The Shaolin Temple vs. Shaolin: A Movie Comparison

The Shaolin Temple vs. Shaolin: A Movie Comparison

By: Matthew Lee
Written July 1st, 2014

“If you’re going to remake a film, it should be better than (or at least different from) the original…”
—Jeff Vice, Deseret News Movie Critic

It is July now at the time of this writing, arguably the prime of summer.  I am almost done with summer classes, and fast approaching are two specific incidents around the corner; Independence Day (4th of July), where we US citizens get to be prideful and ignorant as to how the United States of America gained our independence, and July 5th, my 21st birthday.  One is the birthday of the place I grew up in, the other is my own.  And as I approach the longest break I’ve had since the fall semester of university, I have already found myself making plans (insert alcohol and gambling jokes here.  Seriously though, I will try to keep it PG).  Sometime during the weekend, I intend to watch How to Train Your Dragon 2.  The week after, I also plan on watching Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.  Although it will be officially be my summer break by that time, I plan on training and preparing myself for the 10th Pan American Wushu Championships in Costa Rica, which will take place from August 31st to September 8th.  But for now, or at least for the near future, I get to enjoy myself with whatever actual free time I have left.  And despite the need to study for my final exam, as well as the need to complete final assignments of the semester, I have also found myself with a bit of free time now.  With the combined mention of movies and free time, you probably have a good idea what the focus of this write-up will be.  This is exactly what it sounds like.  Yes, I’m writing about movies again.
This is the return of “A Movie Comparison”, which compares movies that, given the opportunity, I will continue to write about on occasion.  Given that this is a Wushu site, I will try to make these film choices relevant and focused mostly on Chinese, kung fu/action, or even other martial arts movies of interest.  For those of you that are familiar with the Nostalgia Critic, I am directly ripping off this internet celebrity’s segment, “Old vs. New.”  In it, he compares an older movie to a remake, and determines which one is better, based on multiple factors.  Before I begin, I would like to note that this is my opinion and ONLY my opinion, and is not set in stone (though those of you who have been reading my write-ups probably already knew that).  Again, given that this is a movie comparison, I would like to forewarn that it will naturally contain spoilers of both films, so please be aware of that.  So, without further delay, let’s take a look at this second edition’s choices of “A Movie Comparison”: The Shaolin Temple and Shaolin.

Background History
Before I begin, let me clarify the exact nature of the relationship between these two films.  The original film, The Shaolin Temple (少林寺； Shàolínsì), was released in 1982, and was directed by Chang Hsinyen.  As the film’s name suggests, The Shaolin Temple tells a story centered around the real life Shaolin Temple, a monastery of the religion Chan (禪； chán, a translation of the original Indian Sanskrit word, ध्यान; Dhyāna) Buddhism, better known by its Japanese name, Zen Buddhism.  The film was shot on location at the original Shaolin Temple, based on Mount Song in Henan, China.  But of course, the Shaolin Temple is best known for its history of “warrior monks” (武僧； wǔsēng, literally “martial monk”) and Chinese martial arts development, both of which seemingly establish Shaolin as a paradox, given the pacifist nature that is often associated with Buddhism.  The Shaolin Temple was the film that starred Jet Li, former Beijing Wushu Team member and retired champion, in his debut role, and essentially launched his acting career due to its phenomenal success at the time.  In fact, the success of The Shaolin Temple can be said to be something of a cultural treasure of China, at least in the aspects of contemporary cinema.  Similar to how Bruce Lee’s film Enter the Dragon (龙争虎斗； lóngzhēnghǔdòu, “the dragon wars, the tiger battles”) started the martial arts and “kung fu” fad, The Shaolin Temple essentially reinvigorated the fame and hype of the real Shaolin and its Shaolin Wushu for its indigenous Chinese audience.  A common misconception about Jet Li is that he trained at the Shaolin Temple.  But this is untrue, as the Shaolin Temple was largely defunct at the time.  It can even be said that the success of this film was at least partly responsible for the restoration of Shaolin in contemporary times.  Following the success of the The Shaolin Temple, there would be a whole slew of Shaolin-themed kung fu movies, many of which Jet Li himself later participated in.  That’s right. This was the film that started the then-recent booming fame of the Shaolin Temple, and the famous trend of Shaolin kung fu-themed movies.  At the time of its release, The Shaolin Temple could have been called the “it” film.  To this day, The Shaolin Temple’s impact and significance is undeniable.  Two more Shaolin movies in particular would follow The Shaolin Temple, Kids from Shaolin (少林小子； Shàolínxiǎozǐ) and Martial Arts of Shaolin (南北少林； nánběishàolín, literally “North and South Shaolin”), featuring the same cast.  On top of all this, The Shaolin Temple is also known for its inclusion of the famous “Shaolin Shaolin” theme (you know, the one that goes “Shaolin, Shaolin, how many heroes adore you?”), as well as the memorable Chinese opera style “Muyangqu” (牧羊曲； mùyángqǔ) song.
