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Starring
:
James
Tien
Chan
Sing
Kam
Kong
Sammo
Hung
Yen
Shi-Kwan
Casanova
Wong
Kwon
Young Moon
Action
:
Sammo
Hung
Producer
:
Raymond
Chow
Director
:
Huang
Feng
|
THE
SHAOLIN PLOT (1977)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
Evil
Chinese dictator spends his time abusing his considerable
power and adding further volumes to his extensive kung-fu
library. After stealing the acclaimed Wu Tang manual of
martial excellence, Dagalen turns his attentions to the final
prize; the Shaolin fighting book. Knowing the power of the
owners is simply too strong, Dagalen decides to infiltrate
Shaolin temple and gaining the book through deception.
Meanwhile the son of one of Dagalen's many victims begins to
trace the activities of the cruel villain and finds his way to
the home of a blind monk. There he learns advanced fighting
techniques to counter his foe and uncover the Shaolin plot.
When this young fighter discovers Dagalen's secretive threat,
the obsessed ruler takes the chief abbot hostage and flees to
his palace. In a final attempt to resolve the situation and
rescue their superior, Shaolin send their best fighters
alongside their young ally to Dagalen's retreat.
A
strong cast combine to lift this well-made kung-fu film up a
notch and make it a recommended evening's viewing. Director
Huang Feng is very much of the old-school film-making that
dominated the 70's, but this is certainly no bad thing. Feng's
straight-forward approach means that the plot is given time to
develop and there is emphasis on the all important action.
Avid viewers may also be pleasantly surprised by the
appearance of James Tien as hero, a part he manages with
moderate success. 'The Shaolin Plot' would normally gain a
strong three star rating, but here it's given an extra star
due to Casanova Wong. Wong was to shoot to stardom with 'Warriors
Two' and here he shows exactly what audiences could
expect. In his brief appearance at the conclusion Wong sets
the screen alight with a stunning array of kicking that nearly
steal the entire film. For this reason - and the assurance
that this is a good film - 'The Shaolin Plot' is solid
entertainment.
Rating:
 
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