Tai Chi II (1996)

Lack of good storyline.

A Masterpiece!

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

Most Westerners will probably be drawn to "Tai Chi Boxer" by Yuen Woo Ping's name, but I think it is a movie targeted primarily at Chinese audiences, who will probably respond more to its themes and period setting. The story is uncompelling, but the martial arts action choreography is spectacular and fascinating. Although Yuen Woo Ping sometimes resorts to wires, he lets the action stay on the ground long enough to let you appreciate the skills of the several martial artists who appear in the film. Jackie Wu, in his film debut, has graceful moves, and the fact that he is not very muscular makes his victories even more impressive; he really does make you believe that Tai Chi is the most powerful form of kung fu (especially when you add a mean ponytail to it). The guy who plays the main villain is fantastic - he seemed REALLY angry at all times. It is also a pleasure to see Sibelle Hu (one of the sexiest and most expressive actresses of Hong Kong cinema, in my opinion) in what is, according to IMDb, her last film role to date. (**1/2)

I saw this movie hoping it would run along the lines of "tai-chi master". After seeing the movie I'm not even sure it this is the sequel to it. There was very little, if any, reference to tai-chi. The acting was below average on almost all the actors. The story was very superficial with a simple plot. But then again, I don't watch hong-kong movies for their amazing storylines, I watch them for the fighting. And that's exactly what is this movie's strong point, the fighting is pretty nice, and inventive(pig-tail whip). Coolest fighting-scene was the one against the dad. Still, I can't reccomend this movie. Hopefully, a sequel worthy of being associated with tai-chi master will come along. Until then, I suggest you all dig out the original.

Once again, Yuen Woo-Ping has directed another highly entertaining period kung fu movie. He seems to be very good at that. The story is fairly typical, revolutionaries and opium smugglers in turn-of-the-century China. The action is what counts. There is a lot of martial arts in this movie. Jackie Wu, who I believe studied at the Beijing wushu institute, is impressive. He does a lot of good wushu and tai chi. Yu Hai and Billy Chow also show up and do some impressive moves. The bad guy from Fong Sai Yuk 2 and New Legend of Shaolin makes an appearance and copies "Iron Head Rat" from the original Drunken Master film. There are a lot of wires as well as authentic wushu and tai chi so be warned. I also liked the fact that there is actually a relationship in this movie that goes somewhere, something I rarely see in a kung fu movie. Sibelle Hu and Christy Chung are also pretty. Overall an entertaining kung fu flick.

Jacky Wu (former student of the beijing wushu team, who formed Jet li) plays Jackie: a young man that has to fight opium dealers. Most of the time, the fights look quite nice but the acting is so terrible (particularly from the white villain). There is also a cheap love story between Christy Chung and Jacky Wu and sometimes you can even see the cables in the fight scenes, particularly in the final fight. This movie deserves a 7.5/10 just because of the action sequences, nicely choreographed by one of the great: Yuen Woo ping.