# Drunken Tai Chi > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Drunken_Tai_Chi > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Drunken_Tai_Chi.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drunken_Tai_Chi > Source revision: 1330082084 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1984 Hong Kong film by Yuen Woo-ping Drunken Tai Chi Film poster Traditional Chinese 笑太極 Simplified Chinese 笑太极 Hanyu Pinyin Xiào Tài Jí Jyutping Siu3 Taai3 Gik6 Directed by Yuen Woo-ping Written by Yuen Woo-ping Brandy Yuen Peace Group Produced by 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 Cinematography Chan Wing-shu Edited by Wong Chau-kwai Robert Choi Music by Tang Siu-lam Production company Peace (Hong Kong) Film Distributed by Dragons Group Film Release date 31 May 1984 (1984-05-31) Running time 91 minutes Country Hong Kong Language Cantonese Box office HK$6,937,773 ***Drunken Tai Chi*** is a 1984 Hong Kong [martial arts](/source/Martial_arts_film) [action film](/source/Hong_Kong_action_cinema) directed by [Yuen Woo-ping](/source/Yuen_Woo-ping).[1] It is notable for being the acting debut of [Donnie Yen](/source/Donnie_Yen), who had previously performed as a stuntman. The film showcases Yen's martial arts skills as well as his [b-boying](/source/B-boying) abilities, including a scene in which Yen performs a [moonwalk](/source/Moonwalk_(dance)).[2] ## 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.[3] ## Cast Source:[1][4] - [Donnie Yen](/source/Donnie_Yen) - [Yuen Cheung Yan](/source/Yuen_Cheung-yan) - [Yuen Shun-yi](/source/Yuen_Shun-yi) - Mandy Chan - [Lydia Shum](/source/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](/source/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."[5] 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.[6] Review-aggregation website [Rotten Tomatoes](/source/Rotten_Tomatoes) gives the film a score of 65%.[7] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) ["Drunken Tai Chi"](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/drunken-tai-chi-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmtcymzy). *[British Board of Film Classification](/source/British_Board_of_Film_Classification)*. Retrieved 13 July 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Donnie Yen breakdance"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_eEP0q-7Eo). *[YouTube](/source/YouTube)*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Gilman, Sean (11 August 2019). ["Donnie Yen Capsule Reviews"](https://medium.com/the-chinese-cinema/donnie-yen-capsule-reviews-7790ed89a1f9). *medium.com*. Retrieved 8 March 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Drunken Tai Chi (Xiao Tai Ji)"](https://www.miramax.com/movie/drunken-tai-chi-xiao-tai-ji/). *[Miramax](/source/Miramax)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200713095726/https://www.miramax.com/movie/drunken-tai-chi-xiao-tai-ji/) from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Drunken Tai Chi (1984)"](https://kungfukingdom.com/drunken-tai-chi-movie-review/). 4 November 2013. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Palmer, Bill; Palmer, Karen; Meyers, Ric (January 1995). [*The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies*](https://books.google.com/books?id=AvOWrZ4WJHwC&pg=PA350). Scarecrow Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781461672753](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781461672753). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Drunken Tai Chi"](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/drunken_tai_chi_2011). *rottentomatoes.com*. Retrieved 8 March 2025. ## External links - [*Drunken Tai Chi*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088423/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) v t e Films directed by Yuen Woo-ping Snake in the Eagle's Shadow (1978) Drunken Master (1978) Dance of the Drunk Mantis (1979) The Magnificent Butcher (1979) The Buddhist Fist (1980) Dreadnaught (1981) Legend of a Fighter (1982) The Miracle Fighters (1982) Shaolin Drunkard (1983) Drunken Tai Chi (1984) Mismatched Couples (1985) The Close Encounter of the Vampire (1986) Tiger Cage (1988) In the Line of Duty 4: Witness (1989) Tiger Cage 2 (1990) Tiger Cage 3 (1991) Iron Monkey (1993) Heroes Among Heroes (1993) Tai Chi Master (1993) Wing Chun (1994) Fire Dragon (1994) Red Wolf (1995) Tai Chi Boxer (1996) True Legend (2010) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016) The Thousand Faces of Dunjia (2017) Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018) Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (2022) Blades of the Guardians (2026) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Drunken Tai Chi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drunken_Tai_Chi) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drunken_Tai_Chi?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.