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Review: Tai Chi Zero

By TOM MEEK  |  October 24, 2012
2.5 2.5 Stars



Mashup, hodgepodge, or remix — call it what you will, this kung fu odyssey from former action star Stephen Fung offers intermittent pleasures and freaky twists. The premise doesn't pretend to be original: a small turn-of-the-century Chinese village resists technology and Western influence. But stylistically Fung tries to break new ground. Part video game and part MIT CAD program with some pop-up video tossed in, the film stretches the genre with mixed results. The oddball anti-hero known as the Freak (Jayden Yuan) is on a quest like that of Caine in the old Kung Fu TV series. He is blessed (or cursed) with a small flesh protrusion on his head that when struck changes him into a kung fu demon. It also ages him, and his search for a way to control his gift brings him to the sleepy village. A love triangle and some Steampunk machinery add interest, and Fung's spunky inventiveness makes this worth seeing.

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