Man of Tai Chi

Man of Tai Chi centres on Chen Lin-Hu, a young courier in Beijing who is known as Tiger and devotes himself to Ling Kong Tai Chi under his master, Yang. His skill and unassuming manner draw the attention of Donaka Mark, a businessman who runs clandestine fights streamed live to wealthy clients. Donaka offers Tiger money to compete, and Tiger refuses at first, unwilling to compromise the principles of his art. When the temple where he trains is threatened, he agrees, and the harder bouts begin to change both his fighting style and his character. Inspector Suen Jing-Si of Hong Kong's anti-organised crime unit is meanwhile pursuing Donaka.

The film is Keanu Reeves's directorial debut, from a screenplay by Michael G. Cooney. Tiger Hu Chen, a stunt performer, takes the lead role, with Reeves himself playing Donaka Mark. Karen Mok appears as Inspector Suen, Hai Yu as Master Yang, Ye Qing as Ching Sha and Simon Yam as Superintendent Wong. Reeves had worked with Chen on the Matrix films, and this project gave the martial artist a rare starring part.

Made for a budget of about 25 million US dollars, the film took roughly 4 million dollars worldwide, a small return on its cost. On IMDb it holds 6 out of 10 from around 42,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.1 out of 10 from about a thousand votes. A critics' rating of 6 out of 10 from 67 reviews places it close to the audience scores, suggesting a modestly received action drama rather than a strongly divisive one.