| Drunken Tai Chi | |||||||||||||||
| Native Name: |
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| Director: | Yuen Woo-ping | ||||||||||||||
| Producer: | Chow Ling-kong Wang H.W. Wang | ||||||||||||||
| Starring: | Donnie Yen Yuen Cheung-yan Yuen Shun-yi Yuen Yat-chor Lydia Shum Mandy Chan Don Wong Lee Kwan Chang Hsun | ||||||||||||||
| Music: | Tang Siu-lam | ||||||||||||||
| Cinematography: | Chan Wing-shu | ||||||||||||||
| Editing: | Wong Chau-kwai Robert Choi | ||||||||||||||
| Studio: | Peace (Hong Kong) Film | ||||||||||||||
| Distributor: | Dragons Group Film | ||||||||||||||
| Runtime: | 91 minutes | ||||||||||||||
| Country: | Hong Kong | ||||||||||||||
| Language: | Cantonese | ||||||||||||||
| Gross: | HK$6,937,773 | ||||||||||||||
Drunken Tai Chi is a 1984 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Yuen Woo-ping.[1] It is notable for being the acting debut of Donnie Yen, who had previously performed as a stuntman. The film showcases Yen's martial arts skills as well as his b-boying abilities, including a scene in which Yen performs a moonwalk.[2]
A spoiled young man who is on the run from a ruthless killer finds accommodation with a puppeteer and his heavy-set wife. Both of them are masters of the art of tai chi, the only style of martial arts that can defeat the killer.
Source:[3]
Reviewer Simon Rigg of kungfukingdom.com writes that while the film never reached the popularity of Drunken Master, "nevertheless it’s a great kung fu showcase in its own right. It’s an unconventional mix, featuring American crazes (skateboarding) and a killer with a very human side alongside a lot of slapstick and bawdy humour, but it’s impossible not to be taken in by Donnie and the team’s set-pieces. It holds a special place in Hong Kong film history for bringing Donnie Yen to the fore and as one of the last films to feature step-by-step intricate choreography."[4]
The book The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies by Bill Palmer, Karen Palmer, and Ric Meyers calls the film a "commonplace, simple story of revenge with humorous touches", noting its "great kung fu! The Yuen family is listed as the fight choreographers, and that usually means a cornucopia of visual effects and breathtaking martial arts. They don't let us down here." The film is given a rating of 3 1/2 stars.[5]