Drunken Tai Chi

{{Short description|1984 Hong Kong film by Yuen Woo-ping}} {{Use Hong Kong English|date=July 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}} {{Infobox film | name = Drunken Tai Chi | image = DrunkenTaiChi.jpg | caption = Film poster | native_name = {{Infobox Chinese/Chinese|child=yes|hide=no|header=none| t = 笑太極 | s = 笑太极 | p = Xiào Tài Jí | j = Siu3 Taai3 Gik6}} | director = [[Yuen Woo-ping]] | producer = Chow Ling-kong Wang H.W. Wang | writer = Yuen Woo-ping Brandy Yuen Peace Group | 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 | released = {{Film date|1984|5|31|df=y}} | runtime = 91 minutes | country = Hong Kong | language = Cantonese | budget = | gross = HK$6,937,773 }}

'''''Drunken Tai Chi''''' is a 1984 Hong Kong [[martial arts film|martial arts]] [[Hong Kong action cinema|action film]] directed by [[Yuen Woo-ping]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Drunken Tai Chi|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/drunken-tai-chi-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmtcymzy|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=13 July 2020|website=[[British Board of Film Classification]]}}</ref> 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 (dance)|moonwalk]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_eEP0q-7Eo | title=Donnie Yen breakdance | website=[[YouTube]] }}</ref>

== Plot== A spoiled young man is on the run from a ruthless killer, who is tasked to kill him, his brother, and his father. Donnie Yen's character finds accommodation with a puppeteer and his heavy-set wife, who teach him the art of tai chi, the only style of martial arts that can defeat the killer.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://medium.com/the-chinese-cinema/donnie-yen-capsule-reviews-7790ed89a1f9 |title=Donnie Yen Capsule Reviews |date=2019-08-11 |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=medium.com |first=Sean |last=Gilman}}</ref>

== Cast == Source:<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Drunken Tai Chi (Xiao Tai Ji)|url=https://www.miramax.com/movie/drunken-tai-chi-xiao-tai-ji/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713095726/https://www.miramax.com/movie/drunken-tai-chi-xiao-tai-ji/ |archive-date=13 July 2020 |access-date=13 July 2020|website=[[Miramax]]}}</ref>

* [[Donnie Yen]] * [[Yuen Cheung-yan|Yuen Cheung Yan]] * [[Yuen Shun-yi]] * Mandy Chan * [[Lydia Shum]] * Don Wong Tao * Yuen Hsin Yee

==Reception== 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."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kungfukingdom.com/drunken-tai-chi-movie-review/|title = Drunken Tai Chi (1984)|date = 4 November 2013}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AvOWrZ4WJHwC&pg=PA350 | title=The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies | isbn=9781461672753 | last1=Palmer | first1=Bill | last2=Palmer | first2=Karen | last3=Meyers | first3=Ric | date=January 1995 | publisher=Scarecrow Press }}</ref>

Review-aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] gives the film a score of 65%.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/drunken_tai_chi_2011 |title=Drunken Tai Chi |website=rottentomatoes.com |access-date=2025-03-08}}</ref>

== References == <references />

==External links== *{{IMDb title|0088423}}

[[Category:1984 films]] [[Category:1984 action films]] [[Category:1984 martial arts films]] [[Category:Hong Kong action comedy films]] [[Category:Hong Kong martial arts films]] [[Category:Martial arts comedy films]] [[Category:Kung fu films]] [[Category:Tai chi films]] [[Category:Films directed by Yuen Woo-ping]] [[Category:1984 Hong Kong films]]