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Chang Cheh's best Shaolin Movie?


Iron_Leopard

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The only Shaolin movie of his Ive seen is Five Shaolin Masters. And I think its one of the best kung fu movies ever made. I know he made a handful of others around this period. Are they any better than FSM or not?

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Its certainly a matter of subjective debate but many also like HEROES TWO.

One of my faves of this cycle is SHAOLIN TEMPLE.

I (re)watched DISCIPLES OF SHAOLIN just the other night.

If you're a fan of Fu Sheng, this is a good one however CKC was wayyyyy underused.

MEN FROM THE MONASTERY is a toss up. Some like the way it was edited into smaller tales; others do not.

SHAOLIN MARTIAL ARTS and SHAOLIN AVENGERS are both decent but --

FIVE SHAOLIN MASTERS is definitely one of the better films in the cycle.

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Shaolin Temple

Heroes Two

Five Shaolin Masters

Men from the Monastery

...are all about even for me. I might give the slight nod to Shaolin Temple. But I really dig Men From the Monastery, the way it's split up into vignettes, the title credits don't come on until halfway through the movie, and that final battle in black and white---cool stuff.

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Shaolin Martial Arts

Five Shaolin Masters

Shaolin Temple

I'd go for these first

+1! I feel these are the best out of Chang's Shaolin series.

:nerd:

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The more I watch all of the "Shaolin cycle" of Cheh's movies, the more I appeciate them as a whole.

That said, in addition to FSM, Shaolin Martial Arts and Disciples of Shaolin have (arguably) stronger stories. If you want good stories, Iron_Leopard, these two are great buys!

If you have a Blu-ray player, getting the Heroes Two BD from Tokyo Shock is an ESSENTIAL purchase! Fu Sheng and Chen Kuan-tai in action is NOT to be missed!:wink: (If you don't have a BD player, the DVD from TS is the next best thing!)

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Shaolin Temple is my favorite - Fu Sheng, CKC, Ti Lung, Lee Yi Min, Venoms!!!!!

I have yet to see Shaolin Martial Arts, many attempts to get it and I some how got 4 copies of Martial Arts of Shaolin:xd:

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Shaolin Temple is my favorite - Fu Sheng, CKC, Ti Lung, Lee Yi Min, Venoms!!!!!

I have yet to see Shaolin Martial Arts, many attempts to get it and I some how got 4 copies of Martial Arts of Shaolin:xd:

4 copies of Martial Arts of Shaolin would drive me Insane. If you happen to find an English dub of Shaolin

Martial Arts it's a good one.

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+1! I feel these are the best out of Chang's Shaolin series.

:nerd:

Disciples of Shaolin is also a great film, but strangely is not a Shaolin movie, I actually prefer the alternate title Invincible One.
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TibetanWhiteCrane

Shaolin Temple and Shaolin Martial Arts are the best! Flicks like Disciples Of Shaolin and New Shaolin Boxers have preciously little to do with Shaolin as such, but are still fine films.

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My two favorites are Shaolin Temple and Five Shaolin Masters. If you watch them in that order they dovetail nicely too, as one starts where the other leaves off.

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I reckon Disciples is the best film CC ever made, period. Invincible One isn't a good title unless it's refering to CKC, but he isn't invincible either, he's pretty muted & pissed re a previous stabbing. Stupid retitle. Disciples of Shaolin relates to the supposed heritage of the martials so fits much better, but I don't like this either much - proper translation is along the lines of The Hung Boxing Kid... this fits perfect, that's what I call it. All the properly translated titles fit better... Shaolin Martial Arts = Hung Kuen & Wing Chun; Heroes Two = Fang Shi Yu & Hung Xi Gwan, etc., etc....

Disciples fits the series as well as Shaolin Martial Arts, both heritage based, not temple or burning era set.

New Shaolin Boxers is brilliant, fits less in some ways era-wise, although tonally works, re progression of Shaolin martial heritage. Perfect companion piece to Disciples... orig title I think translates along the lines of Choy Lee Fut Boxing Kid; showboats where it's coming from.

Cycle era films are all great imo. CC's finest stuff for me.

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TibetanWhiteCrane

Yeah, the three "Kid" films with Fu Sheng Hung Boxing Kid, Choy Lee Fat Kid and Chinatown Kid are a seperate entity from the Shaolin cycle, although many people count the first two as part of it, due to the english "Shaolin" re-titleings!

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New Shaolin Boxers is a real underrated gem from the Shaw stable, IMO. I might argue that's Fu Sheng's best fighting performance.

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My two favorites are Shaolin Temple and Five Shaolin Masters. If you watch them in that order they dovetail nicely too, as one starts where the other leaves off.

The dovetailing bit would have been a lil' more convincing for me if some of the leading Manchu henchmen (like the traiterous Ma Fuyi) weren't miraculously reincarnated... just to be slaughtered again!

But fabulous films both. Word.

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Just to clarify the CC Shaolin cycle, can anyone help me place the films in chronological order (not release date but in terms of "history")? I'm assuming the following films are included, please let me know if I left any out:

Heroes Two

Men from the Monastery

Shaolin Martial Arts

Five Shaolin Masters

Disciples of Shaolin

Shaolin Temple

Is there a discernible order at all?

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Off top of my head

Shaolin Temple deals with the arrival at the temple of the main legendary figures, their training & the temple's subsequent burning.

