Shaolin & Wu Tang
AKA: Shaolin Vs. Wu Tang, Shao Lin Vs. Wu Dang, Shaolin Temple Part II
1981
Director: Gordon Liu
Stars: Gordon Liu, Wang Lung Wei, Adam Cheng, Ching Li, Elvis Tsui
A corrupt governor (Wang) wants to control all of the kung fu in his province, so he sets out to put the Shaolin and Wu Tang clans against each other via a tournament pitting the two top fighters (Liu and Cheng) versus one another.
The plot here is basically your standard kung fu revenge stuff, as the governor tries to up the ante by killing off various members of both clans. However, Shaolin & Wu Tang is elevated beyond many similar films on the strength of its fight sequences. Gordon Liu was dismayed by having to make the sequel to his hit 36th Chamber of Shaolin a comedy, and created this movie as the true spiritual successor -- if not outright sequel -- to the original film. Like 36th Chamber, a good portion of the running time is dedicated to training sequences. While not as original or effective as the first movie, the ones featured here are still pretty interesting to watch.
Conversely, the amount of time dedicated to fights -- which was relatively small in 36th Chamber -- is pumped up here. The film kicks off with an interesting exhibition of martial arts skills -- almost like a dance number -- and rarely lets up from there. Of particular note is a brawl between Cheng/Liu and a platoon of troops that must have provided at least some inspiration for the huge melee featured in Yuen Woo-Ping's Tai Chi Master, a gag where the men train the females while fighting (later used in Romeo Must Die), and of course, the final confrontation where Liu and Cheng team up to take on Wang in an amazing display of kung fu skills -- all with very little wirework.
I used to not be a very big fan of these kinds of movies, but the more I see the better examples of the genre like this film, the more that I am liking them. I would guess that even if you're not a big old-school fan you would at the least enjoy the fights, and if you are a fan of the genre and haven't yet seen this movie, then you're missing out.
RATING: 7.5