Synopsis
Chinese steampunk martial arts blockbuster about the early years of Tai chi master Yang Luchan, the man who founded in the 19th century what has now become the most popular Tai Chi style in the world. The second instalment of the "Tai Chi" trilogy continues the journey of Yang Luchan, a gifted child with a fleshy growth on his forehead who helped save a village from a frightening army of steampunk soldiers bearing strange machines with the knowledge of Tai Chi that they entrusted him with.
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Cast
- Xiaochao YuanYang Lu Chan
- Tony Leung Ka-faiChen Chang Xing
- Eddie PengFang Zi Jing
- AngelaBabyChen Yu Niang
- William Fung Kwun-ManChen Zai Yang
- Daniel WuMad Monk
- Patrick Tse Yin10th Grandmaster
- Yuen BiaoMaster Li
- Peter StormareDuke Fleming
- Yuan WenkangPrince Dun
Recommendations
- 50
Slant Magazine
Stephen Fung's pop-up graphics and jazzy fight scenes feel part of an unwieldy mix in which the director just throws whatever half-baked conceits up on the screen he feels like. - 50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
As the middle part of a proposed trilogy, Tai Chi Hero may ultimately look better in light of its own sequel (which, based on the evidence here, will double-down on the steampunk stuff), but now, its pitched battle between silliness and solemnity feels like a split decision. - 50
Variety
A sporadically engaging martial-arts extravaganza that looks even better compared with its predecessor, last year’s borderline-insufferable “Tai Chi Zero.” - 40
The New York Times
Tai Chi Hero merely fills the eye, offering little that stays with you. - 40
Los Angeles Times
There's still a nagging, cartoonish emptiness — and a trilogy-ending installment still to come. - 30
Village Voice
This sequel is sluggish and rote where its predecessor was aggressively perky and desperate to please...Tai Chi Hero is more Tai Chi Business as Usual.
