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14 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :- The first of its kind, 26 November 2000 Author: BernieK (bernie@ct1.nai.net) from Newington, Connecticut, U.S.A.
"The Shaolin Temple" is the first Chinese martial arts film to use gongfu artists instead of actors. Initially, the Japanese investors hired actors, but didn't like the results, so they hired regional and national wushu champions. Although Jet Li is the main character and his wushu is exceptional, don't underestimate the other gongfu artists; they are just as good. The film was two years in the making due to injuries the cast received doing their own stunts. The credits state that the fight choreography was done by Pan Qing Fu, but this is not so. The cast choreographed their own fight scenes and deserve the credit they've been denied.
11 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :- Kung Fu, 27 November 2000 Author: AlbinH (sinbad@hem2.passagen.se) from Sweden
If you want to see a non-stop action Kung Fu flic, this movie will be a good choice. More fighting than talking, and good fighting at that. The actors were taken from the chinese national wushu team, and these guys coordinated the fighting scenes themselves without a stunt coordinator. Many styles and weapons are used, such as drunken staff, mantis boxing, and such. The shaolin monks in the film don't seem to take their rules very seriously... they eat meat(dog meat!), drink wine and kill people...The movie was shot on location at the shaolin temple. Shaolin Temple was such a huge hit in Asia, that it made hundreds of chinese children go to the temple in hope of learning shaolin Kung Fu. Also Jet Li's first movie.
13 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :- Pure Kung Fu, 19 February 2002 Author: pbtips from Boston
No camera tricks. No high production value (even compared to the Hong Kong Kung Fu movies at that time). No stunt men/women. No wire. It is just pure Kung Fu. The location is real and so are the fighting. It belongs to the classic that we miss in today's Kung Fu movies. If you practice Kung Fu, you have to watch it repeatedly to learn a lot from the real masters. It is quite good for the first Kung Fu movie made in China (about 20 years ago).
13 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :- Just GREAT!, 19 February 2006 Author: tiger86-2 from Bulgaria
I love this movie. In fact, when I saw it, I started to love kung fu movies. Why? If you have seen this movie you will know why. Don't ask, just see it. Because this is the greatest kung fu movie ever made. No "Hero", no "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", this movie is the best. Great story, even greater fights - what else do you need? This is the first Jet Li's movie and it made him star.I will not tell you the story. See the movie and you will know it. If I could, I woul give "Shaolin Temple" not 10 but 20/10. Well, I can't...But now I am wasting your time. Don't waste time with reading comments, just go and see this great movie!
8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :- A great film from Jet Li, 27 February 2000 Author: (chris@softopia.pref.gifu.jp) from Gifu, Japan
This is Jet Li's first film as a lead actor, and it doesn't disappoint. The martial arts action is great and the scenery around the Shaolin Temple in Luoyang, China is breathtaking. There are a variety of weapons and styles that are showcased in the film, adding to the action. In particular, seeing the 3 sectional staff used in combat was really cool, and there's one guy who does flips off of his head!It is a rare one to find but if you can find it, I recommend seeing "ShaoLin Temple".
8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :- Holy cow!, 18 February 1999 Author: Eric Yu (ericyu@brandeis.edu) from Boston, Massachusetts
Jet Li's first movie, and it set the stage for his future success. Really good kung fu, really good action, and not too many slow points. Pretty typical storyline; evil warlord kills boys father, boy escapes to Shaolin temple, improves his skill and fights a lot of people. But for a movie this old, the fighting is really done well. I'm sure that this is a pretty hard movie to come across, but if you ever get the opportunity to see it, by all means take advantage of it.
7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :- One of the best!, 7 July 1999 Author: (mpassell@cs.umb.edu) from Boston, Massachusetts
Make sure to check this movie out if you can find it! If you can, tell me where so I can order a copy. As Eric Yu says, the plot is rather typical, but the fight scenes are really well thought out. The martial arts choreography was done by Pan Qingfu, who stars in the movie as one of the bad guys and who was also the coach of the Chinese national wushu team at one point.If you'd like to check out another movie with Pan Qingfu, this time playing himself, watch Iron and Silk. It's rather silly, but Master Pan is pretty cool and Mark Salzman is awfully good at wushu for a white guy.
6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :- True martial arts movies without any fake, 12 January 2004 Author: zzmale
This join venture of Hong Kong and mainland China started the 1980's boom of martial arts flicks in China.Jet Li is the protagonist in this movie and unlike his later works, there is no stunt, no cable, no crane, no other equipment, no special effect, no fake moves, and no artistic creations. Every move is real, and the Hong Kong producers & director ingeniously employed the Chinese martial arts athletes of provincial teams and one from the national team, Jet Li, instead of ordinary actors to perform, thus giving a very realistic view.
2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :- A must see for Jet Li fans, 21 April 2007 Author: daan_de_geus from Netherlands
This is a very cool movie, I loved every second of it. Jet Li, in his first film, displays some of his most brilliant fighting moves and skill. It's no wonder this flick made him a superstar and martial arts icon.The acting is quite alright, though the plot, which really no one cares about, is actually quite interesting.All of the fights were totally massive and stylish, the pace was excellent. The weapons fight between Jet and the main bad guy general dude is awesome. Jet moves unbelievably fast in this bout and they repeat this excellent performance in the final battle. Jet shows true skill, just like the rest of the cast here.
Great martial arts movie, some odd plot points, 7 July 2009 Author: Rooster99 from Paris, France
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
If you can ignore the animal cruelty in the film, and just focus on the martial arts, this is truly an impressive film. Unfortunately, quite a bit of screen time is wasted while Jet Li accidentally kills a dog, and then proceeds to consume it. It is quite an odd scene, with other novices from the Shaolin Temple coming out of the trees to enjoy a good old German Shepherd kabob. There is another scene where a lamb's throat is crushed by a follower of the evil king, and his lackeys run around killing sheep with lances. I understand the setting was long before the existence of PETA, but it was nonetheless surprising (disturbing) to see actual animals butchered on camera.Nevertheless, the Kung Fu in this movie is spectacular. Jet Li and his co-stars have such incredible command of their movements, it is breathtaking. The action sequences pull no punches, there are no comedic Jackie Chan moments, instead it is all-out war to the finish. In my humble opinion, the fight scenes are some of the best ever filmed.R.
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