Shao Lin tong zi gong

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'"

SHAOLIN CHASTITY KUNG FU (1981) is an early team-up of star Alexander Lou (aka Alexander Lo Rei) and director Robert Tai and boasts a simple, well-told, coherent tale in contrast with the more frenzied, delirious action found in such later collaborations of theirs as MAFIA VS. NINJA and NINJA FINAL DUEL. Although Lou is the nominal star here, he doesn't dominate the proceedings, but is instead one member of an ensemble cast and shares the stage with a number of talented fighter/performers. He does, however, get the girl, one Liu Hau Yi, who proves a capable partner for Lou in several scenes where they train and fight as a team.

The most original touch is the presence in the cast of two dozen or so boys and girls who train together in Shaolin Chastity Kung Fu and work as a team to defeat the bad guys, employing a number of bold, fresh strategies. The kids are evidently members of an actual acrobatic troupe and put their training and skills to great use here.

The action starts when a group of teens and children led by one older pair, Lou and Liu Hau Yi, flee their village in the wake of an attack by a bandit group, the Nine Devils, who overrun the village and kill all the inhabitants they can find. The bandits' motive is to use the village as a base from which to rescue their imprisoned boss, Golden Tiger, who is scheduled to be taken to court by a security team passing through. The bandits' attempt to pursue the fleeing kids is thwarted by a traveling Shaolin master and his disciple who fend off the bandits with their kung fu. The two monks then take the village refugees into hiding and teach them all kung fu in preparation for a spectacular climactic battle with the bandits after they've freed their leader.

A friendly Japanese martial artist, en route to meet the Shaolin Master, is waylaid by the bandits but puts up enough of a fight to allow his two sons to escape into the woods where they are later found by the village refugees and incorporated into the group. One amusing scene has the Japanese boys blithely enter the pond where the girls are bathing and dismiss the girls' loud protests, unaware that the two sexes don't bathe together in China. The master then sits them all down for a lesson in different customs. It's all handled with abundant good humor and charm.

The villains are big and muscular and wield a number of exotic, lethal weapons. Most of them are also somewhat buffoonish, which makes for plenty of comic encounters with the wily, agile kids. The action culminates in a series of battles in which the top martial artists in the group take on the most formidable bandits, while the kids, working in separate groups, ambush and entrap the rest of the gang using a host of different acrobatic team maneuvers and such simple tools as bamboo poles and ropes. It's all very imaginatively staged and employs the boys and girls equally in the action.

The cast is quite good and includes some familiar faces from Taiwan-based kung fu films. Liu Hau Yi is new to this reviewer, however, and her qualities of strength, spirit, fighting skill and abiding beauty make one wish her additional films, if any, were easier to identify and track down. As for the kids in the cast, "adorable" may be an overused term, but it certainly applies here. How often does one get to see large numbers of eager boys and girls engaging in rigorous Shaolin training scenes and then putting that training to use? All in all, it's a thoroughly invigorating and delightful kung fu film that should prove a pleasant surprise to longtime genre buffs. Be warned that there are some very quick, gruesome moments--one bullet-headed villain splits a villager in two with his head--but if the younger or more squeamish kung fu fans in your circles can handle such bits, the rest of the film could be a real treat for them. Be also aware that the current edition of this film being distributed in the U.S. is a low-cost, English-dubbed, poor-quality transfer which will simply have to do until a better copy comes along.

A guy gets broken in half by a head butt and there's a lot of action,the acting is good and the plot is enjoyable,i recommend this film,also the DVD has an awesome wu tang music video to go with it. There's a lot of really exctiting fights in this,the action doesn't really let up at all. I think Robert Tai did a good directing job and i'd like to see more of him. Alexander Lo Rei is a very good fighter and i'm sure anyone who has seen this film has looked him up to see more of his work.

First off, let me say I have been exposed to some pretty horrific kung fu films, and while this is certainly not the worst I've seen, it's pretty god-awful.

Secondly, this movie was released mainstream under the banner of the Wu-Tang Clan, who give an introduction at the beginning of the DVD. Now I've never really been a fan of the group but I must say I enjoyed hearing their intro, primarily because it was completely incomprehensible. Whenever you can understand what the guys are actually saying, the words themselves do not make any sense whatsoever; this may be due to the fact that they are introducing the wrong movie; one of the clan-members is actually talking about a movie called Mystery of Chess Boxing. WTF?

As far as the movie goes, it's pretty bad. There are some neat action sequences (particularly a guy who does a lethal head-butt, sending the two halves of a poor villager flying in opposite direction) but it's mostly a bunch of kids doing acrobatics in a field. Watch this movie for the horrible dubbing and the head-butt guy.

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