A Ming loyalist family and their village are attacked by a traitorous Ching general; the only survivors are two of the sons and the father while the mother is taken away to be interrogated. While the sons are desperate for revenge, their skills are no match for the enemy and their father begs them to conserve their strength. Unfortunately, the impetuous brothers inadvertently cause the death of their father and uncle, only surviving thanks to a Shaolin monk. The trio seek refuge with two sisters who learn Tai Chi from their father and when each party discovers a reason to fight against the Ching, the stage is set.
Tai Chi is not the easiest style to show on screen and that might be why it is rarely attempted. There have been fun attempts like ‘Drunken Tai Chi’ and ‘Tai Chi Master’, neither of which are particularly forensic displays of Tai Chi and veer off into other forms. ‘Tai Chi Chun’ might be the most accurate depiction and for this it deserves respect; there are some excellent action scenes here and though the choreography gets a little too familiar, it does throw in a few unusual moves.
‘Tai Chi Chun’ starts in media res with no explanation as to who the family are or how why they have been targeted by the villain. This proves to be a problem throughout the story as plot points and twists appear with little rhyme or reason; why Shaolin makes an appearance fifteen minutes from the end is anyone’s guess, but it helps add to the action quotient. This isn’t a film to feel any particular connection to the characters and while many might argue this is a common failing with the genre, ‘Tai Chi Chun’ is especially lax in this regard. Yet for Mainland-infused acrobatic Wu-Shu and smatterings of Tai Chi, it’s hard to fault.
- Tai Chi Chun - December 22, 2024
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