Shaolin (2011) Review By Mihnea Gheorghita

The Last Samurai (2003) Meets Musashi (1954) in what can only be described as one of the best Chinese action movies in recent memory. Note that I did not stress kung fu or martial arts as a dominant factor, as Shaolin is so much more. The clash of actors going by their English name of choice starts with veteran Andy Lau, who reunites with world favourite Jackie Chan for the first time since The Legend Of The Drunken Master (1994), and ends with multi-talented Nicholas Tse, also a collaborator of Chans. Also worth mentioning are Fan Bingbing (reuniting with Lau after a personal favourite of mine A Battle Of Wits (2006) and Hung Yan-yan, an expert martial artist who served as Jet Lis stunt double in 1986. In what I believe to be one of his most sincere and difficult portrayals of a character, Andy Lau plays general Hou Jie, a ruthless warlord in search of ultimate victory in the war against his enemies, but also a loving father and husband. He makes early contact with the shaolin monks helping the war victims when he chases a rival into their temple, and even though showing some sort of respect, their peaceful ways disgust the war-hungry general. Hou Jie meets with fate sooner than expected, when an assassination goes wrong, and his second in command and protg, Cao Man, tired by his leaders apparent superiority in most aspects, decides to betray him and take charge of his army. Hou survives with the help of the man he just shot, his sworn brother Song Hu. On the run, with his wife Yan Xi (graciously played by Fan Bingbing) falling behind and his daughter Shengnan (to anyone looking over this, please feel free to correct this or any other names Ive spelled wrong, as my subs were horrible) badly injured, the now former general finds his way to the shaolin temple he just recently

ridiculed. He finds shelter but also fate taking its toll: Shengnan dies in her parents arms, and Yan Xi blames him for her death. Completely lost and lacking his once well-known self-confidence, Hou Jie wanders the fields surrounding the temple until he falls in a boar trap. Enter Jackie Chan, providing a much needed share of comic relief through his character, the kind hearted shaolin cook Wudao. An unspoken bond starts to develop between the two, a very welldrawn Yin-Yang relationship between a man that refused to understand peace and the shaolin principles and one that simply was too lazy to do so. Hou Jie eventually decides that becoming a monk would be the best way to leave his sins behind, and thus starts another battle, the one between the disgruntled former warlord and himself. In the opening line, Ive compared this film to both a contemporary and a distant classic, each one easily noticeable in Shaolin. The angry, battle-torn stranger leaves his civilised world and joins the unexpected army of peace is what made The Last Samurai so great, while the determination and will power towards a deeper understanding that are central in Eiji Yoshikawas Musashi. A blend of both, Shaolin proves that movies with kung fu can be more than just flying fists of fury. An impressive performance by all the members of the cast brings a level of drama and emotion that will be very hard to match in future productions. Lau was breath-taking in his portrayal of general Hou Jie, an amazing job with both of Hous personalities, he makes it so very hard to guess when exactly evil runs through fear before becoming good. Jackie Chan becomes the Chinese Chris Tucker in this one, taking on a role that Im sure he enjoyed. As for Nick Tse, playing the main antagonist didnt seem to bother him one bit. He felt every bit of Cao Mans anger and was an excellent Yang to Laus Yin. A simple, overused plot idea is turned into a gem with an even amount of drama, impressive dialogue and exemplary martial arts.

Director Benny Chan whom Ive started to follow after seeing A Moment Of Romance II and Jackie Chans Who Am I?- does a great job, and right behind him is writer Alan Yuen, who knew exactly what the film needed to become a hit. Needless to say, I give this 5 out of 5 stars. The CGI was in place, there were only a few flying bodies as compared to other exaggerated fight scenes, the plot was well built, the cast wellchosen and overall, the film was a joy to watch. Recommended to kung fu-savvy moviegoers, but also to anyone who enjoys a classic idea taking on a new shape, Shaolin is in a world of its own.