Tai Chi Master

One of my favorite Hong Kong actors, Jet Li, does what I call his best film in "Tai Chi Master." Starring alongside Michelle Yeoh and a dozen other folks whose name I forgot, Li plays Junbao, a monk whose best friend betrays him and becomes a ruthless whacko. This leaves him only one option: grab a pole and start clubbin' baddies. While some parts are just too cheesy to mention, i.e. people flying around and some ridiculously hokey-looking effects (you can see the cable attached to a guy's back at one point), the best fights take place with just good ol' Jet Li, a pole, and an army of bad guys, where there is no room to fly around or do the ultra-powerful Buddhist Palms. Give Tai Chi Master a try. It's a love-hate thing for most people, and in my case, it's a love thing. This movie is one of the five best kung-fu flicks ever made, in my opinion.

Two friends, Junbao and Chin Bo, grow up in the isolated environment of the legendary Shaolin temple, studying to become monks. After being banished from the temple, they find adjusting to "normal" life to be difficult. Chin Bo, always the more ambitious one, agrees to join the oppressive army terrorizing the citizens. Junbao eventually joins forces with other concerned rebels in confronting the tyranny of the evil Governor (Jian Kui Sun) as well as Chin Bo, a newly minted general.

"Tai Chi Master", also known as "Twin Warriors" in North America, is an invigorating example of this genre. Most noteworthy about it is the way that it manages to contain an extremely healthy amount of comedy in addition to physical and acrobatic wizardry, all set against a very political backdrop. Directed with brio by the much celebrated Woo-Ping Yuen, the martial arts choreographer renowned for his work on the "Matrix" series, it has tremendous energy. The frequent fight scenes are so insane that they leave the viewers quite breathless. (Yes, you can sometimes see the wires holding performers in the air or pulling them along, but not often enough for it to really be a problem.) The comedy is frequently hilarious, and it's quite a joy to see action icon Michelle Yeoh bust out some comedy chops as her character Siu Lin turns to drink as a way of trying to forget about an unfaithful husband. Star attraction Jet Li (playing Junbao as a young adult) also served as the producer, and he's a delight, dazzling us with his moves but also showing off his flair for comedy and goofiness as Junbao seems to temporarily lose his mind. Siu-Ho Chin is excellent as the antagonistic Chin Bo, letting power go to his head, abusing his soldiers, and betraying his former friends.

The film gets fairly gory at times, and the English translations of the Asian dialogue do contain some profanity. But, despite the presence of a few very lovely ladies, there's no real sexuality as part of the package. It tells an adult story without ever getting too, too unpleasant.

"Tai Chi Master" has its over the top moments, but it does have some heart in addition to the action and humour, and the poignancy of a long friendship gone sour, so fans of the genre are sure to enjoy it.

Seven out of 10.

Twin Warriors is without a doubt Jet's Li's finest Shaolin movie. This movie has it all: friendship, love, betrayal, corruption, murder, and comedy, not to mention the kung fu Style of Shaolin which will never cease to amaze, bewilder, and captivate the viewer.

The plot itself is simple and easy to follow. Junbao and Chin Bo are misfit friends inside a Shaolin temple. Feeling both ambitious and outcast form the others in the temple, these two secretly practice kung fu while performing menial tasks such as sweeping the temple floor and doing laundry. Things come to head when Chin Bo takes things a little too far during a kung fu initiation, attacking a master with some of the master's own secret kung fu moves.

Forced to leave the temple Junbao and Chin Bo are forced to live as street entertainers, demonstrating their kung fu and ability to absorb punishment for money. That is until the Government wants a cut of that money. It's at this point that that the yin and yang relationship develops between Junboa and Chin Bo, one sticking to the virtues of Shaolin, while the other becomes a corrupt power hungry officer of the provincial army. The struggle between good and evil that rips two old friends apart is masterfully captured in this movie. Thankfully there are two key elements of the movie that save it from being a depressing tale about a friendship gone awry.

The first element of relief is comedy. While this is by no means a funny movie, there is a fairly long segment where Junbao becomes insane and partakes in some hilarious shenanigans. First he believes he is a duck and hides underwater in a fountain. Then he believes a pillar that holds up a building is his long lost Shaolin master. He even get mad when at a weeble-wobble `Mr. Tao' doll when it will not answer his questions. This comic relief is much needed, saving the film form being depressing.

The second element that makes this film a must see: The incredible martial arts sequences. From beginning to end this movie is packed with the best kung fu I have ever seen in a movie. So many different styles and techniques are used, and jet Li makes them all look as if they were child's play. Fight sequences are beautifully choreographed putting the ART back into martial Arts. I highly recommend this film for any casual or die hard fan of Jet Li, he is simply amazing in this film 10/10 stars!

"Twin Warriors" is one of my favorite Jet Li movies. It is about two monks who grow up together and befriend one another. After getting kicked out of their temple, they have to live in the world outside of the temple for the first time of their lives. Unfamiliar with the real world and how it works, they end up choosing different paths. In the end they end up fighting one another and throw their long friendship out the window. Also joining them is Michelle Yeoh, famous for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", and does a good job as well. The story is pretty good, and it even has some funny moments. There is no sexuality or hard language which is good for this film. The action in it is over the top and non-stop. It is definitely why you would want to see this movie, all different kinds of combat and martial arts. You have one on one fights, huge wars, hand to hand combat, weapon combat, and even the grab anything and use it as a weapon combat. The dubbing is pretty decent, and I don't think you can even find it in the States with the original voices. There are some minor flaws, like a times you can see wires, or things just look really fake, but it doesn't really take anything away from the film and is very entertaining. If you are a martial arts, Jet Li, or action fan, you should like this one. It has an R rating, but really could be PG-13 as there isn't anything very gory or sexual.

This movie is breathtaking!! If you like martial arts, and even a little comedy, watch this Yuen Woo Ping classic.

The opening Tai Chi training scene is so well done (see how everyone's movements are in sync) and sets the standard for the film. Yuen Woo's gift for choreography is evident throughout as weapons used include swords, spears, staffs, and tables too! The Shaolin "Luo Han Pole" formation scene must be watched in slo-mo to really appreciate it.

Jet does an awesome job as Junbao and his martial arts is amazing. More surprising is Michelle Yeoh who's incredible in every scene she's in. Her movements are so fluid, yet also graceful. From the spinning table scene fight to battling an army of soldiers, Yeoh really demonstrates her fighting prowess and acting ability as well.

Being that this was the first Jet Li film I've seen, it's one of my all-time favorites. It made me realize that incredible movies like this do exist!