This movie is breathtaking!! If you like martial arts, and even a little comedy, watch this Yuen Woo Ping classic.
The opening Tai Chi training scene is so well done (see how everyone's movements are in sync) and sets the standard for the film. Yuen Woo's gift for choreography is evident throughout as weapons used include swords, spears, staffs, and tables too! The Shaolin "Luo Han Pole" formation scene must be watched in slo-mo to really appreciate it.
Jet does an awesome job as Junbao and his martial arts is amazing. More surprising is Michelle Yeoh who's incredible in every scene she's in. Her movements are so fluid, yet also graceful. From the spinning table scene fight to battling an army of soldiers, Yeoh really demonstrates her fighting prowess and acting ability as well.
Being that this was the first Jet Li film I've seen, it's one of my all-time favorites. It made me realize that incredible movies like this do exist!
Plot summary
Junbao (Jet Li) is a monk who grows up in a Shaolin temple with his friend Tienbao. Their friendly competitions to see who is stronger frequently gets them into trouble. At a competition for promotion to a higher place in Shaolin, Tienbao almost kills another student for cheating and using a concealed weapon. After a disagreement with a master, who refuses to believe Tienbao, a fight erupts which results in Junbao and Tienbao being expelled from the temple. Having lived in a temple their entire lives, they have trouble adapting to the outside world and eventually gets mixed up with local rebels who frequently steal from a corrupt governor and give the proceeds back to the poor. Tienbao, who was always very ambitious and competitive, gets tired and disillusioned by their new lifestyle, accepts an offer by the governor to join his army. The two childhood friends reluctantly decide to go their separate ways. Seeing an opportunity to secure a promotion in the army, Tienbao sets a trap for Junbao and the rebels by giving them false information. Many rebels are killed in the ensuing battle and Junbao, in disbelief that his friend would betray him, temporarily loses his mind. He only recovers by discovering the art of Tai Chi with the help of his friends and a book that his former master had given him prior to leaving Shaolin. In a final showdown, Junbao kills Tienbao after realizing his boyhood friend is beyond salvation. *I figure I'd write a summary that isn't written in broken English.*
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Jet Li & Michelle Yeoh...'nuff said!!
Top-notch '90s wuxia with Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh
Yuen Woo-ping is the sure hand behind this outstanding Jet Li martial arts flick which is among the best films in the actor's career, as well as being one of the top period martial arts films I've had the pleasure of watching. The story itself adds an emotional layer to what is a fairly novel and remarkable premise: two childhood buddies end up going their separate ways after many years of friendship, and finally become bitter enemies. Typical Chinese humour of the slapstick variety enlivens this movie, which offers 95% of top-notch action and dispels with those boring plot exposition moments. The only problem with the film is the (very) noticeable wire work, especially in the final sequences, but this doesn't spoil what is a very fluid and beautiful film to watch.
Jet Li seems more self-assured and amiable here than he did in the ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA movies, and he's ably supported by a strong cast that includes an excellent Yuen Cheung-Yan as the unlucky Reverend Ling and ass-kicking Michelle Yeoh as the feisty female lead. The bad guy is actually fleshed out here, with believable motives, and it's fascinating to watch as he's corrupted by power. The film doesn't shy from the violence, which is always cartoonish and therefore entertaining. The fights are plentiful with lots of props getting smashed to pieces, people jumping and flying all over the place and all kinds of other outlandish things going on; it certainly beats the po-faced seriousness of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON any day of the week.
Is there anything not to love about martial arts flicks?
When we think of martial arts cinema, the names that immediately come to mind are Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and assorted people introduced to us through Quentin Tarantino's movies. But we mustn't forget Jet Li, especially his 1993 tour de force "Tai ji: Zhang San Feng" ("Tai Chi Master" in English, also known as "Two Warriors"). If you thought that Jackie Chan's movies had the awesomest stuff that you've ever seen, just wait. With this one, you're in for some stunts beyond your wildest imagination. The movie contains all manner of goofs, but no one watches these for production skills. The point is to have fun, and I doubt that you've ever had as much fun as you'll have with this flick.
In addition to Jet Li, the other major cast member is Michelle Yeoh, best known for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" but who more recently appeared as the stern matriarch in "Crazy Rich Asians".