Enter the 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1985)

Synopsis of Enter the 36th Chamber of Shaolin

Hong Kong filmmaker Yau Kar-hung directed this standard Shaw Brothers historical action-comedy released at the tail end of the famous studio's mid-'80s decline. It tells yet another story about the oft-filmed heroes Hung Hei-kwun and Fong Sai-yuk, played here by Lo Mang and Wong Yue. Hung gets in trouble for offending the Ching chieftain Chih (genre veteran Lo Lieh), so he and Fong seek refuge in the Shaolin Temple, where they join the newly arrived South Pupils to learn the martial arts disciplines. Many of the students seem more interested in chasing girls and fooling around, upsetting the North Pupils (the Shaolin monks). Chief Chih shows up looking for Hung and Fong with fighters in tow, and the obligatory battle scene results, with the men of the Shaolin emerging victorious. Afterward, however, the monks come to the conclusion that Hung should be expelled from the temple because his primary goal in coming there was not to study, but to hide from Chief Chih. Naturally, Hung affirms his devotion to the ways of Shaolin and they let him stay, setting up yet another raid by Chief Chih and the obligatory final battle. Some interesting fight sequences are dragged out to feature length with extended comic scenes featuring the students playing pranks on the monks, but genre enthusiasts will still find enough to keep them interested. Also released in a drastically cut 84-minute version as Enter the 36th Chamber of Shaolin, the film co-stars Gordon Lau, Chin Siu-ho, and Phillip Kwok. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

Director(s):

Lau Kar-Leung, Liu Chia-Liang

Writer(s):

Lau Kar-Leung, Liu Chia-Liang

Producer(s):

Mona Fong, Run Run Shaw

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