An American/Chinese co-production, Keanu Reeves' directorial debut is a philosophical action film also intended as a star vehicle for martial artist and stuntman Tiger Chen, whom Reeves met and befriended during the production of the Matrix trilogy. Chen portrays a gifted student of tai chi, the methodical and rhythmic martial art aligned more with exercise and meditation than combat. Much to the displeasure of his aging master, the protagonist is eager to prove the power of tai chi, a desire which turns dangerous when financial desperation leads him to join an underground fight club led by a secretive and wealthy figure, played by Reeves himself, perhaps to render the film more accessible to American and European audiences. For around an hour, this is a satisfying, even great martial-arts film. The story of a naive youth entering a dangerous environment he does not understand may not be original, but it generates a certain fundamental, muscular B-movie intrigue, and behind the camera, Reeves proves a more than proficient director of action. The frequent fight sequences, which are the reason most will see this film, are shot and cut with crystal clarity without sacrificing tension and a sense of motion. The fights may not be beautiful, but they are direct and exciting in the vein of Enter the Dragon.

When the film is on point, its flaws, including superfluous scenes focused on a female detective investigating Reeves' character and his sinister organization, are not hard to forgive. Alas, the film and its director become too ambitious or, to be more blunt, too pretentious, and the enterprise flags. The third act sags under the weight of heavy-handed sermonizing explaining the obvious and the left-field introduction of mystical elements which may very well resonate with Chinese moviegoers, but left me scratching my head. Still, though, there is much to admire here, and I hope Reeves, for whom this obviously a project motivated by cultural fascination and earnestly nerdy Shaw-Brothers adoration, steps behind the camera again. It also leaves last year's nearly unendurable The Man with the Iron Fists in the dust with ease.

B-

Man of Tai Chi

Pretty generic and not that special, but not as bad as I thought it was going to be...apart from Keanu Reeves' acting. Fucking atrocious. Generic story that has been told about a thousand times before in old Hong Kong Kung Fu movies (saving the master's temple), but the planning office girl was kind of tasty (until she opens her mouth to reveal the weird teeth).

C-

Reeve's acting 'abilities' made this watchable. Otherwise, it's a total waste of time.

So, you think he was good, or you mean he was so laughably bad that it made it entertaining?

Bad. Actually a new low of bad for him.

I completely agree with David on this one.