Shaolin Temple Strikes Back

Rating:
Summary: get this and other Joseph Kuo movies
Review: I don't know why Joseph Kuo isn't more well known. He has directed some great kung fu films yet I barely read anything on him. Anyway, this movie features some great fights, Shaolin training sequences, and a cool villain. Buy this.

Rating:
Summary: Above-average Shaolin Temple kung fu tale
Review: SHAOLIN TEMPLE STRIKES BACK (1981) is one of the better Shaolin-themed kung fu films to come from the directorial hand of Joseph Kuo who turned out a steady stream of kung fu hits in Taiwan throughout the 1970s and 80s. He's best known for the "18 Bronzemen" series of films which often had some kind of Shaolin connection. This one tells a simple, compelling tale of a Ming princess hiding out at Shaolin Temple during the early days of Manchu rule under the protection of her Imperial Bodyguard, Si Lin, and the patriotic monks of Shaolin. When General Wong (Chen Shan, of SHAOLIN VS. LAMA fame) arrives under orders to locate and capture the Ming princess, he finds that the Temple's Drunken Master (Mark Long, "Ghost-Face Killer" from NINJA CHECKMATE) is an old partner-in-crime. The reformed Long, however, is forced to fight his former Sworn Brother and the other members of their old band. As Si Lin trains in Shaolin kung fu, the stage is set for a series of pitched battles between the Qing guards and the Shaolin monks. At one point the tearful princess volunteers to turn herself over to the enemy in order to save Shaolin.

It's well-written, skillfully edited, nicely photographed and finely acted. (I can't identify the lead actress, but the lead actor who plays her bodyguard is listed as Chen Kin Cheung in the credits, as Chen Chiang Chang in other sources, and as Tony Yu on some sites.) The music is uneven and the dubbing only so-so, but the film moves quickly and the action choreography is quite good as Monks with poles fight swordsmen in a set of furious battles. While it's not a masterpiece of the genre, it's a thoroughly entertaining and gripping film with no lulls that should make both diehard and casual kung fu fans happy. This tape is part of Xenon's Shaolin Collection line, and is far better in tape quality than most of that line.

Rating:
Summary: Nice solid classic movie, though still somewhat lacking
Review: You usually can't go wrong with a Joseph Kuo directed film. This one is no different. This is NOT my favorite Kuo movie, by any stretch, but it has its moments. I found the fighting very good, but not great. The final battle is also very good, but not memorable.

Rating:
Summary: Nice solid classic movie, though still somewhat lacking
Review: You usually can't go wrong with a Joseph Kuo directed film. This one is no different. This is NOT my favorite Kuo movie, by any stretch, but it has its moments. I found the fighting very good, but not great. The final battle is also very good, but not memorable.