Drunken Tai-Chi on AllMovie

Prolific Hong Kong filmmaker Yuen Woo-ping directed this amusing martial arts spoof which marked the film debut of popular genre actor Donnie Yen. Yen plays Chin Dao, an unruly rascal who continually runs headlong into trouble. After causing the son of a local boss to lose face, Chin Dao compounds his infraction by causing the young man to go insane after fighting back when the boy seeks revenge using firecrackers. This development enrages the boss so much that he orders Dao's entire family to be murdered by a mute but powerful killer known as the Killer Bird (Yuen Shun-yee). Dao is crushed when he comes home one day to find that his father and brother have both been killed by the assassin, and -- his life completely altered -- wanders aimlessly until meeting a puppeteer (Yuen Cheung-yan) and his heavyset wife (Lydia Shum). The couple attempt to teach Dao to earn a living, but his inability to carry out even the most simple tasks without botching them soon finds him homeless again. While on the streets, he unwittingly saves the Killer Bird's son from some kidnappers, but this does nothing to dissuade the assassin from trying to murder him. Dao is almost killed, but makes his way to the puppeteer, who decides to teach him a method of "soft style tai-chi" which can defeat his pursuer.