Today’s quick review: Martial Arts of Shaolin. Lin Zhi-ming (Jet Li), a Shaolin monk in training, runs away to get his revenge on Lord He Suo (Yu Chenghui), the man who killed his parents. Along the way, he meets up with Si-ma Yan (Huang Qiuyan), a young woman also seeking revenge, and her protector Chao Wei (Hu Jianqiang). But when their assassination attempt fails, the three must flee across the country to escape He Suo’s men.
Martial Arts of Shaolin is a martial arts action movie starring Jet Li. Three young fighters become unlikely allies as they run from the lord they failed to assassinate. Martial Arts of Shaolin features flashy action, a serviceable plot, and touches of comedy that offset the serious revenge story at the movie’s core. Although it has its flaws, Martial Arts of Shaolin is a fine pick for fans of the martial arts genre.
Appropriately enough, the main appeal of Martial Arts of Shaolin lies with its fight scenes. The movie takes a broad approach to its action, with big fights involving dozens of combatants and a variety of weapons. While the fights lack the immediacy and tension of the one-on-one duels seen in other martial arts movies, Martial Arts of Shaolin compensates with large-scale action, flashy stunts, and a final fight that lets its stars show off.
The story is basic but enjoyable. The three heroes get to know one another as they travel together, avoid He Suo’s soldiers, and try to return Si-ma to her home. None of the characters are particularly deep, but they have enough foibles to make them human. Their interactions are enough to fill out the story and give some meaning to the fighting.
Martial Arts of Shaolin fits in comfortably with the other solid hits of the martial arts genre. Neither its story nor its action are exemplary, but they are both interesting enough to entertain. Critical viewers will do better with a more robust martial arts drama, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Ip Man. But those who are looking for well-choreographed action should give Martial Arts of Shaolin a try.
For an adventure with a similar story but a different flavor of action, try Hidden Fortress. For another movie about the travails of martial arts students in a historical setting, try Sword Masters: Two Champions of Shaolin. For a more fanciful martial arts movie with similar appeal, check out The Five Venoms.
[6.5 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091607/). I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for good fundamentals.