Asian Kung Fu Cinema: Jet Li's Martial Arts of Shaolin

"Your Spoiler Alert is no good." I added this almost immediately, but it is an 'update,' this blog post does contain spoilers.
"Your Editing is no good." second edit in the same night (or morning?) I added the pictures I was missing, and have deleted the annotations stating I would add the pictures. So this post is officially done unless someone would like to point out something I missed.
   So, I realize in my previous post I stated I would update the next morning at the latest, well I overslept and then discovered a new YouTube series (new to me) Game Shop, which is fantastic, I highly recommend it to anyone with an ounce of nerd in them (oh that's anyone who reads this!) Anyway, let's take a look at the first movie in my Asian Kung Fu Cinema series Jet Li's Martial Arts of Shaolin! 

   Now to start with, this actually appears to be the best movie in the Dragon Dynasty 4 pack, if for no other reason than that name in the title, Jet Li. Now I'm not as big a fan of Jet Li as I am of many other non-martial artist actors, but I would probably rank Jackie Chan above Jet Li, if for no other reason than I know Jackie Chan more. However, my fiancée is a huge fan of Jet Li (in turn I've watched a lot of his movies) and this is probably the bottom of the list. Martial Arts of Shaolin was made in 1986 (I think) and is on part with other martial arts movies of its time, no doubt surpassing the vast majority. I'm gonna pin that on Jet Li, overall a terrific actor. 

   One of the biggest scenes to me, in the entire movie, takes place as a sort of introduction to the characters, you meet Jet Li (I cannot spell his character's name, it's not in front of me, sorry) already intensely training, seeking revenge against his parents' murderer who of course is also the warlord over the area. During this intense training regimen (it's like intense training anyway) he finds a nest of abandoned birds and decides to care for them and feed them a worm. The Grand Abbot of his monastery catches him and his close friend right before they feed the bird, and tells them it is a sin to kill the worm for the bird. Jet finds himself in a controversial situation, they are taught that they must save lives, but in order to save the bird's life, he must take the worm's life. Fortunately, he is called away to training and leaves the birds in the hands of the Abbot, who resolves the bigger life is more worth saving. (Did that have any significance to the rest of the movie? I don't think so.) 

   So following this we are introduced to two other Shaolin students, secular students (secular monks?! What madness is this? [Haha, confusion and stupidity resolved, my wonderful fiancee pointed out that clearly they are not monks but students, at a monastery] ) one of which is seeking revenge for the same reason against the same man, the other is in love with her and seeks to protect her. There's an awesome birthday ceremony, a botched assassination attempt, and a statement of "Your Kung Fu is no good." The three main characters barely escape with their lives, and an arranged marriage secret is revealed. The female member of the team wears an anklet that is identical to Jet Li's, which he clings to as the last reminder of his parents. This anklet was given to her betrothed at birth, but Jet Li is a monk! What shall he do?! Get caught by monks and brought back to his temple where he must serve three years of penance. It's all right though, the Abbott will escort the two secular students to the Southern temple (someone please explain how monks at a temple can be secular before I have to Google it.) Not to mention, Jet Li will escape and seek vengeance anyway, after butchering some artwork for no apparent reason. Kung Fu masters are jerks apparently. So of course the trio reunites after fleeing the southern temple and go after the warlord again, when they finally reveal...wait...no..."Their Kung Fu is still no good." But, they are assisted by their brothers from the North and South Shaolin temples and manage to defeat the Big Bad. The Abbotts having resolved that Jet Li was right and this was a noble pursuit of justice. (Batman would be proud) Ultimately Jet Li leaves his anklet with his betrothed's guardian, commanding him to care for her, and he returns to the temple with his brothers.

   The end.

   Pretty great right? Especially all of the philosophical debate! If anyone can point me to an explanation of the art defacing, please do! And how the some lives are greater than others debate plays into the movie plot.

 Anyway, TTFN.

-C. W. Sherman