Shaolin Temple (1976)

That was an excellent one.

Please don't spend money on this.

Fantastic!

A different way of telling a story

SHAOLIN TEMPLE is the ultimate Shaw Brothers epic about the life and methods of the Shaolin Temple. It's a long-winded and slowly-paced movie that's mainly concerned with training; you get at least an hour and a half of the main characters going through their various training routines with only minimal plotting to distract you. I reckon they could have cut twenty minutes out of this to make it a little snappier but nonetheless the slowness doesn't hide the sheer quality of the production.This is a film which may have the ultimate Shaw Brothers cast. Ti Lung and David Chiang are the heavyweight old timers who show up and join in with the various shenanigans at the temple, and alongside them are many of the up-and-coming stars who would go on to become the famous Venoms: Fu Sheng, Phillip Kwok, and my personal favourite, Chiang Sheng, whose role starts off very small but grows as the running time progresses. It's a delight to just be in the company of all these big hitters, but Chang Cheh's storytelling is gripping too.There's barely any action in the story at all right up until the climax, aside from a few sparring sequences. But the last half hour is made up of a massive battle in which the Shaolin Temple is besieged and those inside must fight it out to the death. It's incredible stuff, featuring all of the stars pairing off with skilled and dangerous opponents, and well worth the wait. For me, this is why cinema was invented: to show endless exciting spectacle and drama, all made by a cast and crew of consummate professionals. SHAOLIN TEMPLE is the bee's knees when it comes to kung fu cinema.

As did the pilot for the American teleseries KUNG FU, SHAOLIN TEMPLE gives us aspiring acolytes whose mettle is tested by secluded priests. Realizing that the Manchus are intent on destroying the temple and everyone inside it, the elder priest decides it's time to invite in some who might not otherwise be admitted. Among them are six soldiers, including Cai (Ti Lung), Hu (David Chiang), and Ma Fu Yi (Lung Wang). When upstart pupil Fang (Alexander Fu Sheng) laughs at Ma, he is pummeled- repeatedly- until he is discreetly taught Tiger and Crane kung fu by a masked master whose moves he copies at night after everyone else is asleep. Fang eventually exacts his revenge on Ma- whereupon the treacherous Heixien, one of the higher-ups in the temple, takes Ma under his wing and enlists his aid in bringing down the temple. Throughout the movie, we see some of the training methods used to toughen up the disciples, a la THE 36th CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN, and Che's sure-handed direction is seemingly effortless. The action is, of course, topnotch and the death of Kuo Chui during the flaming finale caught me by surprise.

Chang Cheh's "Shaolin Temple" might very well be the highwater mark of the Shaw Brothers martial arts film cycle. This rousing kung fu epic boasts an amazing cast - a veritable who's who of the Shaw stable. Though the plot is fairly standard and the fight choreography is superb as usual, it is Cheh's handling of the subject matter that makes this film remarkable and enjoyable. The sense of reverence displayed for the history and traditions of the Shaolin Temple is palpable in every frame. Not unlike William Keighley's paean to the fabled Fighting 69th in that same self titled film or John Ford's salute to West Point in "The Long Gray Line," Cheh's "Shaolin Temple" is a lovingly crafted ode in that same style.The cultural correlation I am tempted to make, is to compare the Shaolin Temple to the Alamo. Watching this film will give the same admiring and nostalgic feelings that you experienced many years ago in grade school history when you learned of the courage and sacrifice of those doomed heroes of the Alamo. At the end of the film, you too might be tempted to call out, Remember the Shaolin Temple!

An entertaining kung fu film, with acting, plot and fight scenes a cut above the average chop socky. All of the cast are likeable characters and skilled martial artists. Alexander Fu-Sheng's proto-Jackie Chan comedy antics are fun to watch, and his austere companion shows particularly impressive skills. For me, the film's only glaring flaw is the size of the cast -- at times, things get a little confused as the film chops and changes between various subplots, and some of the characters are not as fully fleshed-out as one might wish.But a kung fu film should be judged first and foremost on the quality of the action, and Shaolin Temple definitely delivers on that count. The film climaxes with a high-bodycount battle that allows each character to show off his skills against a worthy opponent.Overall, Shaolin Temple is an enjoyable low-budget kung fu movie. Not up to the quality of a good Jet Li film, but definitely worth a look for fans of the genre. My rating: 8/10.Misc notes: The 1987 Warner Home Video release I saw was (predictably) poorly dubbed, and lacked full cast & crew credits.