Kicker Chang/Jue Yuan vs Emperor/Guards: 2.75/5
Bai vs Jue Yuan: 2/5
Bai vs Guards: 3/5
Jue Yuan vs Guards: 3/5
Jue Yuan vs Emperor: 3.5/5
Monks vs Guards: 4/5
Jue Yuan vs Monks: 3.25/5
Battle Of Shaolin Temple: 4.25/5
Monk/Bai vs Officer: 4/5
Jue Yuan vs Emperor: 3.75/5
This is a great movie. The action doesn't pick up until the second half of the film. But there are some great training montages to hold you over till then. Jet Li, though quite young here, really carries the emotional weight of the movie. His facial expressions convey such deep, sincere meaning. Oh and also, the man can fight. But this is one of his better acting performances.
The meat of this movie's action comes when all of the monks take up arms and do battle. It is glorious. Watching them fight with different weapons and styles is truly something to behold.
This movie is really all about what it means to be a monk. Which I found quite interesting. If you're into that sort of thing, you'll enjoy this too.
The movie has some gorgeous shots. Beautiful landscapes. It's the first Hong Kong film shot on mainland China. It's kind of legendary, in that way.
There are flaws with the film. It's paced a bit strangely, though that's an echo of the genre and time. Occasionally it feels almost like a series of vignettes. Some of the comedic beats don't hold up. But these are minor concerns.
I really liked this movie. Recommended.
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