In legendary Chen Village, everyone is a martial arts master, using their powerful Chen Style Tai Chi in all aspects of their lives. Lu Chan has arrived to train, but the villagers are forbidden to teach Chen Style to outsiders, and do their best to discourage him by challenging him to a series of fights. Everyone, from strong men to young children, defeats him using their Tai Chi moves. But when a man from the village's past returns with a frightening steampowered machine and plans to build a railroad through the village at any costs, the villagers realize they may have no choice but to put their faith in Lu Chan... who has a secret power of his own.
Direction
Stephen Fung's comic panel framing and on-screen video game stats
Practical Effects
Steampunk mech built with genuine obsessive detail
Stunts
Sammo Hung choreographed fights with genuine martial artists
Director
Stephen Fung
Jayden Yuan
The Freak
Fung Hak-On
Lao Zhao
Stephen Fung
Nan
Shu Qi
Mother Yang
Andrew Lau Wai-Keung
Father Yang
Bruce Leung Siu-Lung
Dong
AngelaBaby
Chen Yu Niang
Eddie Peng Yu-Yan
Fang Zi Jing
Dillon Wu Di
Chen You Zhi
Chen Sicheng
Chen Geng Yun
Stanley Fung Shui-Fan
Grand Uncle
Xiong Naijin
Chen Geng Yun's Wife
Tony Leung Ka-fai
Chen Chang Xing / Laborer
Ying Da
Governor
Mandy Lieu
Claire Heathrow
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was planned as the first of a trilogy—Tai Chi Hero (2012) followed immediately, but the third film never materialized due to disappointing box office.
The film explicitly references the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake through its railroad conflict, framing modern Chinese infrastructure debates through steampunk allegory.
CN
