Shaolin Temple was the debut film for the superstar
of the HK screen ... Jet Li (Li Lian Jie). Rather than
using actors or Chinese opera performers the producers
used real Wu Su performers from the Chinese National
Wu Su team. The result was breath-taking, and made
Jet Li an overnight success.


Li plays (Name?) the son of a Kung Fu teacher.
At the start of the movie (Name?) watches his Kung Fu
rebel dad get murdered by the evil false emperor Chang.
(Name?) escapes but not uninjured. Days later he
stumbles into the Shaolin Temple and is discovered by
the famous pole fighting monks. He helps around the
temple and is eventually accepted as a monk.Name takes
to Kung Fu like a fish to water, and deems himself ready
to take on emperor Chang. So he sets off to avenge his
fathers death, but is unsuccessful.
(Name?) returns to Shaolin and trains through the seasons
until he becomes as good as his shaolin brothers.
Now howeverName? is on the run from the emperor and so
he flees from the temple. The story goes on and bla, bla.
The final sequences are great. Firstly the emperor attacks
Shaolin temple and a great battle ensues between the
monks and the soldiers. Then then the real Tang emperor
attacks Chang's palace, which forces (Name? to leave the
battle in Shaolin.The monks come to help in the fight, and
once again a well choreographed battle commences.
Needless to say Name avenges his father and all is well in
Shaolin Temple once again. . . . . .
(Until they fall out of favour with the next emperor!)


1. Shaolin Temple is one of the first fast paced (action
wise) Kung Fu films. Rather than using the Peking Opera
people, Kung Fu or Tae Kwan Do practitioners to star in
the movie. The film producers went to the mainland
Chinese Wu Su team. So rather than the usual punch
and pose for the cameras type action, this film has very
fast, tightly choreographed action scenes. These guys are
so fast, its a joy to watch. Which is why I don't know why
they bothered to speed some scenes up. Everyone knows
waterfalls don't go at that speed!
2.


Most of the action sequences were made up and put
together by the Wu Su team and not the fight director.

Sorry , more to come later on this week
Rowan, Feb 29th 2000
I should also have his bloody name!!!