Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Man of Tai Chi Blu-ray Movie Review

Cool.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 8, 2013

No referees. No rules. Pure fighting. Man-to-man.

Man of Tai Chi may play around with some familiar pieces, but the end result is a surprisingly well-constructed and largely enjoyable film. Its depth doesn't extend too far but neither do its superficialities dominate the experience. To be sure, much of the film's success may be laid on its style while many of its mostly non-issue shortcomings may be found in its bits of unoriginality. First-time Director Keanu Reeves manages to balance the movie to wonderful effect for the duration, crafting an approachable, exciting film wrapped in simplistic themes and a complex exterior that together form a cohesive and in some ways unique little venture. The film builds its characters and its story smartly, and its evolution and final destination play hand-in-hand, the former frequently defining, but not spoiling, the latter. It's a Martial Arts film that never fully masquerades as an Action film but never hides its roots as a character study, either, resulting in a balanced and entertaining experience from start to finish.

Ready.

Tiger Chen (Tiger Chen Linhu) works hard and trains harder. He's an advanced student of Tai Chi, an ancient discipline that promotes awareness and form over violence and power. He studies under the distinguished master Yang (Hai Yu) and has proven himself a great student of the art. He participates in local tournaments where he defeats more violent opponents with relative ease, using skill and defense to his benefit rather than attack with brute strength moves. By day, he works hard as a delivery man, a difficult and demanding job that challenges his emotional balance. He's able to discipline himself and control his emotions, keeping him employed even when the impossible is asked of him. He aims to further himself by learning English on his way to and from work. He's a balanced, happy man, an individual living a full, satisfying life, a man in deep control of his body, mind, and soul, even within the hectic universe he calls "home."

His life takes a turn when he receives a letter praising his Tai Chi skills and presenting a vague offer of employment. The letter provides few details and promises only a vehicle waiting for him the following morning. He's intrigued enough to follow the lead and, after defeating an unexpected fighting opponent, is introduced to Donaka Mark (Director Keanu Reeves), a mysterious businessman who tempts him with an opportunity to fight for money, to prove his value and the dominance of Tai Chi as an offensive force against opponents of all disciplines. He initially refuses, but when he learns that his master's temple is to be demolished, he agrees to fight to earn the cash to save the structure. He wins easily enough and begins bringing in large sums of money, enough that he may give generously to others but also begin treating himself to the luxuries he never had. The fighting and the money begin to take a mental toll, transforming him from a disciplined master to an undisciplined monster, threatening his way of life and taking him deeper down a sinister path upon which he knows not that he travels.

Keanu Reeves' directorial debut yields a stylish and cool movie, but stylish and cool done right, not stylish and cool for the sake of stylish and cool. The film enjoys a plus atmosphere, solid character development, strong photography, fine acting, terrific music, awesome fight scenes, and a simple and in many ways cliché but nevertheless emotionally powerful and satisfying script. Reeves ensures that all of these pluses outweigh the negatives of a story that's pieced together with decidedly unoriginal elements, including the student-master martial arts relationship, the police investigation into the illegal underground fighting, and the "Pay-Per-View for elites" angles. It all works because behind those pieces is a solid emotional core and a story that's constructed simply but carefully, reinforced by photography and music and made by the complex and slowly corrupted inner soul and soulful martial arts moves of its protagonist. The film never stutters or wastes time on superfluous secondary stories; it's all built to satisfy the core, a core that grows throughout and shifts in a positive direction in the final act. It's a fun movie that's absorbing and both visually and emotionally satisfying throughout.

Man of Tai Chi Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Man of Tai Chi's high definition transfer is one that's very clean and precisely detailed. The source material appears technically flawless, showing no stray markings, no excess noise, no soft corners, and no compression issues. Details rank highly and reveal facial textures, clothing lines, and environmental nuances on brick, concrete, vegetation, and even bland, gray interiors with pinpoint accuracy. Colors are robust where necessary and toned down by design in some of the grayer and blacker segments. The image finds its most vibrant and enjoyable colors with the reds and yellows inside the competition arena and on the purple shade on the delivery service uniforms and vehicles. Black levels never stray very far from naturally perfect and flesh tones are of no cause for concern. This is a top-end presentation from Anchor Bay.

Man of Tai Chi Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Man of Tai Chi arrives on Blu-ray with a stellar DTS-HD master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation enjoys excellent clarity and dynamic attention to detail in every element. Music is particularly dominant; the Techno-styled, bass-heavy beats thump with power and precision into the stage. Range is excellent, attention to detail exemplary, and surround usage balanced. Punches and kicks land with noticeable, but no overplayed, presence. General ambient effects satisfy, and dialogue, which is in both English and Chinese with optional English subtitles for the Chinese exchanges, plays crisply and consistently from the center channel. In all areas this is an excellent soundtrack from Anchor Bay.

Man of Tai Chi Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Man of Tai Chi contains two supplements.

• Audio Commentary: Director/Actor Keanu Reeves and Actor Tiger Hu Chen offer a somewhat straightforward but basically informative commentary, covering all of the usual insights with background information, on-set anecdotes, and details on fight choreography, acting, direction, music, and so on. It's a fine track that fans of the film will enjoy, but it's not a universal must-listen.
• The Making of Man of Tai Chi (HD, 7:52): Director/Actor Keanu Reeves and Tiger Chen Linhu describe the plot and speak on the project's origins. Also covered is Reeves' direction, the acting, the cinematography, Tai Chi and its role in the film, the cinematography, and more.

Man of Tai Chi Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Man of Tai Chi doesn't break new ground, but it fashions old pieces into something that's captivating and satisfying. A quality twist towards the end only reinforces the overtly and subtly constructed themes that run through the film. The fighting is tremendous, the acting strong, the music amazing, and the photography good. This is a fine under-the-radar sort of film that genre fans shouldn't miss, and that casual audiences may very well enjoy, too. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Man of Tai Chi features standout video and audio. Supplements are skimpy in number but fine in quality. Highly recommended.