble REALLY square off) which delivered all the goods I was expecting, and then more. Viewed on one of the old "Jet Li Collection" DVDs that Dimension released in the early 2000s, so poor video quality and an awful dub were expected and didn't detract from, what turned out to be, an overall above average martial-arts films, solidified by the engaging final act and a powerhouse fight scene.

Also, Trimble's mullet must be noted. That thing was mighty.

Before I begin, let me get across everyone's complaint: the acting is horrible...from the white actors. It is far worse than the dubbing of old school kung fu movies (although I prefer the dubbed dialogue of old kung fu movies to many movies made today, the dialogue is more quotable). But come on, what type of person would watch a low-budget kung fu movie and expect good acting?

The plot is right out of an old kung fu movie: Rival kung fu masters duking it out to see who is better. Jet is a fish-out-of-water who gets involved.

The fights are why we see this movie...right? The fights are well-choreographed. Very little (if any) wires are used. Jet Li, Yuen Wah, and Jerry Trimble look very impressive. He actually is better in this movie than in stuff like Romeo Must Die, Hitman, Swordsman II, and Dr. Wai. The last fight is very cool, one of his best overall. Overall, a pretty good movie...just don't expect much.

Although Jet Li is in it and as a viewer you are aware that you are watching an action (Eastern) movie, it doesn't mean that the movie doesn't have to meet a standard! Unfortunately it doesn't reach the heights of the Li flicks.

I'd even say that Jet Li is the best thing in it. And I don't mean it in any way as a disrespect to Tsui Hark (director). The thing is though, that if you're not a Li fan, than there is high possibility that you won't enjoy the movie at all.

I am a fan and can say for certain, that Li has done better pictures than this. Though this is not a complete stinker, you might want to watch other Li flicks for your viewing pleasure ...