9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wo ping masterpiece, September 14, 2000
This review is from: Tai Chi II (DVD)
Don't pay any attention to the reviews that say that this is yuen wo ping's worst movie. I'ts actually one of his best. Don't get me wrong though, this movie doesn't have the greatest plot and what the subtitles say is sometimes(hopefully) not what the actors are actually saying. But, anyone who watches Yuen Woo Ping's movies should know that they're all about the fight scenes. Insane superhuman lightning fast fight scenes. This is where this movie truly shines. Nobody does fight scenes as well as woo ping. I recommend this or any yuen woo ping directed movie to anyone interested in hong kong martial arts. Anyone looking for a great story may be disapointed. But for me the fight scenes more than made up for this err.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Yuen Woo Ping Does It Again, November 22, 1999
This movie is an excellent and effective combination of comedy, martial arts mastery, likable characters, and rapid-fire action. Although it lacked a solid story--self-taught Tai Chi fighter helping Chinese revolutionaries dressed in English attire butting heads with traditionally clad Chinese militia in cohorts with opium-smuggling English citizens--the well positioned, amazingly choreographed fight scenes are well worth the purchase. Jacky Wu is a fresh face in the world of Hong Kong martial arts movies of today. With his acting and martial arts talent--highly evident in this movie--he is sure to go far.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Action-packed and Entirely Enjoyable, September 7, 2004
This review is from: Tai Chi II (DVD)
Tai Chi II, set during the time of British imperialism and the illegal opium trade, is one of the most action-packed and well-balanced non-"Old School" kung-fu films I have ever seen, ranking up there alongside Jet Li's "The Tai Chi Master."
The movie is cast well, with delightful and memorable characters.
The main plot revolves around the illegal opium trade propogated by the British--to the detriment of the native Chinese, the general clash of cultural values and how various segments within Chinese society adapt to the western influence. Secondarily, there is a romantic side of the plot between the main character, the very lovely leading lady, and her fiance. The film also highlights the strength and interplay of Chinese family relationships--for those reacting to the western presence in different ways--in a wonderful way (remeniscent of the Fong Sai Yuk films with Jet Li). In the end, the moral mainstay of traditional Chinese culture wins the day with a very satisfying resolution of circumstances.
The action choreography is quite well done (bravo! Yuen Woo-Ping!), making good use of multiple angles and very good use of slow motion to showcase the grace, power and superiority of Tai Chi. While there is limited use of wire, it is fairly well integrated with the rest of the fight sequence(s) and does not in any way detract from the general tone of the film, or eclipse the excellent emphasis on the Tai Chi methods.
If at all possible, get the original Hong Kong import version of this film (I bought mine for $7.99 from EDay Movie: www.edaymovie.com). The picture and sound quality are top-knotch, even though the English subtitles display the occasional spelling or grammatical anamoly (which I have come to expect--and even to enjoy(!)--over the years).
All tolled, a stellar offering that easily merits the top-shelf and quite possibly the top-ten in anyone's kung-fu movie collection! Along with The Tai Chi Master, Tai Chi II is easily one of the best non-"Old School" kung-fu film you are ever likely to see.
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