This is Jet Li’s first film and one of his best! Treachery is afoot in the Tang dynasty. The emperor is soon betrayed by one of his ambitious generals, who installs himself as potentate of the East Capital. The General is a cruel and viscous man. When he murders an innocent slave worker, he creates a worthy nemesis out of the slave worker’s son who escapes to the Shaolin Temple to learn the secrets of Kung Fu. The story is based on Shaolin folklore and rooted in historical detail.

“The Shaolin Temple” is the first Chinese made martial arts film to use true Kung Fu artists instead of actors. Initially, the film’s creators had hired actors but they weren’t satisfied with the results, so they set out to recruit and hire regional and national Wushu champions. It is safe to say that Jet Li’s Wushu technique is exceptional, and the skill displayed by the supporting cast is nothing short of superb. The film was two years in the making due to injuries the cast received doing their own stunts.  The credits state that the fight choreography was done by Pan Qing Fu, but the cast choreographed much of their own fight scenes and deserve most of the credit. This is an absolutely wonderful film, and Jet Li is fanfreakintastic. Enjoy! Thomas DiSanto