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Shaolin Temple

Shaolin Temple

Action · 1982

The Tang emperor is betrayed by one of his generals, who installs himself as emperor in the East Capital. The son of one of his slave workers escapes to the Shaolin Temple, learns kung fu, and sets out to kill the traitor who killed his father.

Movie details

Shaolin Temple

1982 Action 1h 40m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.0 / 10

Community rating

The Tang emperor is betrayed by one of his generals, who installs himself as emperor in the East Capital. The son of one of his slave workers escapes to the Shaolin Temple, learns kung fu, and sets out to kill the traitor who killed his father.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Shaolin Temple?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Shaolin Wooden Men

Shaolin Wooden Men

Action · 1976

Little Mute is an orphan traumatized into silence by the death of his father at the hands of a vicious fighting master. Living at the Shaolin monastery, he befriends a dangerous prisoner who teaches him a secret form of deadly kung fu. Seeing his intense determination, other masters share the wisdom of the Gliding Snake and Drunken Master techniques. In one of the most exciting fight scenes ever filmed, Little Mute must run the gauntlet of the famous 108 wooden men in an extreme test of skill and endurance. But if he becomes a master, will he use his unmatched force for redemption or revenge?

Dragon Fist

Dragon Fist

Action · 1979

After the death of his master, martial arts student Tong Huo-wan travels with his adoptive family to seek redress from the man responsible but finds himself torn between righteousness and filial piety after becoming entangled in a feud between a local clan and gangsters.

New Fist of Fury

New Fist of Fury

Action · 1976

A brother and sister escape from Japanese-occupied Shanghai to Japanese-occupied Taiwan, to stay with their grandfather who runs a Kung-Fu school there. However, the master of a Japanese Kung- Fu school in Taiwan has plans to bringing all other schools on the island under his domination, and part of his plan involves the murder of the grandfather.

Kung Fu Jungle

Kung Fu Jungle

Action · 2014

A martial arts instructor working at a police academy gets imprisoned after killing a man by accident. But when a vicious killer starts targeting martial arts masters, the instructor offers to help the police in return for his freedom.

The Storm Riders

The Storm Riders

Action · 1998

Heeding a prophecy, a warlord trains two orphans after killing their parents. But the skills he teaches could lead to his downfall.

Martial Arts of Shaolin

Martial Arts of Shaolin

Action · 1986

In ancient China, Zhi Ming trains at the legendary Northern Shaolin temple to avenge the death of his father at the hands of a nefarious magistrate.

Disciples of the 36th Chamber

Disciples of the 36th Chamber

Action · 1985

Monk San Te tries to support and protect Shaolin and her Fang Shih-yu who purposely attacks corrupt Ching officials.

A Touch of Zen

A Touch of Zen

Action · 1970

Yang Hui-zhen, a mysterious princess on the run from corrupt government officials, is joined in her endeavors by skilled Buddhist monks and an unambitious painter named Gu Sheng-zhai.

Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist The Movie

Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist The Movie

Adventure · 2014

If one man changes his path, will he be able to change his destiny...or will he only delay the inevitable? Ryu and Ken are two traditional warriors who find themselves isolated in some corner of Japan to carry out their training as fighters, trying to master an ancient style of fighting, known as "Ansatsuken" (The Killing Fist). There they will begin to learn about the mysterious past of their trainer, Goken, and the tragic and dark legacy that the Ansatsuken style hides. Will they be able to choose their destiny or will history repeat itself once again?

The Monkey King 2

The Monkey King 2

Action · 2016

Taking place 500 years after the Havoc in Heaven, the Tang Priest is appointed by Buddha to go to the West to fetch the sacred scriptures, only to accidentally free the Monkey King. With Lady White aiming to break up the team assembled to defeat her, the Monkey King must fight in order to save his world!

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Cheung Sing-Yim

Written by

Sit Hau · Lo Siu-Cheung

Jet Li

Jet Li

Gong Yuen (Jue Yuan)

Yu Hai

Yu Hai

Master Tan Chuang

Yu Chenghui

Yu Chenghui

General Wang Ren Ze

Ding Lan

Ding Lan

Bai Wuxia (Wu Sha)

Hu Jian-Qiang

Hu Jian-Qiang

Wu Kong

Sun Jiankui

Sun Jiankui

Se Kong (Shih Kung)

L

Liu Huai-Liang

Liao Kong

Court is in session

Put Shaolin Temple on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.