In 2011, the newer film, simply titled Shaolin (新少林寺； xīnshàolínsì, The New Shaolin Temple) in the West, was released, directed by Benny Chan, and was apparently marketed as a remake.  However, upon review, the two movies could be considered completely separate films altogether.  Aside from the basic premise, the two films share almost nothing else in common.  This film stars Andy Lau in the leading role, with Jackie Chan in a supporting role.  Unlike the original film, which was filmed on location, Shaolin was filmed with a replica of the Shaolin Temple.  The media hype surrounding this film was massive.  A press conference for the film was held directly outside the real Shaolin Temple.  Additionally, Shaolin is apparently the first ever film to receive an official blessing by a Shaolin Abbot, Venerable Abbot Shi Yongxin.  This movie also boasts its own memorable theme song, entitled “Wu” (悟； wù, “Enlighten”) and sung by Andy Lau.
Story wise, both films follow a protagonist who is given sanctuary in the Shaolin Temple, and subsequently adopts the lifestyle of the Shaolin monk.  However, the two films differ greatly in the significant details, development and focus, and this is where the line of distinction and comparison will be drawn.
Better Protagonist
As stated before, the only thing that that the two films share is a basic premise, which is restricted to the main character of each story.  Both films focus on a man who finds himself in a vulnerable position at the beginning of the story.  Wounded by their enemies, they turn to Shaolin, and must learn their ways to become a monk.  At the climax of the plot, both men’s’ adversaries attempt to overtake the Shaolin Temple, resulting a final confrontation that decides the fate of the Temple, as well as its inhabitants.
In The Shaolin Temple, Jet Li plays Jue Yuan, a historical Shaolin monk who played a part in the development of Shaolin gongfu.  In the film, Jue Yuan is a former slave whose father rebels against the oppression of the film’s villain, Wang Renze (one of my classmates in my high school Chinese class had a similar name, which he chose because he said I was “cool” which to me is funny), played by former Shandong Wushu Team member Yu Chenghui.  After being severely beaten by Wang Renze, Jue Yuan is given a chance to flee by his father, who sacrifices himself to allow his son to escape.  Battered and weak, Jue Yuan wanders aimlessly, until he happens across the entrance of the Shaolin Temple.  The abbot takes mercy on him, and decides to give the boy shelter and medical care to recover.  While the character of Jue Yuan is kindhearted and just, he is also very passionate and prone to anger.  Throughout the film, it is clear that Jue Yuan’s intention of becoming a monk and learning Shaolin gongfu is to kill Wang Renze and avenge his father’s death.  This is exemplified in a scene where Jue Yuan is sparring with fellow warrior monk Wu Kong, played by former Zhejiang Wushu Team member Hu Jianqiang.  In the bout, Jue Yuan briefly visualizes Wang Renze, and in doing so, brings harm to Wu Kong.  This results in Jue Yuan being banned from training in Shaolin gongfu, which greatly frustrates him.  He even briefly runs away from the Shaolin Temple in his first attempt to kill Wang Renze, which fails.  This further culminates when Jue Yuan decides to aid the refugee Li Shimin, played by Wang Guangkuan, in his escape from Wang Renze and his forces.  But while his actions may be well-intentioned, his desire to fight and seek revenge overshadows his goodwill, and this consequently leads to his temporary expulsion from Shaolin by the head of the warrior monks, played by Yu Hai.  And the worst part is that there is little to no change in the character.
