Shaolin Temple

1982 1h 40m ZH

👍

7.0

SOLID

⭐

6.8

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 146★6.8IMDB · 5,056

Action

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The Tang emperor is betrayed by one of his generals, who installs himself as emperor in the East Capital. The son of one of his slave workers escapes to the Shaolin Temple, learns kung fu, and sets out to kill the traitor who killed his father.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Jet Li
Gong Yuen (Jue Yuan)
Yu Hai
Master Tan Chuang
Yu Chenghui
General Wang Ren Ze
Ding Lan
Bai Wuxia (Wu Sha)
Hu Jian-Qiang
Wu Kong
Sun Jiankui
Se Kong (Shih Kung)
Liu Huai-Liang
Liao Kong
Ji Chunhua
Chain Gang Guard Tu Ying

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Cheung Sing-Yim
Writers: Sit Hau, Lo Siu-Cheung
Languages: Mandarin
Countries: China, Hong Kong

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

44 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: China, Hong Kong.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Shaolin Temple Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Cheung Sing-Yim, shot by Chau Pak-Ling. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Original score by Wong Lap-Ping. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Editor Wong Ting shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jet Li and Yu Hai and Yu Chenghui carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0079891 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Cheung Sing-Yim directs. Chau Pak-Ling behind the camera. Wong Lap-Ping scores. Wong Ting cuts. Produced in China, Hong Kong. Dialogue in Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

144 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2International production across 2 countries: China, Hong Kong.
3Part of the "Shaolin Temple Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Cheung Sing-Yim, shot by Chau Pak-Ling. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Wong Lap-Ping. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Wong Ting shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Jet Li and Yu Hai and Yu Chenghui carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0079891 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Released under 21 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Chau Pak-Ling
Original score: Wong Lap-Ping
Editing: Wong Ting
Costume design: Wong Kwai-Ping
Makeup / hair: Lau Kuen-Kuen
Runtime: 100 min · 1h 40m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $16,157,801
Original language: ZH
IMDB: Shaolin Temple (1982)
IMDB rating: 6.8/10 · 5,056 votes
MPAA: Not Rated

Awards

1 win & 1 nomination total

Part of

Shaolin Temple Collection

The Shaolin Temple trilogy (1982-1986) marks the beginning of Jet Li's stunning career. The martial arts purists claim that he was never better than in these action/adventure showcase films! The third installment (produced by the Shaw Brothers) is directed by the legendary Liu Chia Liang.