The Shaolin Temple is a 1982 Martial Arts Movie starring Jet Li, then 18 years of age, in his film debut. It is the first martial arts movie made entirely in mainland China (in contrast to the Shaw Brothers films which were from Hong Kong) one of the first films shot in the Shaolin monastery and a massive box-office success that spawns two sequels and a 2011 remake, based mostly on the first movie. Although Jet Li stars in all three movies, however the movies are not interconnected in any way (other than being period films with Shaolin kung-fu fighting) and Li plays different characters in all three installments.
Jet Li plays Jue Yuan, a young man in the Sui Dynasty who lost his family to the tyranny of the Imperial army. Seeking refuge at the titular temple, Jue Yuen trains himself to be stronger and better, but has to abide to the temple rules of not killing. Until the ruthless Imperial army deems the Shaolin monks a threat, and decides to invade.
For the other two films in the trilogy, see Kids From Shaolin and Martial Arts of Shaolin.
No relation to the film from the Shaw Brothers.
The Shaolin Temple includes the following tropes:
- All Chinese People Know Kung-Fu: From the Shaolin monks, to the rebels, to the Imperial sergeants, to Jet Li’s character, a martial arts trainee, to the young girl herding sheep…
- Always Save the Girl: Ultimately, what forces Jue Yuan to break his Shaolin code against taking lives, is to save Wu Xia who’s being threatened by a platoon of Imperial soldiers.
- Armor Is Useless: In the end of the movie, Jue Yuan avenged his family by stabbing Emperor Wang Shichong through his armour, into his chest.
- Badass Adorable: Jue Yuan. Jet Li is surprisingly adorable yet lethal in all his fight scenes even at age 18.
- Bald Head of Toughness: The Shaolin monks. Jue Yuan joins their ranks and shaves his head partway through the film.
- Bald of Evil: Wang Shichong, the Big Bad who leads the Imperial soldiers.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Wang Shichong against every single one of his challengers. Including Jue Yuan’s father whom he kills by ripping out his throat.
- Cute Bruiser: Little Miss Badass Wu Xia who is small in size, but a competent fighter on her own. And contributes in the final battle by taking The Dragon one-on-one, and winning.
- Did Not Get the Girl: Jue Yuan and Wu Xia ultimately did not end up a couple, since Jue Yuan realize the Shaolin Temple is where he truly belongs. He does get to keep her beloved Jade Amulet as a memento however.
- Dual Wielding: Jue Yuan, finally going on a killing spree against Imperial soldiers, uses two weapons, a spear and a broadsword, simultaneously.
- In the climax, Jue Yuan wield twin daos.
- Elite Mook: Imperial sergeants, who wears red with silver tunics instead of yellow like regular soldiers, and puts up a much better fight than the regular soldiers.
- Epic Flail: Among the various weapons used by Shaolin trainees, are rope darts which they can use with dangerous accuracy.
- Fragile Speedster: Jue Yuan, small in size but can kick all sorts of ass.
- Gonna Fly Now Montage: Jue Yuan training in the temple grounds learning how to fight bare-handed, then with staffs, and then with weapons like the spear and broadsword. The montage also passes through seasons, where the skies change from day to dusk, from sunny to snowy, implying that Jue Yuan spent at least a year honing his skills in the temple.
- Heroic Second Wind: The second wave of reinforcements from neighboring Shaolin temples, arriving in the peak of the climax to ambush and deal with remaining Imperial soldiers.
- High-Pressure Blood: When Jue Yuan’s father died from being stabbed by Emperor Wang Shichong. A small stab-hole on his chest results in a geyser of blood that shoots into the air.
- Hooks and Crooks: The Dragon uses a unique weapon that none of his soldiers are seen using, which is a long steel rod that ends in two wicked-looking steel hooks.
- Human Pincushion: The Shaolin senior Abbott dies in the ending battle when he gets impaled by numerous arrows.
- Mugged for Disguise: Jue Yuan and Li Shi-min manage to flee from the Imperial soldiers, by reliving two Elite Mook officers of their uniforms. For the relatively diminutive Jue Yuan, his stolen helmet is clearly oversized and shakes about rather hilariously as he tries running.
- Multi-Melee Master: By the time Jue Yuan had mastered the most powerful of skills taught in the Shaolin Temple, he can kick ass using a regular staff, a 3-section staff, a broadsword, and a spear.
- Red Shirt Army: The Shaolin monks in the defense of the temple, against hordes of imperial soldiers. Many died, but they took down loads of enemies in the process.
- Scenery Porn: Plenty. The movie opens with various shots, internal and external, of the Shaolin Temple, including wall paintings, murals, beautiful gardens and shrines, statues of Buddha and the Gods. Later on, the film shows us long, sweeping shots of the rural Chinese countryside, including waterfalls, meadows, peach blossom trees and the like.
- Slavery Is a Special Kind of Evil: Emperor Wang Shichong forces his captives into slavery, putting them through hard labour and for mining.
- Suddenly Always Knew That: Jue Yuen, once he starts ditching his motto against killing and commits his first kill, immediately massacres more than a dozen mooks afterwards in a long and epic fight scene, even finishing off the last fleeing Elite Mook with a skillful spear-throw.
- A Taste of the Lash: Part of the war crime happening to the slaves and labourers, to establish how evil the Imperial army are and for the audience to root against them.
- Taught by Experience: Jue Yuan learns the basics of improving his martial arts skills, by spying at the Shaolin monks’ training from behind bushes in the Shaolin Temple.
- Thou Shalt Not Kill: The Shaolin monks tells Jue Yuan of this lesson as their code and motto. But still…
- Violence is the Only Option: … eventually, Jue Yuan realize the Imperial soldiers are too evil to be left alive, and finally starts taking names.Jue Yuan: "The heavens will decide your fate! " (kill kill kill...)
- You Killed My Father: The motive and driving force behind Jue Yuan and his quest for Revenge.
