Tai Chi Hero (2012) (DVD) (US Version) DVD Region 1
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Professional Review of "Tai Chi Hero (2012) (DVD) (US Version)"
This professional review refers to Tai Chi Hero (2012) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
For anyone who hasn't seen Tai Chi 0, there are spoilers in the following review.
Stephen Fung's steampunk-martial arts epic Tai Chi continues with Tai Chi Hero released hot on the heels of Tai Chi 0 with the third instalment apparently not due until 2014. Again directed by Fung and written and produced by Chen Kuo Fu (Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame, Aftershock), the film was shot in 3D back to back with the first outing, and continues the tale of Lu Chan (aka 'The Freak") as he tries to learn the Chen village Tai Chi and control his explosive inner strength. All of the original cast return, with real life Olympic gold medal-winning wushu champion Yuan Xiaochao, Angelababy (First Time), Fang Zijing (Eddie Peng, Love) and veteran favourite (Tony Leung Ka Fai, Election) again headlining, joined by newcomers William Feng (Painted Skin: The Resurrection), Nikki Hsieh (One Day) and noted Swedish and Hollywood character actor Peter Stormare (Fargo), naturally on hand in a villainous role. The film picks up where Tai Chi 0 left off, with Yuliang (Angelababy) set to marry Lu Chan (Yuan Xiaochao) to make him a Chen villager and allow him to learn the local Tai Chi. Their wedding day sees the arrival of an unexpected visitor, her elder brother Zaiyang (William Feng), who turns up with his wife Yun'er (Nikki Hsieh) after having been exiled by their father Master Chen Tony Leung Ka Fai) years back. Unfortunately, his arrival also heralds the beginning of a series of strange events, which are linked on an old legend stating that outsiders should never be taught the Chen martial arts. Lu Chan is blamed, though has another chance to prove his worth when Fang Zijing (Eddie Peng) returns with an army behind him, determined to take his revenge by destroying the village. Although a direct continuation rather than a sequel, Tai Chi Hero is a slightly different film, mainly since it sees Stephen Fung ditching a lot of the video game, Scott Pilgrim style cartoonery and pop culture references. This is definitely a good thing, helping to keep things focused on the story, and aside from a daft, throwaway sequence in which Lu Chan enters into a series of boss fights, the film is much more grounded, suggesting a slight maturing which fits well with its hero's journey arc. Although it might have been expected that Fung would have treated the first film as more of a training exercise, only to unleash more craziness here, there's still a fair amount of character development, mainly in terms of trying to add a little emotion through the shifting relationship between Lu Chan and Yuliang. Though this works reasonably well and the two stars perform solidly, their paring never really engages, and its William Feng's Zaiyang who emerges as the most interesting and multi-layered figure, ambiguous, conflicted, and surprisingly sympathetic. This having been said, there is more action this time around, Fung upping the pace and notching things up in terms of scale and spectacle, in particular during the third act. This comes mainly in the form of a couple of massive, very impressive set pieces and mass battles, which like the first film show excellent use of special effects and a fair amount of wild creativity. Sammo Hung's fight choreography is again very respectable, seen most notably in a superb duel between Yuan Xiaochao and Yuen Biao that arguably stands out at the best and most exciting sequence of the two films. The films only real problem comes with its ending, with the last act seeming to be setting itself up for further excitement, only to rush things through in a strangely perfunctory manner, Fung abruptly tying up all the loose ends save one without much thought. Though on the plus side this does avoid another cliff-hanger finale, it's somewhat unsatisfying, and while it does leave the door open for what could potentially be a fine concluding part to the trilogy, the fact that a third film may not arrive for some time runs the risk that audiences may have forgotten Lu Chan and friends by then. Still, despite a lingering feeling that Stephen Fung may not quite have fully delivered on the grand promise of their ambitious premise, the Tai Chi films do stand out as amongst the better and more enjoyable big budget Chinese blockbusters of the last year. Although the two are definitely best viewed back to back, Tai Chi Hero is arguably a more rounded film than is predecessor, and delivers more than enough action and imagination to entertain. by James Mudge – BeyondHollywood.com |
Customer Review of "Tai Chi Hero (2012) (DVD) (US Version)"
See all my reviews
September 11, 2014
This customer review refers to Tai Chi Hero (2012) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
Tai chi is almost beside the point
The stories in Jet Li's first few movies, when Li's acting skills were rudimentary, focused on finding excuses to show off his marvelous martial arts skills and physical dexterity. Visual trickery was unnecessary; his skills sufficed to astound. The exciting but flawed "Tai Chi Hero" goes in a different direction. Like the early Jet Li, star Yuan Xiaochao's acting is, to be kind, unnuanced. However, instead of featuring his martial arts skills, we get little opportunity to see them. The filmmakers were more excited by the steampunk technologies with which they fill the film.
The story picks up where "Tai Chi Zero" left off; outsider Luchan (Yuan Xiaochao) is marrying Yuliang (Angelababy), the daughter of Grandmaster Chen (Tony Leung Ka Fai), and taking the family name Chen in order to avoid the curse associated with anyone outside of Chen village learning Chen-style martial arts. Unexpectedly, Yuliang's black sheep elder brother Zaiyang (William Feng) arrives. Zaiyang had been banished from the village by Grandmaster Chen due to his disinterest in learning its wushu style; Zaiyang (like the filmmakers) is more interested in inventing new gadgets. (Given the compassionate nature Grandmaster Chen displayed in the previous film, this treatment of his son seems jarringly incongruous.) Unbeknownst to the villagers, Zaiyang has been paid off by evil Fang Zijing (Eddie Peng) to frighten them into leaving the village, so that Zijing's employer can run a railroad through it. When the scheme fails, Zijing (literally) brings out the big guns to bomb the village out of existence. With the villagers on the verge of defeat, a chastened Zaiyang employs his 'Heaven's Wing' invention in an attempt to disrupt Zijing's attack. This intervention from above forms the spectacular centerpiece of the film. "Tai Chi Hero" features only two significant martial arts sequences. In the first, Luchan confronts a series of the village's best fighters as a test of whether he will be accepted into the village. Each of these individual fights is cut much too short; the entire sequence lasts only a few minutes. In the second, Luchan squares off against Master Li (Yuen Biao). Both sequences are badly served by quick-cut editing that never allows the viewer to see more than a single move before the film cuts to a different shot. Just about anyone could be made to look good with these techniques; the proven skills of Yuan Xiao Chao and Yuen Biao go to waste. |
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