Man of Tai Chi

Man of Tai Chi is the directorial debut of Keanu Reeves (he also co-stars).  I'm going to say this right now: I like Keanu Reeves.  Some of that is nostalgic (I love both Bill & Ted movies and the TV show and Point Break is fantastic).  I think that he's actually a good, if limited, actor (he's flat-out great in My Own Private Idaho).  But can he direct?

Turns out that he can.  Reeves doesn't seem to have a strong directorial stamp or style (maybe because it's his first attempt).  He does, however, craft an attractive and fun martial arts film.  The main narrative is clean and steady with plenty of pretty tracking, dolly, and crane shots.  The cinematography combines the kinetic camerawork of Hong Kong films with the gloss and refinement of classic Hollywood.  That is until the fight scenes (of which there are a crap ton).  Reeves re-teams with his The Matrix fight choreographer, Yuen Woo Ping.  The fight scenes (which are incredibly staged!) are filmed in a very classic Hong Kong kung-fu movie style.  Shots are kept wide and handheld camerawork is kept to a minimum.  This allows the audience to see every bit of the fight and appreciate the skill involved.  Yuen Woo Ping has been directing kung-fu movies since 1978 and I'm sure that he had a lot of say in how his choreography was filmed.

 

Man of Tai Chi is a total Enter the Dragon rip-off.  And that's a good thing!  Tiger Chen plays a young Tai Chi student named Tiger Chen.  His skill in local competitions attracts the attention of an exceptionally wealthy man, Donaka Mark, who happens to run an illegal fighting ring.  Circumstances force Tiger to reluctantly accept Donaka's offer to fight for money.  Tiger quickly becomes Donaka's star fighter.  But when he realizes where his life is heading, it may be too late to back out.  It is literally a modern-day Enter the Dragon with a hefty dose of Star Wars' "the dark side."

 

Man of Tai Chi is peppered with great actors.  Keanu Reeves as Donaka Mark is an excellent villain. He's done it before in Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing and the under-rated The Watcher.  He plays "sinister" very well. 

 

Tiger Chen is awesome!  He's believable as both the innocent delivery boy and the raging warrior.  The entire narrative arc is dependent on his acting ability and he nails it.  I can see him turning up in many action films over the next several years. 

 

Simon Yam also shows up in many scenes.  If you don't know who Simon Yam is, it is time to start renting some movies.  Try Full Contact or PTU or Election (the Hong Kong one, not the Reese Witherspoon one).  He's in a bunch of other awesome movies but this will start you off right.  He's always great, even in the rather small role he plays in Man of Tai Chi.

 

And the best small role for an incredible actor in this movie is when Iko Uwais shows up!  You'll probably be seeing a lot of this guy in the coming years.  He's an incredible martial artist from Indonesia.  He was in The Raid: Redemption recently, which is one of the best action movies ever.  I mean that.  One of the absolute best.  Ever.  He's also in a really great film called Merantau.  The fight between him and Tiger Chen is fantastic but a little short.

 

Finally, a shout out to the whoever is responsible for Karen Mok's character of Officer Sun Jingshi.  This is a role that was hugely refreshing.  A very small woman is cast as a relentless cop.  She isn't weaker than the male officers.  She's never helpless.  She's actually the best cop on the force.  The best part is that the film never points this out.  No mention is ever made of her gender.  It felt as if Karen Mok was cast in a role written for a man.  And she totally nails it!  It's definitely the standout performance of the film.

 

I'm really happy that I watched this movie.  Tai Chi doesn't get enough respect.  That's probably because your grandma does it twice a week at the park.  But it's an awesome martial art and hypnotic to watch.  Now when I need a Tai Chi fix, I have options.  Do I watch Man of Tai Chi or (one of my absolute favorite kung-fu movies) Drunken Tai Chi?  Either way, I'll win.  Hopefully, we see more of Keanu Reeves behind the camera.  I'm impressed so far.

 

8 out of 10