Review for Shaolin (Review)

Introduction
If ever there was a word with connotations, it's 'Shaolin'. The first time I heard it was back in 1986, when I got hold of a Spectrum arcade conversion called Shaolin Road. It wasn't the most inspired beat-'em-up ever, but I got enough enjoyment out of it for the title to stick in my mind. It was only later, when I discovered the wonders of Hong Kong cinema that I got some idea of what Shaolin actually was, an order of warrior monks synonymous with kung fu. If you think of Hong Kong action cinema, the first word that will spring to mind will be kung fu (I never actually realised that the monks in the David Carradine Kung Fu series were actually Shaolin monks, oddly enough), and the second word will most likely be Shaolin. To date, I have reviewed four films with the word Shaolin in the title, two of them starring Jackie Chan. There is the iconic Shaolin Wooden Men, as well as Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin. The less said about The Young Hero of Shaolin Part 2 the better, while Shaolin Soccer put a wholly unique spin on things.

The real Shaolin temple (there actually is one) has decided to regain some control over how their name is used, they've gotten trademarked and copyrighted, and now only a film that gets their endorsement and blessing can carry the word Shaolin in its title. My fifth Shaolin movie, and the third with Jackie Chan in, is named, quite simply Shaolin, and Cine Asia are bringing it to the UK in shiny Blu-ray form, as well as your usual DVD release. It's a period kung fu flick, as so many of them are, but the period that Shaolin chooses, the Republic Era (which thanks to Bey Logan's commentary I can tell you is between 1912 and 1928) is an interesting one. It's where traditional kung fu techniques go up against modern warfare, guns and artillery, wielded by power hungry warlords.

For the warlord General Hou Jie, life really couldn't be better. He's just taken control of the city of Tengfeng in Henan, and his army's rapacious expansion seems to know no bounds. He'll even pursue a fallen foe into the Shaolin temple to ensure that he is dead, arrogantly contemptuous of the temple's claim to be the birthplace of kung fu, or the fact that it is holy ground. But sating his lust for power means dealing with the devil, in this case foreign devils that want to swap guns for the right to exploit the Chinese mainland, and rival warlords, some of whom are enemies, and some that are sworn brothers. General Sung even wants to cement their alliance by betrothing their children. But Hou's paranoia overwhelms him when his right hand man, Cao Man comes to him with rumours that Sung is preparing to betray him. Hou decides to strike first, but it is a trap.

Broken and bereft, torn from his family, and pursued as a fugitive, Hou Jie winds up at the doorstep of the very same Shaolin temple that he so scornfully derided. Tragically brought face to face with the depths of his avarice, he'll have to learn from the Shaolin monks, embrace their principles, and burn away the trappings of his old existence if he is to find redemption, and some measure of solace. Fortunately he finds the oddest of teachers, the temple cook, who nurses him back from his grief, and puts him on the righteous path. But the world outside is getting even worse for the people of Henan, for the man that displaced Hou Jie, Cao Man has embraced the foreigners and the weapons they bring, and to sate their greed, he's working the peasants to death. He's learned how to be ruthless from the best, and it will be down to Hou Jie to undo the damage that he is indirectly responsible for.

Picture
I'm still at the stage where Blu-ray transfers blow me away, and Shaolin's 2.35:1 widescreen 1080p transfer is no exception, looking astounding on this disc. It's clear, sharp and colourful throughout, with rich and lustrous detail, bringing across the amazing costume and set design, the stunning location filming. The period look gives the film a colour timing which is ever so slightly sepia toned, rich in browns, greys and an overall grimy realistic feel. The action sequences are stupendously choreographed and staged, and this is probably the first Chinese film that I have seen that has its CGI enhancements completely invisible to the viewer's eye, so well does it blend its special effects with its in camera work. If I were picking nits, I did notice some macroblocking or rather colour banding, when Hou Jie was in a boar trap looking up at the night sky, and the variations in black were uneven, but that is all.

Sound
Naturally the audio track to opt for here is the DTS-HD MA Mandarin 5.1 Surround track, which delivers effective and beefy surround for the action sequences, accurately reproduces the music of the film, and has the dialogue clear and audible throughout. English subtitles are provided, and they are legible, free of error and accurately timed. Shaolin also boasts a DD 5.1 English audio track, at some 640 kbps (my player only shows the bitrate in Mb and rounds up or down), and my disdain for English dubs meant that I only listened long enough to ensure its existence. One problem with the English track is that there is no signs only subtitle track to translate any on screen captions, you'll have to flick on the main subtitle stream for that.