Let's be realistic.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Jackie Chan's early, pre-1980s movies aren't really to my liking, mainly because their choreography is poor compared to later Chan outings, the film stock is typically cheap, giving the movies a grainy, amateurish look, and they also tend to be rather boring. Of course, there are exceptions; Yuen Woo-ping's work on DRUNKEN MASTER and SNAKE IN THE EAGLE'S SHADOW is great, but for the most part you'll watch these movies once and never again. The same is true of SNAKE & CRANE ARTS OF SHAOLIN, which is a little better than Chan's films made with director Lo Wei, but still very average and only of real appeal to the most ardent martial arts fan, I reckon.The good thing about this flick is the fighting: Jackie is an absolute kick-ass master of martial arts here, right from beginning to end. Forget that initial period of weakness followed by tons of training that we see in his other early period flicks; he's fighting all the way through this movie, and his moves are great. Sure, there aren't any stunts here, so viewers looking for that kind of excitement should go elsewhere; instead, it's just old-school kung fu, hand to hand or with weapons, Jackie doesn't mind. The bad thing about the film is the plot, which is very threadbare, has far too many supporting characters in it, and is extraordinarily clichéd. The only bit I liked about it was the flashback scene in which the masters are poisoned.Jackie is supported by a variety of fighters, generally older than himself and quite distinguished. Nora Miao pops up and fights as well as you'd expect, whilst comic relief goes to the stock characters like the wacky beggar and the cursing guy with the brain of a child. The bad guy is quite tough and the last, extended fight sequence is by far the best moment in the film; not only does Jackie have to battle a guy whose horse stance is impenetrable, but he also takes on three Japanese assassins armed with staffs with knives at the end! A great showdown follows, with some hilarious moments to enjoy – I especially love the bit where Jackie uses a couple of metal stress balls on the bad guy.All in all, SNAKE & CRANE ARTS OF SHAOLIN isn't bad. It isn't that good, but it does have a lot of kung fu, even if said martial arts is kind of repetitive. Still, these guys were working with limited budgets, and it's easy to forget the hard work that went into these productions. Give this one a try if you really love Jackie or are a kung fu addict in general (I guess the two go together…).

This Kung Fu film has some really good ingredients. The thing that doesn't quite come through for it are the production values. The action sequences, the plot, the characters, the settings are all interesting and worth filming, but the actual cinematography and audio quality are quite poor, and so I found it unusually difficult to watch.If you can put these issues aside, the film is great for it's time. Jackie Chan really begins to show his immense talents for what is probably the first respectable time. His acrobatics are great, as are the Snake & Crane styles he employs further on in the film.Interestingly, his character is a little bit cocky, and his body language is a little unusual for him, as if he was told to act a little more American or something. Also, his back-hand strikes seem a little odd and over-used. One of the other great things is the appearance of all the different clans in the film. Th Black Dragons, the Flying Tigers etc really add some colour and interesting rivalry - not to mention the opportunities for various back-stabbings and double-dealings.I would give everything in this movie an A, but the production values a C.

Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin is mostly known for being a transitional movie for Jackie. He did not play the grim Bruce Lee archetype that Lo Wei tried to mold in him, but was the start of a comedic and lighter hero for Chan. Snake and Crane was a box office failure in Hong Kong, but it got Jackie recognition in Hong Kong. It also showcased his increased intricate and atypical fight choreography with an increase of humor and props.There is really much to like in this film. Chen Chi-hwa (Half a Loaf of Kung Fu) did an excellent job of direction with beautiful wide-screen shots of gorgeous scenery and elaborate placement of camera position. I wish he directed more films. Jackie's choreographed fight scenes are also very good. Like many of the martial art films of this time, the plot is the rub. Though I did like the first half of the plot.The film starts with Jackie displaying his various knowledge of weapons including the spear (I cannot believe they lifted music from Monty Python and the Holy Grail for this scene.) The aerobatic display that Chan does (along with others) is far superior to any martial art action done later in the film. Jackie stars as Su Yin Fong, a sarcastic and most excellent Kung Fu practitioner who has possession of the book "The Eight Steps of the Snake and Crane." A manual of techniques that was thought, along with the Dragon Spear, to be in the possession of Master Lin. It was created and collaborated by eight masters of Shaolin who mysteriously vanished. Or did they? Being in possession of such a prize and openly flaunting it, Su finds himself the target of many ruffians. He is jumped by the Ting Brothers while fishing. He is attacked by the Wu Tang Clan while eating. Later he is attacked by various members of the Black Dragon Clan, Beggar Clan and the Flying Tiger Clan. His only ally is Fong Sie Pin of the Ere May Clan who killed Lady Suon and her minion after Jackie Chan had already defeated them. Su is also looking for a shoulder-scarred man. He will not let anything stop him from this goal. This includes advances from Tang Pin Nhur (Nora Miao) and her offering of a treasured golden peacock! Now that is a lot of fortitude (or else he is eunuch.) Nora actually has some decent fight scenes in this film. But the plot winds down with too many obvious turns (like who the shoulder-scarred man is and what happened to the Shaolin monks.)I do feel like this film is worth watching. In addition to the beautiful photography and the actors I have mentioned there are great characters like Lu Lo Qui (with his cursing match against Su), Hong Tu (Gam Ching Lan) who is a pretty petite female pretending to be a male, and Chien Tse (Kam Kong.) If only the plot was stronger (and possibly Lo Wei had less influence on the story) then this film would be mentioned more often and I could create a more cohesive critique. But for historical purposes it will always have its place as a transitional movie in Jackie Chan's illustrious career.

This film is one of Jackie's best old movies!! People say "Jackie Chan's" old films suck, well they are wrong about this one!!! In this film Jackie kicks people from left to right till the end!!! This film has the usual story were everyone want's to find the stolen book with some style in it!! When I brought the film I wasn't expecting much, but I got too much after all. This film has like 11 action scenes!!!! I haven't seen any old Jackie film with soo much action!! I like how Jackie uses the thing around him as props. Also there are no real stunt's in this film but the action is good. The action is sometimes slow and sometimes fast. Like for example when there was a sword fight, you can call that a fast action scene. But when there was hand to hand action that's slow but not alway's. And the story itself is pretty good. Because in other Jackie film the story is the same and it just get's boring after a while. So I think I sad enough about this great action packed film. So go rent or buy it today!!!!!