Shaolin

Starring Andy Lau, Jackie Wu, Nicholas Tse, Jackie Chan, Yu Xing

Synopsis:

General Hou Jie (Lau), has successfully waged a bloody campaign to bring the neighbouring states under his control. However he soon finds himself at odds with his younger brother Cao Man, who wants to obtain foreign weaponry in exchange for a railroad. Hou Jie soon finds himself betrayed, and although he survives a devastating ambush, he is struck by tragedy. He finds himself taken in by the monks in the Shaolin temple, and finds solace in their company. Hou Jie’s happiness is short lived, however, as Cao Man eventually discovers that he is still alive…

Chinese New Year is the tent-pole movie season in Hong kong, similar to the Hollywood Summer Blockbuster season. It’s the time that all the big blockbusters are released, and Benny Chan ( Connected, Invisible Target , New Police Story) is becoming one of the most consistent performers in that arena.

Shaolin starts in rather a grim manner, as Hou Jie tracks down an opposing general who is trying to claim sanctuary within the walls of the Shaolin Monastery. Even though the general gives his surrender and begs for his life, Hou Jie shoots him dead anyway, and mocks the monks by defacing their sign.

It’s not long however before the heart gets to race. A pulse-pounding sequence sees Hou Jie and his family ambushed by masked men in a restaurant. This whole sequence is amazing because so many things happen – Hou Jie betrays his brother-in-arms just as they are about to sign a wedding agreement for their first-born children, but then is saved by him even as he lays dying – hou Jie’s wife fights tooth and nail for the survival of her daughter – the monks, who are on a covert mission to steal rice from the soldiers, intervene – and the scene culminates with a thrilling chariot chase on a mountain pass. By the end, you’ll be wanting to catch your breath.

Shoalin does find time for moments of grace and tranquillity. Hou Jie eventually earns the trust and respect of the monks, especially Jing Neng (Wu), who finally invites him to train in Shaolin kung fu. One cold night, Hou Jie finds a young pupil training hard on outside the temple – it’s the only way he has to keep warm. As Hou Jie joins him in working through their forms, the abbot looks on from the distance. The scene is twee enough to make you think it’s Oscar-bait material, but works nonetheless.

Although Andy Lau is the main focus, Shaolin is very much an ensemble piece, with many different characters getting their moment to shine. Jackie Wu and Yu Xing are both excellent as the top monk fighters, giving commanding performances and some great fight scenes. Jackie Chan also gets a great role as the cook. Although he doesn’t study martial arts, the strength and dexterity he has developed working in the kitchen to feed hundreds of people has given him the skills he need to confront enemy soldiers.

The climactic battle takes on many different aspects. The most personal is the battle between Hou Jie and Cao Man, which takes place within the main temple. Outside, the monks conduct a running battle to get the refugees out of the monastery, while outside, English artillery starts pounding the monastery to smithereens. All of which is filmed with wonderful digital clarity.

Shaolin isn’t a factual account of the monks and their martial arts. It is instead a portrayal of the “myth”, as depicted in many films before. There is very little wire-work, instead this is an exaggerated form of reality. There are some great training scenes, my favourite being the monks standing on one leg on top of a 10ft pole, all the while debating how they can help the locals who want to take refuge in the monastery grounds.

Verdict:

Shaolin is an action-packed film which still allows time for the drama to unfold. Andy Lau really sells it as the repentant Warlord, while Jackie Chan, Wu Jing and Xing Yi all deliver top-notch action performances. Benny Chan has been a favourite director of mine for a while now, thanks to the likes of New Police Story, Connected and Invisible Target – this is another classic from the man.

8 out of 10 – Recommended (MikeOutWest)

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