After getting their behinds kicked by Tai Lung, the Five Masters fly back to Shifu. He then exclaims that Tai Lung has gotten stronger.
How is that possible?? The guy has been in prison for 20 years and has been kept completely immobilized all this time. So how then could he have gotten stronger? If anyhing, he should have gotten weaker.
"I'm the dude, playing a dude that's disguised as another dude".
Yeah I know, I know...I'm with you on that point. Wondered about it, the first time I saw the film. How could he get stronger, when he couldn't even MOVE? He should have atrophied.
Maybe it has something to do with the movie's insistence that skill in kung fu is derived from the 'inner fire' of the practitioner, or something equally silly.
Consider, also, that Oogwai defeated Tai Lung with the nerve attack; if Tai Lung had known that technique, he most likely would have been able to defend against it. So, how did Tai Lung learn the nerve attack while he was chained to the floor for 20 years?
In moments like this, I take solace in the theme song of 'Mystery Science Theatre 3000:' "Just repeat to yourself, 'It's just a show; I should really just relax.'"
- Oh, SOMEbody asides me is gonna RUE this here particular day...
I'm glad you agree with my complaint. You make very interesting points, especially about Tai Lung and the nerve attack.
But as you said, the reason is that the writers probably didn't put too much thought into crossing every T and dotting every I. It's not a big flaw but just something that I wanted to point out.
"I'm the dude, playing a dude that's disguised as another dude".
Bruce Lee was strong, skilled and amazingly talented, and constantly strove to make himself better, stronger, faster and better at combat.
However, it wasn't until he was practically immobilized for around six months that he gained his _TRUE_POWER_, which is deep understanding through contemplation and training his MIND to realize what's important in a fight.
Then he became AMAZING, and much stronger, even though he didn't train his physical side for a long time, and was wheelchair-bound for a long time (of course after he recovered enough, he started training again and made himself even physically stronger than before).
What I am trying to get at, is that even a real-life example shows that you can't be 'optimally strong' by physical side/training alone, you have to apply your mind, contemplate, meditate and realize deeper truths to reach THAT LEVEL.
I think this is very believably what Tai Lung did. The writers didn't think through MANY things about this movie's story and details, BUT this is not one of them. This is actually a very believable thing - he had nothing to do but think, contemplate, plot, plan, understand, realize, reflect, improve things in his mind.
Inner strength is not SILLY, it's very applicable in real life and a real fight, even. Just watch the kung-fu documentary that 'China Uncensored' made (although it was unfinished), it should open your eyes to the reality of the folly of 'purely physical' thinking.