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One of the most tragic aspects of this past weekend’s The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is that it’s yet another disappointing American film that squanders the immense martial arts talent of Jet Li. Luckily, Dragon Dynasty has reissued one of his best Hong Kong-based films, Tai Chi Master, a film that was previously available in the U.S. as Twin Warriors.
The story follows two mischievous students of kung fu in a Shaolin temple and their diverging lives after leaving the temple. Jun Bao (Jet Li) is the milder of the two boys, while Tien Bao (Chin Siu Ho) is more rambunctious and typically the instigator of their troubles. After Tien Bao inadvertently kills another temple’s student during a sparring match, both boys are exiled from the temple and are forced to try to find their way in the city. Tien Bao, hungry for power and recognition, enters the service of a tyrannical governor. Jun Bao, however, falls in with a group of rebels, including Siu Lin (Michelle Yeoh). Finding themselves on opposite sides, the two former best friends are drawn further toward a fatal showdown.
Tai Chi Master is directed by Yuen Woo Ping, the martial arts choreographer who’s most familiar to American viewers from his work on The Matrix trilogy and the two Kill Bill films. As many fans of martial arts films will tell you, Yuen Woo Ping is one of the most respected names in the genre—and for good reason. With some help from a multiple award-winning martial artist (Li) and a former member of the Peking Opera (Chin), his action scenes are as fluid and graceful as they come. While modern American action seems to have veered into chaotic editing and quick, extreme close-ups, Yuen’s films make each punch, kick, and block both evident and forceful.
It’s also a film with a sense of humor. Unlike the many American films that have cast Li as a humorless villain, Tai Chi Master has fun with its actors, giving them just a dash of slapstick to go with the bountiful butt-kicking. It’s not as heavy on the comedy as, say, a Jackie Chan film, but it’s refreshing to see an action movie that knows when to take itself seriously and when to have a little fun.
This Dragon Dynasty release also features improved picture and sound over the original U.S. release, as well as a set of four interviews and mini-documentaries. A major bonus is the inclusion of a commentary track by Bey Logan, an expert on Hong Kong cinema who provides a wealth of background information on the film, the players, and the long tradition of Hong Kong martial arts cinema.
If you’re a fan of Jet Li, or of martial arts films in general, do yourself a favor and skip the CGI-heavy The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Instead, head out to the local video store and pick up a copy of Tai Chi Master for a film in which the actors themselves are the special effects.
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