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¤Ó·¥®± (1985)
Tai Chi Chun


Reviewed by: Gaijin84
Date: 10/11/2017
Summary: Great tai chi but typically choreographed...

A noble family is targeted by the Qing military and manages to survive the attack with few members left alive. Two brothers and their father hide out in the countryside, where they meet a Shaolin monk and eventually two sisters whose father is a Tai Chi master. He teaches them the art as well, and the four teens decide to take matters into their own hand and kill the Qing general (Hong Tao). They are lured into a trap and must battle a virtual army in order to exact their revenge.

Tai Chi Chun is a mainland film, and the story and action fall into this rather predictable category. Staple Guo Liang leads the cast and is, as expected, strong in martial arts and able to hold his own in the acting department. The two sisters, Lee Hoi-Yin and Ko Ling-San, were both wushu competition stars and their skills match the reputation. The tai chi is exciting and fluid to watch in full speed action, but as I have complained in the past about mainland films, the choreography is too exact and calculated. It looks more like a two-person competition routine performed on a set than an actual kung fu fight. The most impressive tai chi however, is actually demonstrated by two actors in a scene where they demonstrate the style to the Qing general. You can tell the power and speed these two possess in their brief showcase. Probably one of the only films that shows the effective use of tai chi in full speed combat, but with the trappings of the mainland films of the time.

Reviewer Score: 5

Reviewed by: STSH
Date: 06/21/2002
Summary: Lacks focus

I just couldn't get into this one. The fu is of quite a good standard but, oddly, this doesn't help much. The opening scene is wall-to-wall fu, but it's stuffed up be being filmed mostly in the dark ! It's pretty clear from the start who the good guys and bad guys are, but there are so many characters that it's hard to know who to focus on. The only guy I cared remotely about was the old monk with the beads who saved the good guys in the inn. I gave up after half an hour.

Reviewer Score: 1

Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/08/1999

Story of two anti-Qing rebels who learn Taiji to revenge their fellows.Features highly realistic Taiji fight scenes choreographed by Chen Xiao-Wang (19th generation inheritor of Chen style Taiji, who appears in the credits). In some ways, the definitive Taiji movie.

[Reviewed by Iain Sinclair]