12/24/2023 0 Comments Wu jing tai chi boxerAnd as for the opium smuggling caper, fronted by an unintentionally comedic British baddie Mr. Jackie has a brother (or cousin?) for the first fifteen minutes of the film who then vanishes only to resurface at the finale.Įlsewhere a group of US educated Chinamen serving as early opposition for Jackie become less significant as the film progresses as does Rose’s political endeavours which were never clearly defined in the first place. The script is equally to blame, incorporating plot points which are subsequently forgotten. The film also suffers from a jaunty and uneven narrative, hampered by the brusque editing that jumps from one scene to the next without room to breathe, typified in the classic works of the Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest. It doesn’t seem much of a coincidence that Yuen didn’t direct another film after this until 2010 – neither is it a coincidence that despite being made in 1996 it could have easily been anytime in the prior twenty years, such is the dated aesthetic of the film. There is a sense of irony in this film being centred around the modern influence of western cultures in a position to usurp the old Chinese traditions, as Yuen was being superseded by younger directors who saw the writing on the wall for classic martial arts flicksĪ running gag of this film sees Jackie’s mother (a fabulous comic turn from action queen Sibelle Hu) tell his father to stay out of fights and let Jackie handle them as the “younger generation are better than the older generation”. Yuen’s impressive credentials have seen him expand his horizons in Hollywood’s direction, bringing his expertise to such fare as The Matrix and Kill Bill.Īs a straight up director Yuen has been responsible for a number of classic films from the golden era of martial arts films, although they have all been set in the past. Yuen Woo-Ping is one of the most prolific and finest choreographers/ action directors in the world of martial arts film, having worked with many of the greats including Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Michelle Yeoh and Chow Yun Fat. They strike up a friendship despite Rose being engaged to the pompous customs officer Lam Wing (Mark Cheng) and while putting the world to rights they inadvertently uncover an opium smuggling racket which Lam and Rose’s father Officer Tsao (Shun Lau) are bullied into keeping schtum about. Young Jackie (Jacky Wu aka Wu Jing) is one such person having devoted his life to learning the bespoke martial arts techniques of his strict but kindly father Yeung Shan-Wu (Yu Hai).ĭuring a celebration parade at which Jackie starts a fight when he prevents the live sacrifice of two young children(!), he meets Rose (Christy Chung), a recent returnee from America who also objects to the sacrifice. It was supposed to be a follow up of sorts to Yuen Woo-Ping’s 1993 film Tai Chi Master starring Jet Li (originally released over here in dubbed form under the misleading title Twin Warriors), but all they have in common is Tai-Chi in the title – hence the alternative Tai Chi Boxer.Įven then Tai Chi barely features in the film, and neither does boxing come to that! This rather energetic but basic martial arts barnstormer is set in the early 20 th century as China gradually allows a western influence into its society while others still cling to the traditional way of life. In case you are wondering what happened to Tai Chi I, well it doesn’t exactly exist…sort of. Tai Chi II aka Tai Chi Boxer (Tai ji quan) Hong Kong (1996) Dir.
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