This “Limited Edition” Blu-ray is currently available from Arrow Video.
If you’re reading this review, then you are likely already familiar with the likes of Sammo Hung and martial pictures of the 1970s onward. In recent years, Arrow Video have been acquiring early efforts from the likes of Hung and Jackie Chan that aren’t as well known. This week marks the Blu-ray release of The Shaolin Plot, aka Shaolin Plot, an epic that marked one of Hung’s last jobs of fight coordinator (and co-star) before directing. It also features the performer in a rare role as that of a heinous, villainous henchman.
The movie is noted for being hard to find in North America. It barely got a release of any kind and, if you did see the film, it was probably on a badly-transferred VHS tape. So, it’s wonderful to see the title appear in any form in this part of the world.
This is another great-looking Blu-ray that really impresses with its widescreen photography. As a youth, I remember seeing some of these pictures on old formats. It wasn’t unusual to see heavily edited versions of the movies presented in full screen image (which made it difficult to see what was occurring) with a dark and grainy picture. In fact, this unfortunate trio of issues was the case more often than not. The 2K restoration on this disc makes the movie look pretty spotless and many of the wide-angle exterior locations are quite gorgeous to behold.
The tale involves a nasty ruler named Prince Daglen (Chan Sing). He is essentially Emperor of the nation and wants all of the powers of various martial arts all to himself. Daglen invites the leaders of many groups to him and then demands their manuals. Some resist, only to be beaten, and more often, killed by his “renegade” servant monk (Sammo Hung) who wields flying cymbals with blades. With only two books left to collect, he sends his men to the Wu-Tang school to retrieve the goods at any cost. Son of the school head Little Tiger (James Tien) escapes with the material and takes refuge at the home of a former Shaolin Monk Pu Hui (Chin Kang). The evil henchman and his crew end up blinding Pu Hui and getting what they want, leaving the Shaolin Temple as the last holdout. While Daglun works on obtaining the final manual, Little Tiger trains in order to warn and help the Shaolin of the imminent danger.
The movie starts off with some incredible fight scenes that really cement Daglen and his crew as formidable foes. Heads are sliced off and Hung’s distinctive and bizarre-looking character (who is bald but has mutton chops and is decked out in bright yellow garb) takes great pleasure in causing death with his instruments. This doesn’t stop as the film progresses. The cymbal-throwing figure does increasingly horrific things to Pu Hui over the course of the film that are surprisingly nasty. Daglen is no different, having his own unique weapon and becoming more and more powerful over the course of the movie taking secret abilities from every martial arts community. Eventually, the Shaolin Monks are forced to square off against the antagonists when their leader is taken hostage, leading to an elaborate showdown.
It’s easy to support Little Tiger over the course of the story, although the filmmakers do something strange with the character as the film arrives at the final act. While the lead joins the Shaolin Monks in their battle, he takes second stage to two fighters (Casanova Wong and Yeong-moon Kwon) who try to save the day. There is plenty of incredible choreography during the last twenty minutes and plenty of impressive moves. It’s just a little strange that the character whom the audience has spent the most time with runs out of gas and can’t do battle during the final confrontation.
Still, the concept of an all-powerful, threatening ruler eventually being taken down by the noble heroes is excellent, even if the movie ends up overstuffed with protagonists. As mentioned, the villains make a memorable impression. This is also a beautifully shot picture with some incredible fight scenes and a couple of wince-inducing bits of unexpected violence.
Besides the sharp picture, the Blu-ray boasts some great bonuses. There are two commentary tracks included that definitely give viewers more understanding and perspective on the film. Martial arts film experts Frank Djeng and Michael Worth give an analysis of the picture and fight scenes. They explain that this was a star-studded endeavor with many leading men appearing in the story. This detail helps one understand why the movie has trouble focusing on its protagonist and gives others the star treatment during the big showdown.
The pair also give some background on the production and note that the lovely locations were all shot in Korea and not around Hong Kong. While most wouldn’t notice, the trees featured simply do not exist there. It seems that the scenic vistas also helped give the picture a real sense of another time and place. These and other tidbits are informative. They also note that despite the fact that Hung’s character uses a flying guillotine and the film came out the year after Master of the Flying Guillotine (which actually starred cast member Chin Kang), this weapon has been a part of the culture for some time and may not have been a case of cashing in on the other film’s success. Of course, it’s hard to say for certain, but that’s what they claim.
The second track includes action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema. Both have worked in the Hong Kong film industry and share their memories meeting with some of the cast and crew and their experiences. They give biographical info about the cast and crew that will have viewers looking up other titles. These stories about the cast are fun and entertaining to hear (particularly of how Hung can be, well, ornery and intimidating to deal with).
Movie-wise, they also explain aspects of the characters that I was never certain of, like what the series of dots on the heads of certain monks represent. Additionally, they are more critical of the climax, stating that while elaborate, it isn’t as satisfying as hoped for. I appreciate hearing differing opinions on the tracks and the alternate viewpoints are enlightening and interesting to take in. They also note the story similarities between these types of films and the work of Geroge Lucas, noting how the Shaolin Monks likely inspired the Jedi in the Star Wars series.
Additionally, the Blu-ray includes alternate English credits and original theatrical trailers. There’s an impressive double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork for the film and an illustrated collector’s booklet.
If you’re a martial arts film enthusiast, The Shaolin Plot is a notable title. It may not be the best title of its era and might not even match the Flying Guillotine movies, but it is a large-scale feature with plenty of memorable action sequences that are bolstered by the movie’s extraordinarily talented cast. The image quality is incredible and the Blu-ray is definitely worth picking up.