Kids from Shaolin

i found Kids of Shaolin to be a light-hearted film, with some very funny moments. Jet Li's natural charm & cheekiness shine through, ably supported by fellow wushu team members. He doesn't perform as much wushu as he does in Shaolin Temple but it is still beautifully performed BY HIM. On alot of his later films (especially after Born to defence, where he hurt his back severely) he has substituted stunt men for the more intensive and dangerous fight choreography, which is fair enough considering he is not a trained stunt man. Therefore i relish watching this movie to see this gorgeous man do that wushu that he do so well!

The problem with so very many Chinese martial arts films is their tendency to be cheapo junk. Kids of Shaolin, starring Jet Li back when he was a Chinese action film star is not cheap looking at all! Honestly though, nobody sees a martial arts film for the production value. They see it for the martial arts. This film's emphasis isn't so much on people beating the living daylights out of each other. Instead it's the acrobatics that are most on display. Of course, Jet Li as the oldest brother is a brilliant athlete, but he isn't the main attraction by far! The kids in the title are DAZZLING!!! There are a few scenes where the clan of Shaolin boys compete with the clan of Wu-Tang girls, trying to show each other up. These scenes are some of THE MOST IMPRESSIVE acrobatics I've seen anywhere. During these scenes, the background is filled with the beautiful and dramatic steep mountains and winding rivers of China. I really can't say enough about these scenes, which easily make the movie great. Don't get me wrong, it's not a perfect film by a long shot, but these kids are so impressive that they make this film a must-see.

Whereas "Shaolin Temple" had exciting action throughout the whole film and paced itself accordingly, this film had virtually no plot and waited until the very end for any real suspenceful action.

Don't get me wrong. The last fight scene was amazing and worth waiting for. It's just that the rest of the film left a lot to be desired. The competition between the boy artists and the girl artists was interesting at first, but after 45 minutes of no plot other than both sides taunting each other, I found myself tempted to hit the fast-forward button.

The fight scene at the end, as well as a few others in the film, show some serious artistry. Jet Li proves once again that he's one of the best artists in Hong Kong Cinema, and Master Pan (I forgot his first name) make a formidable villan.

The film is worth seeing for the action, but if you want to hit your fast fwd button a few times, you won't miss much.

Brilliant movie. It's taken me a long time as an average white dude from America to appreciate Chinese comedy. It's definitely of a different sort. Jet Li is brilliant when he gets to show emotion other than stoic determination (his last 6 films or so). The ensemble cast was brilliant. This is sort of a Chinese 7 Brides for 7 Brothers (which, actually has a very similar feel and great choreography as well, worth checking out, seriously. I'm not kidding.) Most of the characters are archetypes, but never stereotypes. A lot of people will be turned off by this film, but I really feel that that would be due to an understanding of Chinese comedy. A particular instance would be when a character nearly gets his face planted in dog leavings, and it turns out he hadn't taken the fall. If you haven't seen Jui Kuen (Drunken Master, starring Jackie Chan, you won't get it). I have. I did. If you watch enough movies, you tend to understand the genre more. And if you haven't fast forward to the end battle and enjoy the mayhem. I bought this movie on DVD at my local Wallgreens for $3.99 and after watching it, I would easily pay $15 or more for this great piece of film. Jet Li in drag, little kids kicking ass, musical numbers, what more could you want? Great DVD transfer from Saturn Prodictions, as well. Subtitles that are easy to read, full widescreen. Great stuff.

What this film lacks in plot, cunning script and subtlety, it more than makes up for in stunning Kung Fu action and amazing acrobatics from every member of the cast (however young). It's 'Romeo & Juliet'-esque storyline is cliched and quite predictable but the the film is worth a watch simply in order to wonder 'How did Jet Li do that?'.