Ironically, despite the fact that this is Jet Li’s debut role, Jet shows a considerable amount of intensity and dramatic acting ability, in comparison to many of the later roles in his movie career.  For most of his recent acting career, especially in Hollywood, Jet has almost always been typecast as a stoic, oftentimes unbeatable martial artist with only two general facial expressions; blank stare, and intense glare.  Previously, I indicated that as an actor, Jet Li offers little to no emotional contrast for the majority of his onscreen appearances.  However, this does not hold true for some of Jet’s earlier roles, especially in Kids from Shaolin and Martial Arts of Shaolin.  Other more recent examples that demonstrate dramatic depth in Jet’s acting skills include Fearless (霍元甲； Huòyuánjiǎ, Huo Yuanjia), The Warlords (头名状；tóumíngzhuàng), and even Ocean Heaven (海洋天堂； hǎiyángtiāntáng) which restricted Jet to a strictly dramatic role and had absolutely no martial arts in it.  In the case of The Shaolin Temple, Jet Li clearly shows that he can emote quite strongly.  When he’s happy and affectionate, as he is with the character’s love interest, I believe he is happy and affectionate.  When he’s angry or in despair, I believe that he’s angry and I believe that he’s in despair.  However, the fault in this particular protagonist does not lie in the actor, but that of the character itself.  Again, the character of Jue Yuan shows little else in character development, except for the fact that he is often prone to acts of violence, with little to no consideration of the consequences of his actions.  Despite becoming a monk at the end of the film, he does not appear to come out much better from his actions.
In Shaolin, Andy Lau plays Hou Jie, a cruel and scheming warlord who undergoes an amazing character transformation.  At first, Hou Jie seems to be the furthest thing from a Shaolin monk.  He kills his enemy warlord Huo Long (played by Chen Zhihui) within the sanctuary of the Shaolin Temple, blatantly disrespects the Temple and the residing monks, and further plots to kill his sworn brother Song Hu (played by Shi Xiaohong).  However, in a twisted turn of fate, Hou Jie’s own subordinate Cao Man, played by Nicholas Tse, betrays and attempts to assassinate Hou Jie.  Barely escaping his life, and the life of his fatally wounded daughter, Hou Jie ironically turns to the Shaolin Temple and its abbot, begging in desperation for her life to be saved.  Unfortunately, it is too late, and Hou Jie’s desperation quickly turns to anger, as he threatens the abbot and Temple.  Despite all this, he is still offered sanctuary in the Temple, and in his state of depression, and perhaps the realization that circumstances are ultimately the consequences of his own doing, Hou Jie eventually decides to become a monk.  During his time at Shaolin, he assists the monks’ efforts in aiding refugees in need outside the Temple, studies Chan Buddhism and trains in Shaolin gongfu.  At this point in his journey, it is clear that Hou Jie has changed.  When he is finally christened as a new monk with the name Jing Jue, the character is repentant of his past actions, and is a much more peaceful and compassionate individual.  It is this kind of journey and change that the Jue Yuan character of The Shaolin Temple lacks.  It is also interesting to note that Hou Jie’s learning of Shaolin gongfu is merely an aspect of the lifestyle he follows as a Shaolin monk, and not a means to an end towards revenge, which is more believable and realistic.
