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It has a cool look to it, but this martial arts import is emptier than it should be....
Well Go USA / 95 Minutes / 2012 / Rated PG-13 / Street Date: January 22, 2013
It doesn't take long to figure out exactly which direction Tai Chi Zero is headed. Jayden Yuan plays a kid named Yuan in the movie who has a magical button on his forehead (yes, I'm serious) that - once pressed - turns him from a well-mannered young man into a martial arts maelstrom of a warrior.
Every twist and turn of Tai Chi Zero is plainly visible ten minutes out - for those versed in modern martial arts imports, dialogue mimicry might even be in the cards - and while predictability isn't necessarily a killer in movies like this one, this film doesn't make much of a case for itself. The photography here is marvelous, and there's at least a modicum of thrill whenever it becomes time for an ass-kicking sequence, but as a whole, this one misses the mark.
Tony Leung gets some good face-time as a compatriot who turns out to be a nemesis, and Yuan takes a fancy toward a hot chick who's pretty easy on the eyes (she's credited as being played by Angelababy), but only seriously devoted martial arts enthusiasts will be able to make it through this one without reaching for the fast-forward button. Again, when people fight each other, it passes the time, but it's not enough to keep the movie from flat-lining.