Better Late Then Never

Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

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.

I wanted to rate this film higher for it's Kung-Fu fighting action. The story is good, except (as other reviewers may have noted) that the subplots and supporting characters get confusing and/or forgotten. A character early in the film gets introduced, and then never reappears despite becoming a plot focus of several other characters. A lot of time in this movie is spent on the training, which is good. But, often, this is at the sacrifice of telling the story. I struggled to keep in mind that this is a film from the 1970s, and so storytelling was different. I would have preferred that the training be condensed down in a montage in order to save time on film for the more important storytelling. This is the primary reason that I rated it a six-star film rather then rating it higher.

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!

The Only Kung Fu Epic worth watching. The best training ever. The main character spending a hundred day's on his knees outside the shaolin temple show how desperate he is to learn kung fu to fight the manchu dogs who have taken over china.