Today’s film explores what martial artists do when they’re through being martial artists. Apparently there’s not a big (legal) market for people whose entire skill set includes: beating other people up. Hard to believe, huh? Rocky broke thumbs for a lowlife mobster in-between ring bouts. If you’re not up to law enforcement, that’s about all life offers for ass-kicking savants. Ladies and gentlemen of fisticuffs, you’re living in the wrong century.
Sung-Joon (Oh Ji-Ho) has been given the keys to the Tae-baek kingdom, so-to-speak. But he doesn’t want the keys if he can’t find his suddenly missing Tae-baek friend/rival, so he does the only logical thing left: gives up martial arts and starts a new life. The issue? He has no marketable skills, which is cool in a relationship for about as long as it takes until you start needing stuff. Then we get to find out what being a master of Tae-baek is worth in the open market. The answer: about $1.50 (pre-taxes).
Tae-beak is –apparently- what you get when you make acupressure into a martial art. Honestly, that sounds both cool and effective, if a little implausible and fairly impractical. The impractical part comes where the fight choreographer has to create extended battles with a guy who can disable with a well-place touch. Sung-Joon has translated such into “miracle cures” involving acupressure.
Now, wait for it, acupressure IS a thing. People seek acupressure 
experts for all sorts of aches and pains, However, Sung-Joon isn’t trained in acupressure; he’s just trained to hurt people. So, instead of legitimate profession, the movie makes him into a snake-oil salesman of sorts (a “Therapist”), with mixed results. As a result, we’re all just waiting until this mild-mannered doofus starts kicking ass again. When is that going to happen?
The Therapist: Fist of Tae-Baek made me laugh a few times. And I was genuinely interested in how Korean Clark Kent becomes Superman. I’m not sure the film ever really get there. There are better martial arts films; there are worse martial arts films. Korea already has a “normal guy badass in disguise” film out this year. How many of these things do you need? I liked Therapist more than I didn’t, but I this film won’t have a lasting impact in any form.
Y’all don’t want to battle me
My talents don’t bequeath chattily
I’ve power to spare
Try me, if you dare
I’m a master of intense philately
Not Rated, 104 Minutes
Director: Choi Sang-Hun
Writer: Han Seung-Yeob
Genre: The secret lives of masters
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Jackie Chan fans
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: People who have waited a little too long for others to prove themselves
