The Holy Robe of the Shaolin Temple (1985, HK/China)

Starring: Yu Rongguang, Chui Heung-Wing, Lam Chau-Ping. Directed by: Tsui Siu-Ming

This is a movie that has been incorrectly released in the West as the sequel to the 1984 Gordon Liu blockbuster hit "Shaolin and Wu Tang". In actuality it has nothing at all to do with the latter movie, but it's a very good martial arts flick nonetheless.

In "The Holy Robe..." Qi Tian Yuan, an ex-Wu Tang monk (Yu), has been dispatched by the government to kill the abbot of Shaolin Temple and take over Shaolin, which he cannot do until he has the ultimate symbol of honor and authority: the Holy Robe of Shaolin.

When Qi and a brigade of Royal Guards storm Shaolin and try to kill the abbot, a group of monks escape with the wounded abbot and the precious robe. Naturally Qi and the soldiers set off in hot pursuit of the fugitive monks, who have fled into a nearby village and onto the steppes of Inner Mongolia.

Also hiding out in Inner Mongolia is a hidden ace up Shaolin's sleeve: a monk by the name of Hui Neng (Chui). When all of Shaolin's best monks have been slaughtered, the task of saving Shaolin and defeating Qi falls on his shoulders. Fortunately for Hui Neng, he has some help from a very talented female fighter named Miss Lin Ying (Lam). But the task at hand becomes a little more complicated when the two start falling in love with each other.....

Can Shaolin be saved and can the Holy Robe be kept off Qi Tian Yuan's shoulders? Can the traditional enemies of Shaolin and Wu Tang work together to defeat Qi and the government forces? And furthermore, can Hui Neng and Ms. Lin set their feelings for each other aside to accomplish the tasks at hand?

This is a very good Hong Kong/China co-production with some excellent, well-choreographed kung fu scenes and a well-written, dramatic storyline. This movie is also the first movie for Yu Rongguang, who would go on to play the villain in the 1993 box office smash hit "Iron Monkey" and in the 1995 Jet Li hit "My Father is a Hero" (aka "The Enforcer").

Also, if you are learning Mandarin Chinese, you might want to check this movie out because it's one mainland Chinese movie where the subtitles, while a little iffy English-wise, seem to have been translated almost verbatim from the original Chinese track. I personally noticed this while watching the movie and understood portions of the dialogue very well.

This movie is a must-see if you're a fan of Shaolin and/or Wu Tang movies or want to watch a good Jet Li-style movie. All in all it's highly recommended!

Also known as: Mu mien jia sha (original Mandarin title-China/HK), Shaolin and Wu Tang 2: Wu Tang Invasion (US video and DVD title), A Saolin templom szent köntöse (Hungary), Shaolin Vs. Wutang 2: Holy Robe of Shaolin Temple/Holy Robes of Shaolin (unknown English titles)

Shaolin and Wu Tang (1985, HK)

Starring: Gordon Liu, Adam Cheng, Idy Chan. Directed by: Gordon Liu

Those of you who are fans of the band The Wu-Tang Clan have no doubt heard sound clips from this movie in their debut CD, "Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers)."

The movie starts out with one of the most amazing kung-fu fight scenes you'll ever see when a lone Wu Tang monk takes on an entire squad of Shaolin monks. This fight scene alone is reason enough to track this movie down!

Now to the storyline. In "Shaolin and Wu Tang," Gordon Liu plays Shaolin fighter Hung Jun-kit and Adam Cheng plays Wu Tang fighter Chao Fung-wu. Both are students in the same town, and both are friends despite the rivalry between the two schools. Jun-kit's sister Yan-ling happens to have a crush on Fung-wu.

When the local Qing lord finds out that both students are experts at Shaolin kung-fu and Wu Tang sword styles, he decides that they are a threat and he must learn their respective styles. He also kills the abbot of the Wu Tang school, as well as Yan-ling.

Does the Qing lord turn these two friends against each other, and can he stir up the traditional rivalry between the two schools for his own benefit? Also, can he master the Shaolin Chin Kang Fist technique and the Wu Tang Sword style? Watch and see!

This movie is a true kung-fu classic and is one you'll most certainly want to watch again and again!

Also known as: 少林與武當/Shao Lin yu Wu Dang (Mandarin-original HK title), 少林与武当 (simplified Chinese characters), Shaolin Temple, Part II (unknown), Shaolin contre Wu Tong (France)