Tai Chi Boxer

Tai Chi Boxer

DVD Rating: ****

Reviewed by: Keith Hennessey Brown

Read Keith Hennessey Brown's film review of Tai Chi Boxer

There's one bad thing about this Region 2 DVD from Hong Kong Legends: the menus. They are difficult to navigate, due to the selected option being too similar in colour to the others.

This aside, no complaints.

Copy picture

The film itself looks and sounds pretty good, all things considered. There may not be anything to really showcase the DVD format, but HKL have done what they can and there is nothing to detract from one's enjoyment.

The first extra is a full length commentary by Bey Logan. Entertaining and informative, we get his tried and true mixture of career and biographical details, useful background on the film's production and historical setting and - lest things get too much like a (Chinese) laundry list - some choice trivia and asides.

Next up are interviews with Christy Chung and Darren Shahlavi, clocking in at 23 and 40 minutes respectively. Both talk about their experiences in the industry but, on account of being Canadian and British respectively, the stories they tell are refreshingly different and come across better, with more nuance than subtitling can provide.

Many watching the DVD will identify with Shahlavi: Obsessing over martial arts films in his early teens, he would try out the moves he saw Bruce Lee and others make. The difference, of course, was that he then resolved to become a Hong Kong movie star...

Next we have a gallery of pictures of Christy Chung, once voted FHM Asia's sexiest woman. While appealing to at least half the population - I'll leave it to you to guess which half - some might feel that it would be more appropriate on a Category III release than a mainstream one.

The package is rounded off with a two minute Behind The Scenes montage, the UK and domestic trailers for the film, and a gallery of stills.

Another good value DVD for genre fans.

Reviewed on: 25 Jul 2002
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An honest, unpretentious, entertaining martial arts movie.
Amazon link

Product Code: MDV583

Region: 2

Ratio: 16:9 anamorphic widescreen enhanced for widescreen TVs

Extras: Full length commentary; Interviews with Darren Shahlavi and Christy Chung; Behind The Scenes footage; Stills gallery; Trailers; Christy Chung photo gallery


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