Tai-Pan (1986)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Daryl Duke

Writers:

John Briley (writer)
James Clavell (novel)

Release Date:

7 November 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure

Tagline:

There can only be one.

Plot:

Tai-Pan is Chinese for "supreme leader". This is the man with real power to his hands. And such a Tai-Pan...

Plot Keywords:

Hong Kong | China | Hyphen In Title | Female Nudity | Historical

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Bryan Brown	...	Dirk Struan
Joan Chen	...	May-May
John Stanton	...	Tyler Brock
Tim Guinee	...	Culum Struan
Bill Leadbitter	...	Gorth Brock
Russell Wong	...	Gordon Chen
Katy Behean	...	Mary Sinclair
Kyra Sedgwick	...	Tess Brock
Janine Turner	...	Shevaun Tillman
Norman Rodway	...	Aristotle Quance
John Bennett	...	Orlov
Derrick Branche	...	Vargas
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vic Armstrong	...	Drunken Sailor
Dickey Beer	...	Brecks´s Crew
Chuang Cheng
Kuan Tai Chen	...	Pirate
Shu Chen
Rosemarie Dunham
Robert Easton
Richard Foo
Nicholas Gecks
Carol Gillies
Pat Gorman	...	British Merchant 2
Michael C. Gwynne
Billy Horrigan	...	Brecks´s Crew
Denise Kellogg	...	Nude Model
Barbara Keogh
Lisa Lu
Bronco McLoughlin	...	Brecks´s Crew
Bert Remsen
Patrick Ryecart
Rob Spendlove
Patty Toy
Jie Zhang

Also Known As:

James Clavell's Tai-Pan (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Sweden:15 | Australia:M | Singapore:M18 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

China

Company:

De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG)

Trivia:

The film was originally announced by MGM in 1967-8 and was to be directed by Michael Anderson, but after severe operating losses the film was one of a number of expensive projects the new management at the studio dropped as too costly. In the 70s Steve McQueen agreed to play the lead for a then-record $10m and was paid an advance of $1m. When the producers were unable to pay the second installment on time, he dropped out, keeping the $1m he had already been paid. In 1980 Roger Moore agreed to play the lead, even going as far as to start to grow a beard for the part before that version fell through as well.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In a scene, set in 1841, several of the ladies were wearing bright mauve outfits. That would have been most unlikely for the wives of middle class traders at that time as the color purple was prohibitively expensive before the invention of analine dyes in London - in 1856. By 1870 these gaudy colors had become so cheap and commonplace that it became a status symbol to mimic the subtler, paler colors of the pre analine dye days.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Noble House" (1988)

19th century saga in 3 easy steps

first, inject countless clichés and stereotypes, populate the cast with some well-knowns, and add some 'tit'illation.

and wait for the box office receipts to pour in!!!

I am very very disappointed in this film which I purchased on VHS. its one of those I *know* I wont be watching a 2nd time.

it meanders, gap toothed, and those stereotypes just weigh it down till it sinks in Hong Kong harbor. and of course, top it all off with a quickie pan of modern day Hong Kong.

some good acting but not enough to overcome the numerous shortcomings.

I didn't read the book but Im sure it far outclasses this quickie 2 + hour 'featurette'. is there a Hollywood ombudsman you can call up to you know, get your money back or something?

Im glad IMDb exists so that duds like this can be outed and red-flagged.