Review of Man of Tai Chi (2013) by John G — 09 Aug 2013

While very Western in style, this movie has a plot very reminiscent of Hong Kong martial arts films from the 60's and 70's. The twists are simple, the characters are for the most part fairly shallow and if you've seen many martial arts films, you will most likely be able to predict the final outcome before it occurs.

This is not to say that the film was a disappointment; on the contrary, I found it most entertaining. The action scenes are superbly choreographed and the acting is perfectly suited to the somewhat linear plot-the story unfolds with little room for confusion but the climax leaves some room for interpretation.

I quite like Tiger Chen's performance-while he is perhaps not a wildly talented actor, he is perfectly suited to this rags-to-riches-and-rebirth tale, and delivers his performance with a muted style which-surprisingly considering the action-oriented plot-profoundly moved me.

Keanu Reeves' performance was not quite what I was expecting, but as his was a support role, I wasn't disappointed.

The other supporting actors were by and large one-dimensional, but well suited to their limited roles.

As a martial arts action movie, this film hits right on the mark. I loved it.