Shaolin
On the big screen, some of the times and places in Chinese history almost seem to blend together.
The Hong Kong action epic Shaolin won’t do much to change that perception. It’s a mildly ambitious but ultimately predictable tale of greed, betrayal and revenge, punctuated by a healthy dose of martial-arts action.
It bears resemblance to the 1982 chop-socky film The Shaolin Temple, which helped to jump-start the career of a young Jet Li, although it’s not a direct remake.
This big-budget effort includes a noteworthy pairing of Hong Kong legends Andy Lau and Jackie Chan, who plays a small role as a resourceful chef and even has a brief but entertaining fight sequence involving a giant spatula. It’s directed by frequent Chan collaborator Benny Chan (no relation).
The story takes place in the early 20th century, when the collapse of the Qing dynasty leads to an invasion by an army general (Lau) on a Shaolin temple that aims to feed refugees displaced by the military unrest.
However, the tables are turned after a proposal to arrange the marriage of his young daughter falls apart, leading to the general seeking asylum with the very monks whose lives he threatened. Eventually, he is pursued by an evil young warlord (Nicholas Tse) whose army tries to seize the temple, causing the monks to brace for a life-or-death battle.
As viewers might expect, the highlights of the film are the stuntwork and sometimes brutal battle sequences, choreographed in part by veteran Cory Yuen. They feature a mix of weapons and martial-arts techniques (and the use of real-life Shaolin monks in some cases) which are only marginally inhibited by the filmmaker’s annoying use of slow motion.
Unfortunately, the fight scenes too often get pushed aside in favor of formulaic plotting about belief systems and religious persecution, and marginal performances from a sharp cast. There’s not enough emotional engagement for the audience to root for the heroes and abhor the villains.
The production values are generally solid, including the costumes and special effects. It’s doubtful many will care about the lack of historical accuracy in a film such as Shaolin, but the lack of narrative originality is another matter.
Not rated, 130 minutes.