Heroes 2 concerns disciples Hung Xi Guan & Fang Shih Yu leaving the temple from burning onwards.

5 Shaolin Masters is set at the same time as Heroes 2 & concerns the other Shaolin disciples post-burning that Heroes 2 didn't.

Shaolin Avengers deals with further exploits of Fang Shi Yu from Heroes 2 & Shaolin Temple up to his fated end, alongside another disciple character Hu Wei Chien.

Men From The Monastery is an earlier version (as in the film was made a coule of years earlier) of the Shaolin Avengers story, mixed with the character Hung Xi Guan from Heroes 2 also.

Showdown at the Cotton Mill whilst not Shaws is kind of a part... It was apparently supposed to be made by CC as a part of the cycle but never happened until Wu Ma took off & did it - it concerns the further exploits of Hu We Chien from Shao Avengers & Men From after Fang Shih Yu passes.

Shaolin Martial Arts doesn't concern any of the previous characters from the era of the temple burning & is set later - the conection is that Fu Sheng's character & his master is a martial disciple from Hung Xi Guan's lineage - they mention the connection from Hung Xi Guan at one point but I forget how they relate it generation wise, 1st/2nd/3rd generation or so, etc...

Disciples Of Shaolin is set even later I think and we are given no connections to the temple burning era set films, other than to assume that because it deals with Hung Gar kung fu that it relates back as Hung Xi Guan is considered the founder of the style. Kind of like the connection in Shaolin Martial Arts, but they make no reference to Fu Sheng etc's lineage connection.

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Yes, thanks!

So in terms of Chang Cheh, we're looking at:

1) Shaolin Temple

2a) Heroes Two

2b) Five Shaolin Masters

3a) Men from the Monastery

3b) Shaolin Avengers

:smile:

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What I've noticed is that you can make a trilogy from Heroes Two, Five Shaolin Masters and The Shaolin Temple.

Its actually pretty simiular to The Man With No Name Trilogy

1. Heroes Two = Fistftul of Dollars (The first movie but second in chrono order)

2. Five Shaolin Masters = For a Few Dollars More (Second movie but last in chrono order)

3. The Shaolin Temple = TGTBATU (Last movie but first in chrono order and with a much bigger budget)

Lot of same actors playing different roles same as Leons Trilogy.

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My two favorites are Shaolin Temple and Five Shaolin Masters. If you watch them in that order they dovetail nicely too' date=' as one starts where the other leaves off.[/quote']

For so many years I thought these films featured the same characters in a sequel story telling.. I guess due to primarily the same actors playing in similar leading roles in both movies. It should have been a two part story.

None the less, two great Shaolin stories.

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Omni Dragon
Off top of my head

Shaolin Temple deals with the arrival at the temple of the main legendary figures, their training & the temple's subsequent burning.

Heroes 2 concerns disciples Hung Xi Guan & Fang Shih Yu leaving the temple from burning onwards.

5 Shaolin Masters is set at the same time as Heroes 2 & concerns the other Shaolin disciples post-burning that Heroes 2 didn't.

Shaolin Avengers deals with further exploits of Fang Shi Yu from Heroes 2 & Shaolin Temple up to his fated end, alongside another disciple character Hu Wei Chien.

Men From The Monastery is an earlier version (as in the film was made a coule of years earlier) of the Shaolin Avengers story, mixed with the character Hung Xi Guan from Heroes 2 also.

Showdown at the Cotton Mill whilst not Shaws is kind of a part... It was apparently supposed to be made by CC as a part of the cycle but never happened until Wu Ma took off & did it - it concerns the further exploits of Hu We Chien from Shao Avengers & Men From after Fang Shih Yu passes.

Shaolin Martial Arts doesn't concern any of the previous characters from the era of the temple burning & is set later - the conection is that Fu Sheng's character & his master is a martial disciple from Hung Xi Guan's lineage - they mention the connection from Hung Xi Guan at one point but I forget how they relate it generation wise, 1st/2nd/3rd generation or so, etc...

Disciples Of Shaolin is set even later I think and we are given no connections to the temple burning era set films, other than to assume that because it deals with Hung Gar kung fu that it relates back as Hung Xi Guan is considered the founder of the style. Kind of like the connection in Shaolin Martial Arts, but they make no reference to Fu Sheng etc's lineage connection.

I think you could also have have THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN before all of them cos San Te picks up students: Hung Hsi-kuan(ST, H2,MFTM) Tung Qian-jin(MFTM)

& also Lu Ah-cai, Miller Six do these names mean anything?(they seem to be highlighted in the trailer.)

Also could add EXECUTIONERS FROM SHAOLIN after MEN FROM THE MONASTERY? cos it starts with the students running from the burning temple & focuses on Hung Hsi-kuan(ST, H2,MFTM) plus you could have CLAN OF THE WHITE LOTUS cos it has Hung Wei Ting(Hung Hsi-kuan son's) & I'm pretty sure they are fighting in the ruins of the temple.

What do people think?

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Well, I was only accounting the Chang Cheh & shao cycle pics (plus Showdown as was intended a part of cycle), not just films containing the characters/legends... but yes, there's lots concerning them.

Those two names: Lu Ah Cai is considered the teacher of Wong Fei Hung & his father Wong Kei Ying & is the character Chen Kuan Tai plays in Challenge of the Masters. Sammo plays the character Miller Six in the Iron Fisted Monk...

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