Xiao he shang chu ma

This early entry in the series of films looking at the history of the Shaolin Temple is notable in that it features a cast of child actors playing the heroes. The story goes that the elder monks are away from the temple, leaving the kids in charge, and indeed they must take charge when some evil Ching invaders decide to invade the temple to take out a Ming prince who is hiding within.

It's simplistic stuff and looks entirely cheap with it which is the norm considering the film comes to us courtesy of Taiwan. I wasn't familiar with the cast or director, but I can report that this is a surprisingly fun little movie with plenty of action to recommend it. You needn't worry about it being kid-friendly either; despite kids taking centre stage here it's still a violent adventure and some of the little 'uns do get graphically killed.

LITTLE HERO OF SHAOLIN TEMPLE benefits from a fast-moving narrative and some pretty good fight scenes which emphasise acrobatics and the like. The kids make up for their diminutive statures by using their heads to beat the enemies. The gang of bad guys is bizarrely dressed and straight out of a pantomime. Kung fu fans should look past the poor dubbing, gaudy costumes, and fuzzy look of the picture to enjoy the plentiful action found therein.