Tai ji: Zhang San Feng (1993)

Director:

Woo-ping Yuen

Writer:

Kwong Kim Yip (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 November 1993 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Une rencontre de légende

Plot:

Jet Li was a monk in Shaolin. In a friendly competition for a higher place in Shaolin, his childhood...

Plot Keywords:

Betrayal | China | Eunuch | Kung Fu | Martial Arts

Cast

Jet Li	...	Junbao
Michelle Yeoh	...	Siu Lin
Siu-hou Chin	...	Chin Bo (as Chin Siu Ho)
Fennie Yuen	...	Miss Li (as Fannie Yuen)
Cheung-Yan Yuen	...	Rev. Ling (as Yuen Cheung Yan)
Shun Lau	...	Master Jueyuan (as Lau Shun)
Hai Yu	...	Head Master

Directed by
Woo-ping Yuen		(as Yuen Woo Ping)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kwong Kim Yip		screenplay (as Ip Kwong Kim)

Produced by
Jet Li	....	producer
Po Chiu Tsui	....	co-producer (as Tsui Po Chiu)

Original Music by
Stephen Edwards		(as Steve Edwards)
Wai Lap Wu

Cinematography by
Tom Lau		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Angie Lam

Production Design by
Delin Fu
King Man Lee
Raymond Li

Sound Department
David B. Baron	....	sound: English adaptation
Todd Beckett	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stephen Fitzmaurice	....	adr mixer: English version
Stephen Fitzmaurice	....	sound: English version
Jack Maeby	....	sound: English adaptation
Frank Nolan	....	sound: new version
Timothy Pearson	....	foley artist
Michael Sorich	....	sound: English adaptation

Stunts
Huan-Chiu Ku	....	martial arts and stunt double: Jet li

Other crew
Huan-Chiu Ku	....	martial arts choreographer (as Ku Huen Chiu)
Cheung-Yan Yuen	....	martial arts choreographer (as Yuen Cheung Yan)
Woo-ping Yuen	....	martial arts choreographer (as Yuen Woo Ping)

Production Companies

• Eastern Productions
• Golden Harvest Company (presents) (as Golden Harvest)

Distributors

• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (Brazil) (VHS) (as "Batalha de Honra")
• Buena Vista Home Video
• Buena Vista International (2001) (Argentina) (all media)
• China Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS) (as "Tai-Chi")
• Dimension Films (1993) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Gativideo (2001) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (France)

Also Known As:

Twin Warriors (UK) (USA) (DVD title)
The Tai-Chi Master (Hong Kong: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for martial arts violence.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A | France:U | Germany:16 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

China

Company:

Eastern Productions

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the final fight, the wires are visible.

Quotes:

Junbao: Enough! Stop living in your past! What do you think you're doing here? Stop shoving me away! The past is what makes up who we are. Don't let it become your burden.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "HBO First Look: Making 'Romeo Must Die' (#7.3)" (2000)

Cool, cheesy kung-fu fun

One of my favorite Hong Kong actors, Jet Li, does what I call his best film in "Tai Chi Master." Starring alongside Michelle Yeoh and a dozen other folks whose name I forgot, Li plays Junbao, a monk whose best friend betrays him and becomes a ruthless whacko. This leaves him only one option: grab a pole and start clubbin' baddies. While some parts are just too cheesy to mention, i.e. people flying around and some ridiculously hokey-looking effects (you can see the cable attached to a guy's back at one point), the best fights take place with just good ol' Jet Li, a pole, and an army of bad guys, where there is no room to fly around or do the ultra-powerful Buddhist Palms. Give Tai Chi Master a try. It's a love-hate thing for most people, and in my case, it's a love thing. This movie is one of the five best kung-fu flicks ever made, in my opinion.