Unlike the character of Jue Yuan, the character of Hou Jie is a very dynamic character.  Over the course of his own film, he goes through a significant change in his spiritual journey towards becoming a monk.  And unlike Jet Li, who is essentially a martial artist turned into an actor, Andy Lau is without a doubt a professional actor, and he’s shown why.  Through every action and word, Andy Lau demonstrates the earlier ruthlessness and cruelty of Hou Jie, to his state of despair and loss, and finally to the monk that is Jing Jue.  Combine this with the writing of the character itself, and the result is, in my opinion, much better than that of Jet Li and Jue Yuan.  Not only do I feel that Andy Lau is clearly a better actor than Jet Li, but his character is also much deeper and better as well.  So, this first round goes to the new.
Winner: Shaolin
Better Supporting Cast
I said in the first edition of “A Movie Comparison” that, contrary to popular perception, a film should NOT be carried by the weight of one lead actor.  Otherwise, it may as well just be a one-man (or a one-woman, don’t want to leave out the other gender) show.  Instead, the lead should be complimented by other supporting roles that make a complete plot, and by extension, a more enjoyable movie.
For The Shaolin Temple, the cast is almost completely comprised of modern Wushu athletes, which replaced the original crew of xiqu (戏曲; xìqǔ, Chinese opera) actors.  This was because the Japanese investors of the film were reportedly unhappy with the original actors, and called for a show of authentic Chinese martial arts.  According to the Kung Fu Magazine article “Hu Jianqiang” by Susan Pertel Jain, “Apparently the director thought that it was probably easier to teach wushu champions to act than it was to teach stage actors to perform authentic wushu.”  Former Shandong Wushu Team member Yu Chenghui plays the antagonist, Emperor Wang Renze.  Yu Hai, another former Shandong Wushu Team member, plays the head of the warrior monks, as well as the abbot in Shaolin.  Other Wushu athletes include former Zhejiang Wushu Team member Hu Jianqiang and former Shandong Wushu Team member Sun Jiankui, both of whom play fellow warrior monks Wu Kong and Se Kong respectively alongside Jet Li.  There is also Ji Chunhua who plays a villain henchman Tu Ying, and has frequently been typecast in many villain roles, many of them opposite Jet Li throughout his acting career.  Only four xiqu actors remained in the cast, one of which was Ding Lan, who plays Bai Wuxia, the love interest of Jue Yuan and daughter of Yu Hai’s character.  Actor Wang Guangkuan plays Li Shimin, the refugee and future Tang Emperor who is assisted by Shaolin against Wang Renze.  For kung fu movie fans, especially a practitioner and fan of modern Wushu like me, it is nothing short of a privilege to see all these great martial artists and actors in one film.  Unfortunately, their appearances and the skills they display are all overshadowed by the film’s lead actor, Jet Li.
While the use of the supporting cast isn’t nearly as much of a problem in the other films, Kids from Shaolin and Martial Arts of Shaolin, it’s a problem here.  Wang Renze is just the target of revenge to be killed by Jue Yuan, and little else.  Wu Kong and Tu Ying have very few significant appearances, save for Wu Kong’s aforementioned sparring scene with Jue Yuan, and the fight scenes.  Se Kong’s character is limited to an exposition of his back story, where his pregnant wife was killed by Wang Renze’s soldiers, which subsequently turned him into an alcoholic.  Bai Wuxia’s role, while demonstrating some fighting capability, is limited to the stereotypical female damsel in distress and love interest; perhaps the only interesting thing about her relationship with Jue Yuan is the observation that they both have feelings for her, but ultimately cannot be together due to Jue Yuan’s vow of celibacy at the end of the film.  Perhaps the only exception to this shortcoming is Yu Hai’s character, who only goes by the designation of “shifu” (师傅； shīfu, master), clearly serves as a mentor figure and voice of reason among the Shaolin monks, though it doesn’t help that this character doesn’t appear to have a name (or maybe he did have one, and I just wasn’t paying attention when I was watching the film).  The majority of the film’s plot focuses on Jue Yuan, to the near exclusion of all other characters.  It’s clearly Jet’s show.  This is not to say that the primary focus on the main character of Jue Yuan is bad, nor is Jet Li himself bad at all.  But as far as the supporting cast goes, there parts are minimal at best, and the film ultimately suffers for that.
