Tai Chi Master [Blu-ray]

Surely one of the greatest martial arts movies ever made, showcasing Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh in two of the most exhilarating sword fighting sequences ever captured on film as well as one of the most brilliantly choreographed staff fighting scenes you are likely to encounter in the history of martial arts movies. However, be sure to choose the Cantonese version and enable the subtitles rather than the English version because the latter, as is the case with Iron Monkey and Fong Sai Yuk, has been adapted for English speaking audiences and hence is accompanied by musical scores tailored for Western audiences, which is less effective compared with the original score; coupled with the fact that there is no sound effects for the fight sequences, rendering the movie less exciting.Tai Chi Master revolves around the story of two Shaolin monks who, having violated the rules of combat within the sacred monastery, find themselves being expelled, only to be victimized at the hands of the imperial guards, and witnessing the elder of the two yielding to the emperor in the hopes of securing himself better prospects for a career in the army; while the younger of the two, played by Jet Li, decides to stick by his principles and continues to fight the emperor and the imperial army.Then, the elder of the two, in a ruthless bid at securing power and advancement for himself within the army, betrays Jet as he is considered to be one of the most sought after rebels along with his cohorts, among whom is the heroine played by Michelle Yeoh. This gives witness to one of the most ferocious and exhilarating fight scenes between Jet and his nemesis that sees Jet badly wounded by his elder and witnessing him descend into a state of mental disorder which Michelle tries hard to cure over an extended period of time to hardly any avail until Jet discovers the instruction manual for Tai Chi boxing, which gradually leads to his recovery and mastery of the formidable martial art.The movie culminates in a climactic battle between Jet and his nemesis that witnesses the elder being defeated and impaled on a stake to overwhelming cheering from soldiers under his command as they were severely ill-treated by him during his stint as a general who subjected them to extremely harsh training that saw innumerable injured and dead.This movie aptly showcases Jet Li's stupendous martial arts skills as well as Michelle Yeoh's excellent skills in wushu.

I have been viewing numerous martial arts films lately trying to catch up on the many good films I had missed over the years. This one (Tai Chi Master) came out in 1993 and it is nothing short of fantastic. It stars the amazing Jet Li and the beautiful Michelle Yeoh. Both of them are highly talented martial artists and actors. I did not time the scenes but I would say that for every five minutes of dialogue there had to be another action packed fight scene that followed.The story centers around two best friends who were martial arts students when they were young. They became bitter enemies later and went their separate separate ways. One (Jet Li) becomes a Tai Chi master and has a good heart and uses his martial arts skills only for the good. The previous friend, who is now the enemy, uses his martial arts skills only to destroy and kill. He becomes an evil general who kills anyone (men, women, children) who gets in his way. The acting of Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh is superb in this film and you can see they work well together.In conclusion, if you are a fan of martial arts films, especially Asian ones, where there are tons of fighting scenes and action, you will love this DVD. This is one I will watch again and again.Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Co-Author: Monadnock Defensive Tactics System(MDTS))

Spectacular, heaven & earth-shattering martial arts flick, starring Jet Li and the elegant Michelle Yeoh. This movie should satisfy fans of both.Director Woo-ping Yuen loves to build structures for his actors to clamber around on, giving his films a multi-dimensional quality. This one is no exception, from the looping sword fight on the wooden pyre to the final conflict on the rope platform. The wooden pyre scene is especially frantic where the combatants move freely above, within, and below the structure, which itself shakes and morphs before your eyes. For the viewer, the overall effect is not simply looking at a stage prop, but feeling the textures and elemental qualities of the pyre. No wonder the Wachowski brothers hired Woo-ping to choreograph their action scenes in "The Matrix".My favorite line (a taunt to Jet Li): "Are you here to dance, or did you come to fight!?"...right before Jet Li delivers the holy hurt on him.Just my gripes: the DVD format is treated like a cheapo knock-off from a video chop-shop. The viewer is forced to watch two movie promos before getting to the film, during which no FF or menu selection is allowed! I'm fine with the promos, but why force-feed the customer? Also, no option is provided for the original Chinese w/English subtitles and music score. (The dubbing is bearable though).All in all, highly recommended for all fans of the genre. I'll give 5 stars if this DVD is ever given the proper treatment it deserves.

I'm a fan of Michelle Yeoh a brilliant oriental actress but some of her films you can't get on DVD like the sequel to Crouching Tiger

It arrived, and I thoroughly enjoyed the film.

Mon‎ Yuen Woo-Ping préféré, grâce à son parfait équilibre, selon moi, entre humour et gravité, et ses scènes de stomb démentes. Celle au pied du bûcher est digne d'un climax final, mais non, d'autres suivront, tout aussi démentes. Un régal.

Ich habe probleme mit Region.Falscher Regionalcode.Wiedergabe ist in dieser Region nicht zugelassen.was soll ich machen mit dieder DVD ich möchte tauschen

Assolutamente da avere per gli amanti del genere o di Jet Li o Michelle Yeoh: bella storia, ottima qualità video, molto nitida , bei colori: splendido blu ray.- 16/9 1.78:1- Dolby digital: Cantonese original mono- DTS HD master audio: Cantonese 5.1- DTS HD master audio: Inglese 5.1- Audio commentary by Hong Kong cinema expert Bey Logan- Sottotitoli: inglese removibile- Sottotitoli inglesi anche per gli extra in lingua inglese- Trailer home video (in inglese)- Nemesis: An exclusive interview with star Chin Siu Ho- The birthplace of Tai Chi: On location in Chen village- Meditations on the master: Director Brett Ratner and critic Elvis Mitchell on director Yuen Wo-ping- Twin Warriors: Critic elvis Mitchell and director Brett Ratner discuss Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh