Twin Warriors (Tai ji zhang san feng) (The Tai-Chi Master) (1993)

86% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
81% of users liked it
(10,954 ratings)

Hong Kong star Jet Li portrays the inventor of T'ai Chi in this entertaining if not historically accurate martial-arts movie. Junbao (Li) and Tienbao (Chin Siu-Ho) are a pair of young monks studying kung fu in a Shaolin temple. Junbao is balanced and humble, but Tienbao is competitive and eager to… More Hong Kong star Jet Li portrays the inventor of T'ai Chi in this entertaining if not historically accurate martial-arts movie. Junbao (Li) and Tienbao (Chin Siu-Ho) are a pair of young monks studying kung fu in a Shaolin temple. Junbao is balanced and humble, but Tienbao is competitive and eager to advance. The two are wrongfully accused of cheating during a tournament and are expelled. From there they take radically different paths. Tienbao becomes a mercenary for an evil warlord, and Junbao joins a rebel group led by Michelle Yeoh. Tienbao betrays Junbao; Junbao loses his memory in the resulting fight. While recuperating, he develops the graceful T'ai Chi fighting style. Although many may find the cartoonish, acrobatic fight sequences to be campy, they are elaborate and dazzling. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: Woo-ping Yuen
Written By: Ip Kwong Kim
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense, Comedy

In Theaters: Dec 31, 1984 Wide
On DVD: Feb 24, 1998

Critic Reviews

Mike Barnard, Future Movies UK
To see Li in his prime, this is a must.
Bill Gibron, PopMatters
...this is the kind of kung fu spectacle that turns the novice into a fan and the knowledgeable into something akin to rabid.
Fred Topel, About.com
See the Hong Kong cut, "Tai Chi Master," for great martial arts and a story of brothers torn apart.
Marc Savlov, Austin Chronicle
Not the best thing to come out of Hong Kong in a while, but still a rouser.
Ryan Cracknell, Apollo Guide
The action and stunts are spectacular and entertaining, but big time Jet Li fans will be ultimately disappointed with the dull and predictable story.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Tsubaki S

Great action sequences from Yuen Woo Ping, the story jumps here and there but who cares. One of the bad guys uses people as human projectiles. That's very much ok in my book.
Justin Y

Yuen Woo-ping packs it all in with Tai Chi Master.Moving along at a brisk pace, the 90 minute run time of this picture becomes a brief sit through. The story is simple and straightforward without getting overly detailed, and there is even some effective… More
Yuen Woo-ping packs it all in with Tai Chi Master.Moving along at a brisk pace, the 90 minute run time of this picture becomes a brief sit through. The story is simple and straightforward without getting overly detailed, and there is even some effective humor to top everything off. Oh yeah, and then there is the martial arts.The action is the obvious highlight of the film and it comes in bunches with some vivacious editing, spectacular choreography, and an abundance of wire-work fighting. There are many scenes where the wires are visible, but in the grand scheme of things, this is a minor setback. The sound effects are inferior, but it works out nicely when it's all said and done.Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh, and Chin-Siu Ho not only carry this film by showcasing their martial arts, but they also put up enjoyable acting performances as well. Cheung-Yan Yuen joins the fun by providing most of the comic relief.Tai Chi Master has all the right pieces to become a highly recommendable martial arts film out of China. Check it out.
Lanning :

Like many martial arts films, the fight scenes in this one could use some tasteful editing. There are many martial arts films that tend to overindulge in the fight sequences to the detriment of story flow. There is, however, only one Jet Li, so Li fans should never miss a chance to… More
Like many martial arts films, the fight scenes in this one could use some tasteful editing. There are many martial arts films that tend to overindulge in the fight sequences to the detriment of story flow. There is, however, only one Jet Li, so Li fans should never miss a chance to see him do his thing, no matter how long the movie.
Cassandra M

My opinion is that Twin Warriors is a very good movie.The story is fascinating and the fighting style is great.Is also a good introduction in Tai Chi-a nice style.Jet Li has a very good presentation in this movie that's why i think is the best actor of martial arts that ever… More
My opinion is that Twin Warriors is a very good movie.The story is fascinating and the fighting style is great.Is also a good introduction in Tai Chi-a nice style.Jet Li has a very good presentation in this movie that's why i think is the best actor of martial arts that ever was.The idea of becoming crazy to learn Tai Chi is also a great one.I think that crazy people have a clear mind and is true that u can learn one style in that time and make yourself healthy.My advice is to see this movie not once,many more times because it deserves it. Here u got a small commentary: "Jet Li was a monk in Shaolin. In a friendly competition for a higher place in Shaolin, he was betrayed and framed for using weapons (which cannot be used in the competition). He and his friend got kicked out of the Shaolin. They met rebellions at that time of China. His friend betrayed Jet Li and his rebellion friends for money from the China government. Jet Li went crazy and discovered the art of Tai Chi at the recover period. Revenge seem to the only thing he is going to do." So i'm sure you will like it.:)
Dean M

I love this martial-arts action, great fight choreography sequences with Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh together from beginning to end.
Steven V

Certainly one of the coolest kung-fu movies ever. This film is also known as Twin Warriors. Great martial arts, great tension among all characters.