By contrast, the supporting cast of Shaolin, while also limited to a certain degree, still has much more screen time and plot significance collectively.  Most recognizable is Jackie Chan who plays Wu Dao, the witty cook of the Temple, which is of one of many instances that demonstrate Jackie’s capability as a dramatic actor.  Nicholas Tse plays the villain Cao Man, Hou Jie’s second-in-command who betrays him and takes over the title of military general.  Actresses Fan Bingbing and Xiao Liuna play Yan Xi and Shengnan, Hou Jie’s wife and daughter, respectively.  Former Beijing Wushu Team member Wu Jing plays the senior warrior monk Jing Neng, who is a cool and collected individual.  Xing Yu, a real Shaolin monk who has trained at the Shaolin Temple, plays the bumbling but earnest warrior monk Jing Kong.  As established before, Yu Hai plays the abbot of the Temple in this film, and is one of the few things that are actually shared between the two films, aside from the rough premise.  Shi Xiaohong plays Song Hu, the senior general and sworn brother that Hou Jie betrays, yet despite this saves Hou Jie’s own life from Cao Man’s assassins.  Xiong Xinxin, former Guangxi Wushu Team Member and stunt double for Jet Li (most notably in the Once Upon A Time in China series), plays Suo Xiangtu, Cao Man’s henchman who faces off with Jing Kong in the final battle.  Most, if not all of these supporting characters and actors are given a fair amount of appearances throughout the film, all of which are significant to the plot and help to move it forward in one way or another.  Cao Man and his actions are the embodiment of Hou Jie’s consequences, and Jing Jue’s confrontation of Cao Man demonstrates the contrast of whom he was and who he has become.  Wu Dao is given his own small subplot, where he is conflicted about whether or not to leave Shaolin, but stays nonetheless.  Yan Xi and Shengnan’s roles are unfortunately quite limited like that of Bai Wuxia’s, but their contributions to the plot consequently lead to the change and transformation of Hou Jie’s character, which is important.  Shengnan’s death is the consequence of Hou Jie’s scheming and treatment of others, and Yan Xi is the one who points this out to Hou Jie.  Afterwards, Yan Xi disappears for the majority of the film, but reappears when Cao Man captures her and Jing Jue rescues her.  At the closing of the film, Yan Xi is also the one to point out that Jing Jue’s transformation from Hou Jie makes him a better individual.  Jing Neng, Jing Kong and the abbot’s roles are also very minimal, but are still important; each of them sacrifices themselves at different points in the plot to allow their fellow monks and refugees a chance to escape from Cao Man and his forces.  Overall, the supporting cast of Shaolin is given much more and gives back to the film as well, and therefore shines much more memorably than the supporting cast of The Shaolin Temple.  So, the second round also goes to the new.
Winner: Shaolin
Better Action/Fight Choreography
As I said in the first edition of “A Movie Comparison”, what makes martial arts and action movies are the fight scenes.  If they don’t entertain even in the slightest, they fail to hold the audience.  Like the first edition of “A Movie Comparison”, where I compared Fist of Fury (精武门； jīngwǔmén, simply “Jing Wu School”) and Fist of Legend (精武英雄； jīngwǔyīngxióng, literally “Jing Wu Hero”), we are comparing two different films with two radically different styles of choreography.  It’s easy to determine an opinion based on personal preference.  But for me, like the first edition of “A Movie Comparison”, this wasn’t easy.  Oh, don’t get me wrong.  I knew which film I liked better for the action from the start, but it was difficult for me to articulate my choice logically.  Let me begin with the positives to be fair.
