This is the third go round for Man of Tai Chi reviews. While only a handful of reviews have appeared, the films has been better reeived here than at TIFF.
Update: Two more reviews have been added at the end of the stream. Movies.com has declared Man of Tai Chi the best martial arts action since The Raid!
Update X2: Film School Rejects review is at the end of the stream.
–Jacob Knight has reviewed the Man of Tai Chi for Screen Invasion. Knight gave film 3/5 stars and said:
Keanu Reeves’ directorial debut, Man of Tai Chi, is a slick, carefully choreographed piece of controlled demolition. Brimming with bone crunching fights filmed with an almost Fincher-esque eye for cold precision, the aesthetics alternate between grimy and antiseptic, while the action is never less than arresting.
You can read the review here.
–Johnny Donaldson reviewed Man of Tai Chi for Geek League of America and gave it 3/5 stars. Mr. Donaldson had the following to say about the film:
Man of Tai Chi is a film best appreciated by undemanding fans of old-fashioned martial arts films. I don’t mean that as a knock. A feature-length love letter to the art of tai chi, especially the Ling Kong style solely performed by the renowned martial artist Tiger Chen, Man of Tai Chi is an often undeniably silly effort marked by goofy dialogue and wooden acting. It’s not the kind of film that will rise to the top echelons of martial arts films, but damn is it entertaining.
The review is here.
–Nordling reviewed Man of Tai Chi for Ain’t It Cool News. Nordling didn’t rate the film but the review overall was quite decent. He finishes saying:
The best thing about MAN OF TAI CHI is that it aims and hits its targets. Keanu Reeves isn’t making an overly ambitious movie – he’s playing in the genre that he loves, and while MAN OF TAI CHI won’t change martial arts movies forever, it can stand toe-to-toe with them. I admire a movie that knows what it is, knows what it wants to do, and for the most part succeeds.
…He wants to make a genuinely entertaining martial arts movie for today’s audiences, that while respecting the past isn’t beholden to it to the point of parody, and at the same time knows how to lighten up. Can the dialogue be corny at times? Yes, but in that good way – MAN OF TAI CHI shows its audience a grand time.
The review is here.
-Jeff Bayer reviewed Man of Tai Chi for Movie.con and said it was the best martial arts action film since The Raid! Bayer had the following to say:
Though, the more I think of it, Reeves’ first directing gig proves he knows exactly what kind of film he wants to make, and I hope we have many more original (non-sequel) stories to tell in the future.
…Sometimes a film can be as simple as black and white (and the men who wear those colors). Man of Tai Chi delivers where it matters the most, with fantastic choreographed action. It’s like a Matrix spin-off, with Evil Neo obsessed with creating the best fighter in the almost-real world. Whoa, indeed.
The review is here.
-Britt Hayes reviewed Man of Tai Chi for Screen Crush and gave it a 6/10. Hayes finishes with:
As a martial arts action film, ‘Man of Tai Chi’ is fun enough — the fights are engaging, Chen’s moves are breathtaking, and Keanu Reeves goes full Keanu Reeves, unable to bring natural energy or diction to his role, instead creating a Ouroboros effect, in which Reeves has unwittingly become a satire of himself. Though it often feels goofy and a little too over the top, ‘Man of Tai Chi’ is a solid directorial effort for Reeves — what he lacks in visual quality, he makes up for with a clear understanding of filming action, an understanding he undoubtedly picked up after years of working with guys like Chen and Woo-ping.
The entire review is here.
-Rob Hunter has posted his review of Man of Tai Chi for Film School Rejects. He gave the film a B saying:
This is a Hong Kong martial arts film through and through, and it’s one of the best contemporary-set ones in recent years too thanks to a sharp look, several highly impressive fight scenes, and a ridiculously entertaining supporting performance from Reeves.