Shaolin Wooden Men (1976, HK)

Starring: Jackie Chan, Chiang Kam, Hwang Jang Lee, Kam Kong, Yuen Biao. Directed by: Chen Chi-Hwa

This is one of the better movies from Jackie Chan's period with Lo Wei Productions, and one directed by his mentor Chen Chi-Hwa.

In "Shaolin Wooden Men", Jackie plays Little Mute, a Shaolin student who was traumatized into silence by his father's murder. He does all the menial chores at the temple, but never gets to learn kung-fu like the other students.

At the monastery, Little Mute meets and befriends an imprisoned kung-fu master who teaches him his Lion's Roar technique and a nun who teaches him her Gliding Snake technique. Naturally Little Mute becomes the best student in the monastery and gets to take the ultimate challenge: He has to make his way through the Shaolin Wooden Chamber and defeat the 108 wooden men.

Can he accomplish this task? Also, what Little Mute do with his kung-fu skills? That's what you'll have to watch and find out, but be ready for a few shocks and surprises!

Please note that the US DVD release of this movie by Columbia in 2002 is digitally re-mastered and includes the original Mandarin and Cantonese soundtracks, but has the first 10 minutes of the movie cut, including the fight scene in the opening credits! However, there are a very small handful of obscure pre-2002 VHS and (possibly) DVD copies still floating around at places such as flea markets that have the intact version of the movie, but with only one language dub. There have been plans by Dragon Dynasty to re-release this movie on DVD since 2008, but those plans seem to be on hold.

If you're a fan of Jackie Chan's early movies, this is one you've gotta see!

Also known as: 少林木人巷/Shao Lin mu ren xiang (HK, original Mandarin title), 36 Wooden Men (unknown), Shôrinji Mokujin Ken (Japan, dubbed version), Wooden Men (West Germany), Shaolin Wooden Men: Young Tiger's Revenge (USA alternate title), El despiadado (Spain), L'impitoyable (France), Shaolin Chamber of Death (UK initial releases), To heri pou tsakizei kokkala (Greece VHS title)