First of all, as established, The Shaolin Temple has a special place for the real Shaolin and Jet Li fans alike.  And as mentioned before, the martial arts content featured in this film is modern Wushu, a standardization of Chinese martial arts for sport.  It is because of this film that modern Wushu’s history is tied to Shaolin’s own.  After the premiere of The Shaolin Temple, there was a movement to restore the Shaolin Temple.  According to Emilio Alpanseque’s article in Kung Fu Magazine, “Unlocking Lianhuanquan”, this involved modern Wushu professors, coaches and university degree candidates traveling to and teaching modern Wushu at Shaolin.  Modern Wushu is divided into two disciplines; Taolu (套路； tàolù, forms), and Sanshou (散手； sànshǒu, free hand), also known as Sanda (散打； sàndǎ, free fighting).  Today, many Shaolin Wushu schools have adopted both these practices.  The Shaolin Temple exclusively involved the participation of Taolu athletes, so the film had beautiful choreography and forms work to show audiences.  Additionally, the film was also a vehicle for the introduction of many prominent open hand and weapon styles of modern Wushu.  As an example, Yu Hai, despite being a modern Wushu athlete, was also traditionally trained in traditional Tanglangquan (螳螂拳； tánglángquán, Praying Mantis Fist), and was the creator of modern Wushu Tanglangquan.  According to Yu Hai himself, who was briefly featured in the episode of the TV series Kung Fu Quest (功夫传奇; gōngfuchuánqí, literally “Gongfu Romance”), he took Qixingtanglangquan (七星螳螂拳； Qīxīngtánglángquán, Seven Star Praying Mantis Fist), Meihuatanglangquan (梅花螳螂拳； méihuātánglángquán, Plum Blossom Praying Mantis Fist), and Liuhetanglangquan (六合螳螂拳； liùhétánglángquán, Six Harmonies Praying Mantis Fist), and combined them all together to make what is now modern Wushu Tanglangquan.  Yu Chenghui himself is responsible for the resurrection of the shuangshoujian (双手劍； shuāngshǒujiàn, two-handed straight sword) style in modern Wushu, which was originally lost during wartimes.  Modern Wushu drunken staff (醉棍； zuìgùn) is also attributed to Sun Jiankui, yet in the film it is explained as the invention of Sun’s character, based on his back story.  In the Kung Fu Magazine Article “How Martial Arts Can Make It in the Movies” by Gene Ching and Gigi Oh, which features Sun Jiankui, Sun said “‘I didn’t really know staff, but I had to pick it up quickly because it was Shaolin and Shaolin is famous for staff.  I just made up the drunken staff routine you see in the movie.  It wasn’t popular before the film.’”
Choreography for The Shaolin Temple has been credited to the real Wushu masters Yu Hai, former Shandong Wushu Team member Wang Changkai, Pan Qingfu, who is a master of the “iron fist” skill and has been credited with the capture of twenty three Chinese Triad leaders (and also cameos in the film as a villain), and the late Grandmaster Ma Xianda, who taught Jet Li his favorite style of Wushu, Fanziquan (翻子拳； fānziquán， tumbling or “rotating” fist, literally “turning/flipping fist”) from the Ma Style Tongbei (马氏通备； Mǎshìtōngbèi, not to be confused with the traditional Wushu style 通背拳； tōngbèiquán, literally “through-the-back” fist) system.  However, choreography was also reportedly the work of the modern Wushu actors themselves, and you can tell.  On the choreography of fight scenes, Sun relates “‘When filming began, Director Cheung Sing Yim (张鑫炎) often told us that we had to make up a fight scene just a day before we shot it.’”  The martial arts in the film are truly an exhibition of modern Wushu Taolu.  I would also like to point out that this film showcase’s Jet Li’s Wushu skills at his fastest and in his prime (he made this film when he was around 19).  There is a training sequence where Jet Li is practicing various modern Wushu forms, from Changquan (长拳； chángquán， Long Fist), to Chuojiao (戳脚； chuōjiǎo, literally “poking feet”), to sanjiegun (三节棍； sānjiégùn, three-section staff), to spear (枪； qiāng), to broadsword (刀； dāo).  I would imagine that he was just as fluid and fast in his competitive years as he was here, and because there are very few competition clips of Jet Li floating around, it’s a treat to see him actually do Wushu, and not have his skills be diluted by the usual wirework and special effects (although the original dub of his voice somewhat makes it sound like he is trying to clear his throat, which I find hard to take seriously).  All in all, this film is truly a treasure to behold for those that are into that kind of thing, but it can also be the film’s shortcoming for those that aren’t.
