Tai Chi II

Hawk, son of the Tai Chi master Yang, learns a bit about the world, girls, democracy and opium smuggling western imperialists during a period of upheaval
in China in the 1800's.
It is said that history repeats itself. The backdrop to ”Tai Chi II” is a China partially occupied and, as the regime is all too painfully aware, dependent on the western powers. A lively dissident movement is trying, at great personal risk, to spread democratic ideas, borrowed from the west. This echoes the current conflict
between Hong Kong, where a modicum
of personal freedom has been permitted, and their expansionist neighbour, The People's Republic of China, where capitalism is promoted but hardly freedom of expression.
This, however, is not the primary focus of veteran director Yuen Wo Ping, as his main concentration is on the action scenes. Together with his colleague, Cheung Sim Ying, he has created a colourful and action-packed story that works on many levels. It centres around the young Hawk, whose protective upbringing has not prepared him for the complexities of the adult world with all its conflicts. His case history reflects that of a Chinese novice, but there is an irresistible charm in the tale of his path to the mastery of Tai Chi, and the more or less successful efforts of his loving mother and strict father at pointing him in the right direction. His mother's tango lessons in particular deserve an extra gold star.
Without being as complex or accomplished as Tsui Hark's breakthrough film ”Peking Opera Blues” (1987), ”Tai Chi II” is a very entertaining and well constructed film in it's genre. Unlike ”Rumble in the Bronx” with Jackie Chan, it is a warm and , in the best sense of the word, a humanist film. As the world's, the United States' and Texas' only drive-in critic would have said: check it out.
Jan Elvsén

Premiärstatus
Skandinavisk premiär: Medverkande
Jacky Wu, Christy Chung,Hu Hui Chung: Producent
Jet Li: Manus
Ip Kwong Kim: Foto
Tom Lau: Musik
Wu Wai Lam: Talat språk
Cantonese with English/Chinese subtitles