The action combines real kung fu with unfortunately a good dose of wire work, which I tend to find ridiculously annoying. You can even clearly see the wires attached to the actors as they leap and "fly." There are also elements of slapstick comedy, which in the interviews it's explained that the creators tried to borrow a few elements of Jackie Chan's brand of kung-fu comedy, but I found the humor quite lacking.

Nonetheless, it's a straightforward tale of two young monks who grow up as friends but ultimately become enemies as each follows a different path in life. Jet plays Jun Bao, the younger monk, when the story opens in the legendary Shaolin Temple. He meets Tien Bao, played by Chin Siu Ho (who also co-starred with Jet in "Fist of Legend"), an older boy with an ambitious, headstrong streak. We see a flash of Tien's will to dominate when he pressures Jun Bao into calling him the "senior brother," even though their master intended it the other way around because Jun Bao came first to the monastery.

As young men, they get expelled from the temple when Tien Bao offends the master of an unscrupulous student and Jun Bao comes to his brother's defense. There's a great action sequence where the monks get into their "Lohan" formation, that is, multiple monks stand on their comrades' shoulders to form a daunting array of men with spinning sticks. The duo only manage to escape when they break the oil lamps in the hall to make the floors slippery, and their master also makes a timely intervention.

Anyway, once in the secular "real" world, Tien Bao's obsessive ambition draws him into the service of a corrupt eunuch who serves as the local governor, whereas the still innocent and idealistic Jun Bao is content with a simple, peaceful life and winds up in the company of rebel fighters.

An inevitable collision course is thus set, and Tien Bao's treachery temporarily drives Jun Bao into pyschological paralysis, but the latter eventually finds enlightenment in the Way of Tao, and becomes a Master of "Tai Chi."

It leads to a furious climax as Tien Bao, now a general, squares off against his one time brother, and is defeated because he has never learned to tame his impulsive instincts. However, it is not Jun Bao who kills him, but his mutinous soldiers who have become fed up with his tyrannical, ruthless ways. Jun Bao rides off and becomes the famous Cheung San Fung, the great Taoist master.

Overall, it's a good story with pretty good action, and despite a few quibbles here and there I'd definitely recommend it to any matial arts fan.

Let me start off delicately so I don't infuriate the children. This movie ain't sh**. An overhyped bowl of average soup always tastes the same: salty. Everyone seems to talk about the extraordinary action and martial arts choreography being of the highest caliber. What a bunch of bull. I can't speak for you folks, but personally I like my wire fu with more fu than wire, not the other way around. The action is ludicrous, gravity defying, irrational slop. Yuen Wo Ping has put together a bunch of brilliant art in his day, but this is not of that grouping. Three expert martial artists/thespians (Jet Li, Yuen Biao, Michelle Yeoh) are completely wasted and are used as yo-yo's instead of the skilled athletes they are. The story and characters are very typical and there is nothing truly exceptional about this film.

Now that I have pissed my name in the snow, let me address the flipside of the coin. Don't get it twisted--I don't believe this movie sucks, I just think that it is one of the, if not the, most overly embellished kung fu films around. "The Tai Chi Master" does have many redeeming traits. The story, while standard, was presented well; the characters had pretty good chemistry; and a few of the action sequences did show a spark of character (it was cool to see Jet and Yuen use a Shaolin staff style with brooms). So overall, yes, the film is enjoyable; but it is not a classic and in my opinion should not be regarded as such. Like I insinuated in the beginning of my review, this movie is best for wuxia and Jet Li fanatics.

Don't give me that look. I love wuxia and Jet Li too, but these days for me to get a real thrill I got to go wireless. You have no idea how long I have been holding that in. Please direct all complaints and outbursts to the nearest brick wall.

While the story is great & the fight scenes are brilliant, there some bad sides with this movie, still one of Jet Li's greatest Hong Kong movie after "Hero" of course.

In this movie like all other Jet Li movies, Li plays the hero.

Junbao (Li) and Tienbao/Tianbao (Chin Siu Ho), are two monks growing up in a "look-alike" Shaolin temple.

They both practice harder then anyone else, and they both often get in trouble (because of Tianbao), when they became young grownups they both get kicked out of the school.

Their Sifu (teacher) gives a book to Tianbao so he can settle his worried mind to peace.

They then go out into the world..

First best friends, but later sworn enemies, when Tianbao betrays his friends and Junbao for promotion.

I just want to add that Chin Siu Ho, that plays Tianbao gives the movie an uplift and his major charisma gives his role credibility.

While Jet Li play a good role here this must be one of those better movie made by him. But I think Chin Siu Ho plays much better givin' the movie life to it..

This movie should have ended otherwise but the good ones always win doesn't they..

Regard a Chin Siu Ho fan!

I first saw this movie on a vhs tape that my friend taped off someone else. The picture was bad and the sound wasn't great, but it was still enough for me to hold it as one of my favorite films of all time...

While the storyline was minimal, it developed very likeable characters. I really related to the two main characters, especially Tienbao (Chin Siu-Ho) as his relationship with Junbao is very similar to my relationship with my younger brother. Junbao, just like my brother, is a happy go lucky guy (sometimes goofy -watch jet li and his facial expressions-just like my brother!), while I'm the cynical ambitious one. Although I don't think my brother and I will have a kung fu showdown, it is also kinda eerie that he studies tai chi while I devote time to shaolin kung fu.

As with all films of this genre, there is quite a bit of camera tricks and wire fighting, interspaced with solid martial arts techniques. This gives this type of film a comedy relief and excitement feel to them that no western film could reproduce. Personally I like to watch films like this to unwind, a feeling that you don't get when you're watching Tom Hanks go for what? His third , forth oscar performance.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the film in Cantonese. Cantonese is a very aggressive sounding language and I think it suits martial arts films. I don't like watching films in Mandarin as it puts me to sleep-much like when I was in Mandarin school as a child. The English subtitles are questionable in some places.

Later saw the US version which was renamed Twin Warriors. Wow, what a disappointment. Dimension or whoever produced the US version took great liberties with the film. The original music score has been reworked. Scenes where there were stirring strains are now replaced with either silence or an annoying flute melody -arrrgh! I admit, the original music was a little cheesy but it all seemed to fit in with the movie. Every time the flute music came on I wanted to kick the TV.

Another problem I have is how they cut out a whole bunch of film -mostly from the fight scenes -arrrrgh!...

If you're going to buy the DVD...get the HK version...

They wander China and during a performance, Junbao and Tianbao go their separate ways, Tianbao joining the military, and Junbao joining the rebels opposing the government.

Tianbao, hungry for power and wealth, sets-up and betrays his lifelong friend, Junbao, in an ambush to attain the rank of general. Junbao, stricken with grief and disbelief, turns to Tai Chi to help.

The climactic finale pits Tianbao against Junbao in a martial arts battle that rages throughout a military encampment while an army of thousands look on.

This is one of my favorite Jet Li movies ever, the other being Fist of Legend. The wire work is stupendous, and adds greatly to Jet Li's already impressive fighting style.

One person who should get a mention in this review is Michelle Yeoh, a babe and a equally impressive fighter.

Any fan of kung-fu period pieces will love this, hell, anyone who likes action will like this.