Martial Arts of Shaolin (1986)

[Drunk Monk]

I'm referencing the poster in the next issue of The Adept and rewatched this on a whim. I was just going to have this play as background noise as I did some work, but became so engrossed that I put that all off.

Here's that poster:


Oh man, it's been a long time since I've watched this and I forgot how astounding the choreo is. Fast forward to the fight scenes? You'd only skip about 10 minutes of this. It's like constant relentless fight scenes of the highest order. The level of choreo is over the top fantastic. Jet in his prime. He was so freakin amazing. 

But not just Jet - Huang Quiyen, Hu Jiangqiang, Yu Chenghui, Yu Hai, Sun Jiankui, Ji Chunhua - all at the top of their games, all delivering such ridiculously precise and complex fight scenes. I'm honored to have met Hu, Yu Hai, and Sun in person and interviewed Jet, Yu Chenghui, and Ji remotely. Together they set the choreo bar impossibly high for Shaw Brothers in the 80s. This is the 3rd and final installment of the Shaolin trilogy by this crew.

Plot? Dumb. So dumb. We're gonna get revenge. Jet sashaying in drag. Overacting. Buddhist violations. Snake cruelty - call PETA. Travelling across China on foot in the blink of a scene - a journey that might take days in a car or rail. Fortunately there is very little plot to make way for those awesome fight scenes. 

Settings are stunning - Shaolin Temple (Songshan and southern), Forbidden Palace, some crazy wall (a section of the great wall perhaps), and the pinnacles of Guilin. Absolutely breathtaking scenery.

Sword fights? Oh yeah. And staff, and spear, and 3-sectional, and rope dart, and hand to hand. 

D00M endorsed, but y'all have surely seen this already. 

The downside is Amazon Prime only has it in English or French dub, not the original Chinese. I regret not watching it in French now.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Possibly the best Chinese martial arts movie I can think of. What movie showcases the fights better? I’ve watched it many times. Stoooopit plot, such great fights!

[Greg]

Hmmm, never seen it.....

[Drunk Monk]

Did you see the first two films? Shaolin Temple and Shaolin Little Kids. Same cast and crew but unconnected story lines (everyone plays different roles). All required D00M viewing to my way of thinking. 

Shaolin Temple literally rebuilt Shaolin and stands as one of my top Kung Fu films ever but be warned - there’s a horrible dog scene. Each film has a harsh shock scene, a dumb plot, gorgeous settings, and kick ass choreo.

[Greg]

Nope and nope. I have holes in my background, obvs.

[Drunk Monk]

Shaolin Temple is the most pivotal martial arts film after Enter the Dragon. It’s also on Amazon Prime. 

Fast forward past the dog scene.

[Greg]

Totally. I might have seen it. I might have napped. I think I would remember the dog scene....

[Drunk Monk]

Shaolin Temple stands up there with my most rewatched films, right alongside Enter the Dragon, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Seven Samurai, The Empire Strikes Back, ad nauseam. Now I'm thinking I should watch it again. 

I'm surprised I haven't reviewed these here before but it's hard to search out. Maybe I have.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

You & I saw it in San Francisco at the Great Star theatre in Chinatown, if memory serves. Might have been the Four Star...? Memory is a dish best served cold

[Drunk Monk]

Probably the Great Star. That's in Chinatown (recently refurbished I hear). The Four Star is on Clement.

I saw the SF premiere at the Pagoda, which is long gone. A bunch of us went up with Sifu Lam - only time we ever went to a movie theater together. He loved that film too. Anyone with any martial skill is impressed. It's some of the sharpest chores ever. 

It was the first time we were exposed to rope dart. That caused quite the sensation.

[cranefly]

I kinda doubt I've seen it.

Yeah, for shame.

[Drunk Monk]

Wtf!?!?!

Has LCF seen it?

[King Bob]

Haven't seen this one, but did see Shaolin Temple. I think DM showed it to some of us. I seem to remember the Yeti was there, but can't be sure about that or who else might have been there. Or did we go see it in a theater? Now I'm not sure. I was thinking I'd seen it and when DM mentioned the dog scene it clicked. I remember little of it; right now only the guy waiting at the gate to be admitted, and the novices running on the stumps to fetch water.

[Drunk Monk]

Martial Arts of Shaolin is also known as North South Shaolin. Does that help?

[King Bob]

No, I think I've only seen the first one.