Shaolin Temple doesn’t try to do anything too innovative with its story, which is completely fine as Chang Cheh does a fantastic job quickly setting up characters and story arcs throughout the film. It’s a school of hard knocks type of martial arts training, very wax on wax off and whatnot, with many of the temple’s new apprentices doing menial labor that is meant to take advantage of what each member is already predisposed to being good at and developing them in a way where they aren’t really thinking about what they are doing. It’s a beloved trope for a reason. It all pays off during the long thirty minute fight scene towards the end, which is pretty much a staple for any good film in this genre.
Shaolin Temple doesn’t try to do anything too innovative with its story, which is completely fine as Chang Cheh does a fantastic job quickly setting up characters and story arcs throughout the film. It’s a school of hard knocks type of martial arts training, very wax on wax off and whatnot, with many of the temple’s new apprentices doing menial labor that is meant to take advantage of what each member is already predisposed to being good at and developing them in a way where they aren’t really thinking about what they are doing. It’s a beloved trope for a reason. It all pays off during the long thirty minute fight scene towards the end, which is pretty much a staple for any good film in this genre.
