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The Tai Chi Master

Play trailer Poster for The Tai Chi Master R Released Feb 11, 1994 1h 35m Action Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
83% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Two Shaolin Temple pupils (Jet Li, Chin Siu-hou) take different life paths, leading to an ultimate battle between them.

Critics Reviews

View All (6) Critics Reviews
Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle Not the best thing to come out of Hong Kong in a while, but still a rouser. Rated: 2.5/5 Mar 11, 2002 Full Review Mike Barnard Future Movies UK To see Li in his prime, this is a must. Rated: 7/10 Apr 28, 2010 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Oct 27, 2005 Full Review Fred Topel About.com See the Hong Kong cut, "Tai Chi Master," for great martial arts and a story of brothers torn apart. Rated: 4/5 Jul 14, 2003 Full Review Nicolas Lacroix Showbizz.net Rated: 4/5 Nov 12, 2002 Full Review Ryan Cracknell Apollo Guide The action and stunts are spectacular and entertaining, but big time Jet Li fans will be ultimately disappointed with the dull and predictable story. Rated: 65/100 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (404) audience reviews
carlos t Minha opinião: Neste período de 80 e 90 Jet fez centenas de filmes ao estilo Kung Fu raiz. E neste filme pela primeira vez trabalham juntos Jet Li e Michelle Yeoh, depois trabalharam em mais 2 filmes. O roteiro do filme não foge da estórias de tiranias de poder e onde ecravisam as pessoas humildes. Onde Jet e Michelle se unem com um grupo para libertar a região desta ditadura. Mas tudo inicia no #templo #shaolim onde Jet e seu amigo Chin estão aprendendo a arte do Kung Fu. Porem Chin aprende artes que são proibidas e por isso são banidos do templo e Jet vai junto. Quando estão de saída o mestre da uma advertêmcia a Chin não cair para o lado escuro. E é o que acaba ocorredo, em um momento os 2 amigos devem escolher seus caminhos. Jet escolhe de ajudar o povo e Chin a de conquistar cada vez mais poder. E é o que acontece, mesmo que para isso ele tenha que entregar seus amigos. E assim segue com várias cenas de lutas incirivéis que só os chineses sabem executar. Até o momento que Chin trai até mesmo seu líder tirano. E assim segue até o confronto final entre Jet e Chin. Como disse um roteiro já conhecido dos filmes de Kung Fu, mas bem executado por Jet, Chin e Michelle com boas coreografias. Esta entre os 10 melhores filmes de Jet Li. Roteiro: Apesar de um roteiro conhecido, foi bem executado. Vale apena assistir? Sim, para os amantes de Kung Fu. Nota: 7,5 Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member incredible yet cool fight scenes, the best! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member tai chi master is a perfect f***ing movie Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review matthew d Blowing winds and kung fu philosophy! Yuen Woo-ping's Hong Kong martial arts action-comedy Tai Chi Master (1993) is essentially one giant display of kung fu prowess from Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh. Director Yuen Woo-ping's style is so fast as he captures Jet Li's lightning fast Tai Chi moves, while adding his own hilarious Hong Kong slapstick unique to his pictures like Drunken Master. Tai Chi Master features almost a dozen different battles with fists, kicks, nunchucks, bamboo poles, spears, swords, and more. The two major duels between Jet Li's hero and Chin Siu-Ho's villain are shockingly fast and technical. Yuen Woo-ping conjures the wind to surround them in deadly combat, while demonstrating Shaolin kung fu, especially Li's Tai Chi mastery. Jet Li is unbelievable as Shang Jun Biao. His sincere dramatic acting as a disgraced Shaolin monk seeking redemption for his friends and peace of mind is fascinating. But, you're really watching for his phenomenal display of Tai Chi style Shaolin kung fu. His versatile action is simultaneously brutally violent, unreal fast, stunningly impressive. Would you like to see Jet Li take on 40 Shaolin monks armed with poles at once? How about 100's of soldiers with spears and swords? Michelle Yeoh is right there with her deft martial arts skills with her fists and nunchucks. I love her character Qiu Xue (Falling Snow) with her flawless beauty, pleasant comedy, gentle sympathy, and commanding presence. She makes all the kung fu look easy. Chin Siu-Ho is excellent as the Shaolin monk Dong Tian Biao with his vicious and selfish performance. Charlie Yuen Cheung-Yan is wonderful as the hilarious and wise Taoist Priest Ling. Liu Xun is so thoughtful and kind as Biao's sifu or master. Lastly, I must mention the drop dead gorgeous Fennie Yuen as the talented, funny, and devastating Xiao Dong Gua (Little Melon). She's just as impressive, cool, and lovely as Michelle Yeoh in Tai Chi Master. Tai Chi Master beautifully balances thoughtful Shaolin monk philosophies on Tai Chi and inner peace with outrageous physical comedy of tables slamming into people and so forth. Kwong Kim Yip's writing is a touching take on Chinese folklore by having two Shaolin Temple monks banished, only to separate on different paths of moral virtue versus financial gain for status, only to have them duel for solace. Tai Chi Master asks you to stand up to government tyranny, while defending your friends, spirituality, and moral values. I love the poignant score from composer William Wu Wai-Lap with his rising melodies for Tai Chi Master's main theme. The action melds into nature with exaggerated wind effects that blew my mind. I love how cinematographer Tom Lau's camera will follow fists with the blowing wind spiraling all around. Tai Chi Master has my favorite use of wind and fan effects in film. Woo-ping's heavy use of wires to make actors appear like they're flying with their jumps is like seeing the making of Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon that Yuen Woo-ping did the action choreography for 7 years later. Angie Lam's editing is hyper fast, resulting in a quick 96 minute movie. Yet, you can still follow all the insane skillful techniques demonstrated by Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, and the rest of the cast of martial artists. In the end, few actors or martial artists can compare to Jet Li and Tai Chi Master sees Li in his prime. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Liam D A really fun movie This action is like the previous Jet Li film The Legend is really underrated and one of the best films of his career Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/21 Full Review Audience Member Holy hell the cheese factor is high in this. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 12/23/18 Full Review Read all reviews
The Tai Chi Master

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Two Shaolin Temple pupils (Jet Li, Chin Siu-hou) take different life paths, leading to an ultimate battle between them.
Director
Woo-Ping Yuen
Producer
Jet Li
Screenwriter
Kwong Kim Yip
Distributor
Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co
Eastern Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Action
Original Language
Chinese
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 11, 1994, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 4, 2017
Runtime
1h 35m
Sound Mix
Stereo