It’s ironic after reviewing the recent Striking Rescue (2024) that my follow up film would be co-directed by the same director. I didn’t know this as I entered into The Tai Chi Master but upon seeing Siyu Cheng’s name included in the credits I had an idea that this wouldn’t be just another throwaway actioner like many other streaming releases.
Co-directed by Zhenzhao Lin, himself no stranger to web based movies, The Tai Chi Master has everything you could want in a martial arts film with decent production values, plentiful action scenes and a terrific leading man in the form of Wu Yue. With all that we should have been on to a winner, but these separate elements don’t always come together to make a satisfying whole. The Tai Chi Master is certainly a worthwhile way to spend 90 minutes, but the film has some issues that stop it from being truly memorable.
One of these issues is the film’s title. Many martial arts movie fans will be more than aware of Yuen Woo Ping’s wonderful Tai Chi Master (1993) which starred Jet Li in the main role of Chan Sanfeng, the same character portrayed here by Wu Yue. While this isn’t exactly a remake, comparisons with the 1993 classic are unavoidable, comparisons that this modern update are unable to overcome.
The filmmakers behind The Tai Chi Master shouldn’t be faulted for taking inspiration from the tales of Chan Sanfeng. Many productions through the years have included the character, with varying degrees of quality, with movie legends like Sammo Hung and Donnie Yen playing variations of the role. Although it focuses on an earlier iteration of the character, in terms of quality, The Tai Chi Master fits somewhere between the level of Kung Fu Cult Master (1993) and its 2022 remake.
Surrounded by war and rival clans, famed martial artist Zhang Sanfeng (Wu Yue) looks to turn the tide of this turmoil by assisting his friend General Wei Linchuan (Zhang Kai) in overthrowing the country’s variety of invaders. At the same time he needs to deal with the internal politics of his own martial arts sect, the Wuji. With it not being clear who to trust, it isn’t long until Sanfeng only has himself to rely on. Through this he begins to develop the mysterious form of martial art Tai Chi, a martial art that may be his only means of saving the Wuji Sect.
Other than some shoddy CGI, this is a handsomely mounted production, with the various sets making for a beautiful background to the on screen action. The real issue with The Tai Chi Master is that it seems to take its audience for granted. There is very little in the way of backstory given, with the writers seemingly assuming the audience already has knowledge of the characters. I almost felt like I was watching the sequel to a film that came before with how quickly the audience is thrown into the main plot, before said plot became increasingly convoluted as the film progressed. In addition to this, the dialogue delivered by the cast is never going to win any awards, even if the cast delivers it as professionally as possible.
Still, it does have enough going for it to make it a worthwhile endeavor. One is that it has a decidedly 1990’s feel to it, harkening back to the popular wuxia films of the period, albeit some of the less popular HK fantasy movies such as Deadful Melody (1994) and Fire Dragon (1994). And make no mistake, unlike the 1993 version, this take on The Tai Chi Master definitely falls into the fantasy category with two headed demons with special powers and a giant silkworm just being a couple of the wonders on show.
The two headed “demon” is a highlight. Titled the Yin/Yang Judge, his two heads are in fact a mask which rotates during the action, depending on the character’s mood. Brandishing an oversized paint brush as a weapon, he makes for an interesting opponent, with this viewer being quite surprised when his true form is finally exposed. In terms of the silkworm, the budget limitations are more than apparent, with this being one of the aspects that lets the production down. Thankfully it only appears fleetingly.
The other aspect that makes The Tai Chi Master worth your time is that it features the underrated Wu Yue in a leading role. Considering his stand out appearances in the likes of Paradox (2017), The Brink (2017) and more recently Sakra (2023), I did expect Wu Yue to be appearing in higher profile fare i.e. cinema releases rather than web based content. I suppose work is work, and never once does Wu Yue phone it in, giving an energetic performance that allows him to run a gamut of emotions as well as show off his impressive martial arts skills.
Wu’s introduction to the movie is during a standout action scene, with him drunkenly interjecting during the heat of battle. Admittedly, the use of some obvious wirework is slightly distracting, but for the most part the action Wu is involved in is well mounted allowing him to shine.
Wu’s co-stars obviously don’t carry the same martial arts credentials as him, with the likes of Ada Liu’s action scenes having a stronger focus on CGI. I would suggest giving this a miss if seeing characters wave their arms around whilst the scenery explodes isn’t your thing. While this may turn off some viewers, action director Xu Xiaokong’s choreography is creative enough to keep most people entertained. The main complaint that could be levied at the action is that the majority of fight scenes are somewhat short in comparison to those 90’s classics that I had previously mentioned.
I doubt anyone entered into The Tai Chi Master expecting it to match up with the martial arts classics from days gone by. However, it does a decent job of trying to emulate that style while updating it at the same time. Additionally it is bolstered by a great lead turn from Wu Yue. Currently available digitally from the good people at Well Go USA, The Tai Chi Master is an entertaining and fast moving 90 minutes that whilst maybe not appearing on many people’s top ten still makes for an enjoyably fast moving action fix.
Plot: 2.5/5
Acting: 3/5
Action: 3.5/5
Overall: 3/5