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Tai-Pan

1986, Movie, R, 127 mins

Tai-Pan: Review

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This story of Hong Kong's development as a trading port is simply too complex for a film that runs just over two hours. With its myriad players, numerous subplots, and broad time span, TAI-PAN quickly degenerates into a confusing, often ludicrous drama. Dirk Struan (Bryan Brown), dubbed "Tai-Pan" by all who know him, is a robust Scotsman who takes his trading fleet to the rocky island of Hong Kong, where he intends to build his own port. His son Culum (Tim Guinee) suddenly arrives from Scotland, announcing that the rest of the family has dropped dead from plague. But Struan is having some troubles with Brock (John Stanton), a cruel rival whose brutish son Gorth (Bill Leadbitter) has a penchant for beating prostitutes. Meanwhile, Struan's Chinese mistress May-May (Joan Chen) is in lots of trouble with her people. Adding to these interfamily squabbles is Tess (Kyra Sedgwick), Brock's daughter, who falls in love with Culum. TAI-PAN's slambang pacing and convoluted plot line are impossible to follow. And Daryl Duke's direction, for all the film's bluster, is surprisingly bland. He knows how to photograph goodlooking sets and can stage an effective fight scene, but there's not much passion in these events. TAI-PAN simply runs pell-mell through the complications, and though it's only two hours and seven minutes long, it feels like sitting through a ten-hour miniseries in one stretch. leave a comment
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