Tai-Chi Master (1993)
"Tai ji: Zhang San Feng" (original title)

Jet Li was a monk in Shaolin. In a friendly competition for a higher place in Shaolin, his childhood friend almost kills a fellow student for using a concealed weapon (which cannot be used ... See full summary »

Director:

Woo-ping Yuen

Writer:

Kwong Kim Yip (screenplay)

Stars:

Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, Siu-hou Chin

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jet Li	...	Junbao
Michelle Yeoh	...	Siu Lin
Siu-hou Chin	...	Chin Bo (as Chin Siu Ho)
Fennie Yuen	...	Miss Li (as Fannie Yuen)
Cheung-Yan Yuen	...	Rev. Ling (as Yuen Cheung Yan)
Shun Lau	...	Master Jueyuan (as Lau Shun)
Hai Yu	...	Head Master

Storyline

Jet Li was a monk in Shaolin. In a friendly competition for a higher place in Shaolin, his childhood friend almost kills a fellow student for using a concealed weapon (which cannot be used in the competition). He and his friend got kicked out of the Shaolin. They met rebellions at that time of China. His friend betrayed Jet Li and his rebellion friends for money from the China government. Jet Li went crazy and discovered the art of Tai Chi at the recover period. Revenge seem to the only thing he is going to do.

---

Plot Keywords:

shaolin | tai chi | china | fight | battle | 

---

Taglines:

Une rencontre de légende

---

Genres:

Action | Comedy | Drama | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for martial arts violence

Details

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese English

Release Date:

18 November 1993 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

Twin Warriors

Filming Locations:

China

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eastern Productions, Golden Harvest Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Jet Li is kicking a ball against a wall, the wall breaks before the ball hits it.

---

Quotes

Junbao: Enough! Stop living in your past! What do you think you're doing here? Stop shoving me away! The past is what makes up who we are. Don't let it become your burden.

---

Connections

Followed by Tai Chi Chun (1996)

User Reviews

A truly great 90's actioner

It's not Drunken Master, (not the Legend of Drunken Master, the original, noodge), but what is? It is a well made tale of an ousted Shaolin monk who through hardship and madness, learns the ultimately taoist T'ai Chi Chuan.

The thing I love about this film, (and you'd have to be a geek to go with this} but I love the fact that he learns T'ai Chi through his own hardships, not from a sifu (teacher), and the typical sifu or friend who dies is his friend, who, instead of dying, turns evil with power.

The entire movie is a great representation of Taosism (yin, yang, good and evil}. I don't agree that Michelle Yeoh (or Michelle Kahn at she time in the film) was not well used. She provided the idea of the easy path, drinking in this case, that is so lacking in gong fu movies. She and he both redeem themselves against the head bad guy (His character name escapes me at the time}, but there is no love interest between themselves. She's tough and troubled, he's tough and troubled and they actually help each other (read: she stops drinking to save him, he learns from her care and she helps cure his madness).

By the way, the head bad guy, (again, sorry about the name} was still played brilliantly even in dubbing. My friends and I still say "Hmmmmm" in his fey evil voice when thinking bad thoughts. It can be said it's typical Hong Kong fare... Good guy gets defeated, learns a new style of Gong Fu and defeats the bad guy, but then again, isn't that what Star Wars took 3 films to accomplish?

Anyway, my opinion of this film is tainted by the fact that I'm a taoist, but the action is top notch, nobody flies for no reason, all the characters (even the comic relief) are fleshed out. great film. not the greatest, but, it's a hell of a lot better than "Shaolin Drunken Monk" (aka, Plan 9 from the Shaolin Temple) lol.