Shao Lin tong zi gong

I rented this movie because I thought that since the wu tang clan recommended it that it would be good. I was very wrong. Shaolin Chastity Kung Fu turns out to be an INCREDIBLY cheesy children's movie with a few good fight scenes, a lot of annoying characters and some shamefully misplaced scenes of brutal violence!

The story is about a bunch of kids whose village is destroyed by a gang of villains and then the children meet some shaolin monks who protect the kids and teach them kung fu so they can defend themselves from the villains. The plot is somewhat original for a kung fu film and the children (who age from about 8 to 20) have some impressive acrobatic skills. Another thing this movie has going for it is that it has a refreshingly good natured feel to it. The monks teach the children to be good and tolerant and accept people of different cultures. there's even some main characters who are Japanese and they are portrayed as honorable people! If you watch a lot of Chinese kung fu films you know how rare this is!

Even though i like the above mentioned aspects of the movie, overall it's just way too cheesy for my taste. I almost want to recommend this movie for family viewing but unfortunately even though 95 percent of the movie is a harmless child oriented action comedy there's a bunch of scenes filled with R rated violence. There's a part where a guy gets cut in half, a scene where a monk has his head crushed with a giant rock, a scene where two of the older kids crush a man's head with their bare hands with blood SPRAYING out of his head!, there's even a disturbing scene where a bunch of laughing nine year olds beat a man to a bloody death with bamboo sticks!! What the hell were they thinking?

Anyway to end on a happy note the director of this film along with the fabulous Alexander Lou went on to direct one of my favorite ninja movies of all time: MAFIA VS. NINJA!!! If you were disappointed with this one Mafia vs. Ninja will totally cheer you up!

Shaolin Chastity Kung Fu (1981) is an interesting, entertaining and very cheap film. It is about a group of 30 or so kids (5 to 18 years old) who train in the art of kung fu and take revenge on an evil gang. After a village is burned and all of the adults are killed, the town children are left orphaned. Two Shaolin monks discover the children and give them refuge at the temple. While in their care the monks decide to teach the children the art of Shaolin Kung Fu so they can protect themselves. The kids do more than protect themselves!

There is surprisingly plenty of bloody martial arts action in this film, yet it has its child friendly moments as well. The martial arts action in this movie is surprisingly good. Not only is there Kung Fu (and Karate), there is plenty of amazing acrobatics as well. The kids are very well trained and do some unbelievable physical stunts.

At the end of the film the group of kids, after being brutally trained in Shaolin Kung Fu, work together to fight the 9 Devils gang. The fight sequences with the kids are not fake like children's movies today, they are truly impressive. The kids really did all the stunts. It is really pretty harsh (and comical) the way the bandits beat on the kids. You won't see anything like this made in America! Alexander Lou (Incredible Kung Fu Mission) turns in a good performance as the eldest brother. Lou is the star of the film though there are plenty of other talented kids who give great physical performances. The last 20 minutes or so of this movie is packed with martial art showdowns between bandits, kids, monks and teens. The movie has some light moments and tries to preach a positive message about toleration of other cultures (Japanese). My only complaints with this film is some over the top wire work and a lot of really bad acting.

I was very surprised by how entertaining this movie was and how well done the action sequences were featuring the kids. There are a lot of silly (stupid) gags along the way that are kind of funny, sometimes unintentionally. Shaolin Chastity Kung Fu is fun and silly and not to be taken too seriously. It is definitely one of the most unique kung fu movies and is certainly the most hardcore children's movie ever made. If you are looking for a truly unique movie and a few laughs too, check out Shaolin Chastisy Kung Fu.

Martial Arts Genre Rating: 6/10

Overall Movie Rating: 4.5/10

After their village is destroyed by an evil gang of murderous bandits named the Nine Devils, a group of around thirty children from the ages of 5 to 18 years old flee into the woods with the Nine Devils in hot pursuit. Fortunately the kids are found by a pair of Shaolin monks who see it as their duty to protect them but noting the numbers and odds are against them, the monks decide they better train the youngsters in the art of Shaolin Kung Fu so they will be able to defend themselves if need be. Once their training is complete though, the kids decide to seek a measure of revenge...

While this movie may have some child-like moments of humor, it's really not suitable for kids at all. Its violence is brutal and the Nine Devils really don't hold back when battling with the youngsters, who are simply amazing given the amount of stunt work they do and the considerable physical abuse and punishment their roles demand. Also the resulting brutality when the kids take the fight to the Nine Devils gang in the end is not always easy to watch and frequently disturbs as it's little kids often dishing out said bloody vengeance. Certainly not your usual Kung Fu film and surprisingly entertaining and interesting in that respect if one can get past this one's sometimes shocking content.

I think some reviewers have misunderstood this film. Robert Tai made some of the best kung fu films ever made including BRAVE ARCHER, CHINATOWN KID, MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE etc. Although the editing and colour saturation on my Magnificent Dragons cinema collection edition leaves something to be desired (let alone the dubbed voices) this is a good film. Fighting kids is a Chinese tradition and the ones in this film are simply amazing, as are the villains who are dressed in rather amazing costumes (and in one case hair style) and fight well. Both the training scenes and the individual fights at the end are exceptional. Its good (and rather unusual) to see the Japanese and Chinese fighters co-operating and a word for the original music which I really enjoyed. It is bloody and unrealistic - but when were kung fu films strong on emotional plotting. Alexander Lo doesn't really shine in this though he does what is needed - and the fight with the cow at the beginning was different. I've never seen Hilda Liu Hao Yi before but she is pretty and had some good moves (and costume changes). But the stars of this show are the kids. I wonder if they came from an opera school ? I loved the villain with the white eye patch and green cape and another with a wrestling style dressed in gold lame and a belt straight out of WWF. Worth watching.

A huge group of kids are taken in by a group of Shaolin monks after they're left orphaned by a bloody and vicious bandit attack, but not before a teen fights a bull for no reason. Of course you know, This means war between the vicious bandits and the bloodthirsty kids in duels to the death. This kung-fu film is weird, yet great and above all just a very fun experience. Some nicely choreographed fights as well. Not among the best martial art films in the least. It still remains highly watchable none the less. It's just a shame that I had to buy the DVD presented by the Wu-tang clan just to see it. But oh well, such is life I guess.

My Grade: B

DVD Extras: An insanely nonsense intro by Wu-tang clan; Bonus fight scene; Wu-Tang music video; A compilation "Kung-fu classics" trailer; and Trailers for "Gangsteresses" & "Blazin'"