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Cast:
Yu
Rong Guang
Donnie
Lee
Mandy
Chow
Lo
Han Ma
Action:
Tsui
Siu Ming
Director:
Tsui
Siu Ming
Score:
 
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HOLY
ROBE OF SHAOLIN TEMPLE
AKA:
Shaolin Vs. Wu Tang 2 ||
Wu Tang Invasion
Year:
1982 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
The
Manchus have a vice-like grip on the Chinese people, but
constantly face challenges from rebels throughout the land.
The main opposers are housed at the Shaolin Temple and the
Manchus therefore devise a scheme designed to pacify their
enemies. Sending an undercover fighter disguised as an abbot,
along with a considerable Manchu military presence, the rulers
seek to install him as the new chief of Shaolin. The ensuing
fight between the fake abbot and the resident master draws no
obvious conclusions, therefore the formidable army is employed
to quash Shaolin there and then. During the ongoing carnage, a
group of monks manage to escape from the temple and are given
the task of transporting an ancient relic - the 'Holy Robe' -
to a distant place of worship. Knowing the symbolic power of
this robe and the influence it wields, the Manchus send out a
sizeable portion of their army to track it down. On the
dangerous journey, the Shaolin warriors encounter their foes
more than once and their numbers are soon cut down. However,
they thankfully draw on a few useful allies, namely a young
woman who had befriended one of the monks in a previous
adventure. With her help and some close escapes, the Shaolin
monks reach their goal, only to find the enemy there waiting
for them.
Director
Tsui Siu Ming has shown himself to be a film-maker with an eye
for aesthetic strength. In films such as 'Bury Me High' and
here with 'Holy Robe Of Shaolin Temple', Tsui creates a
visually impressive environment in which the story unfolds.
This is enhanced in this kung fu drama with ample use of
stunning Chinese vistas and a definite attempt to develop an
atmosphere in addition to the. This is just as well as the
storyline is certainly nothing out of the ordinary; there's
very little desire to create anything fresh in this
department. Therefore 'Holy Robe Of Shaolin Temple' is
hindered by its pedestrian plotting and a lack of explanation
for key plot points i.e. the significance of the Holy Robe.
The action choreography is, strangely enough, another
disappointment. There's no doubt that the numerous fights are
expertly performed and a few are genuinely exciting, but many
succumb to an overabundance of Wu Shu flips and jumps. A lack
of solid kung fu fights means that the Wu Shu takes over;
although there's much to admire, the feeling is that the
action becomes an exercise in acrobatics rather than
excitement.
Away
from its faults, 'Holy Robe Of Shaolin Temple' is a good kung
fu flick that features Yu Rong Guang as the powerful villain.
Though certainly not uncomfortable to sit through, there's
without a doubt something missing that stops it firing on all
cylinders.
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