As is typical of modern Wushu, the movements done in the fight scenes of The Shaolin Temple are fluid in momentum, acrobatic, and much exaggerated.  Yet in my opinion, it lacks the speed, explosiveness, and sophistication of later Hong Kong action movies, and is therefore not as believable.  These movements were clearly designed for an open stage, much like that of Chinese opera (which is understandable, as modern Wushu and martial arts training in Chinese opera contain striking similarities), or in the case of modern Wushu, a carpet.  But for film, they don’t seem to work as well without editing.  I’m not saying that the work the actors did on the film was bad.  There’s no doubt that the movements you see in the film are difficult, and this difficulty cannot easily be duplicated.  Unlike many of the Wuxia (武侠； wǔxiá) movies that are abundant with special effects, there are no wires here, nor are there any camera tricks to enhance the actions of the performers.  But while the skills and contributions of the Wushu masters and athletes that took part in The Shaolin Temple’s making cannot be ignored, the fact is that they were not authentic Shaolin gongfu.  As such, it does not accurately represent Shaolin gongfu.
This was not a problem for Shaolin.  When it came to depicting the martial art, the crew really did their homework; they included traditional Shaolinquan (少林拳; Shàolínquán, Shaolin Fist), training methods, from Taolu to iron palm (铁掌； tiězhǎng) training to pole training.  The film even featured the Qixingquan (七星拳； Qīxīngquán, Seven Star Fist) Taolu of Shaolinquan.  This was done in response to the general perception that modern Wushu was the be-all and end-all of Chinese martial arts, as well as the desire to depict some authentic Shaolin gongfu (on a special note, Nicholas Tse even seems to show some Wing Chun in the first fight scene at the start of the film).  As for the choreography, which is credited to Corey Yuen, Yuen Tak, and Li Chungchi, the action is fast-paced and explosive, unlike that of The Shaolin Temple.  Shaolin not only has a more accurate depiction of Shaolin gongfu, but the action is more enticing and exciting.  Again, I’m not saying that the action and fight choreography in The Shaolin Temple was bad, nor was the modern Wushu featured in it inauthentic Chinese martial arts; I would say that it was, but it wasn’t Shaolin gongfu.  I was simply more satisfied with the job that Shaolin did in actually depicting Shaolin gongfu.  There is a small amount of wire fu in the fight scenes, but this is forgivable, given that the majority of the fight scenes are grounded.  The only fight scene I found to be questionable was the one where Wu Dao applies his cooking skills when fighting off some soldiers.  Perhaps the only other shortcoming of the action in this film is that the actual fight scenes are few and in between.  However, it is clear that Shaolin serves to tell a story more than it does to entertain a need to see some “kung fu.”  And for me, what is most important is not the amount of martial arts or fight filler, but the story that a movie tells, which we will get into next.  But for this one, I’m consecutively giving this round to the new.
Winner: Shaolin
Better Story
This is arguably the most important element of a movie, at least for me.  It’s the determining factor that separates a great movie from a good movie, and what makes one movie better than the other.  So, this is the ultimate decider.  Regardless of the protagonist, supporting cast, or choreography, the story is what determines the better film for me.  And these are two very different movies.  
The Shaolin Temple takes place between the Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, and follows Jue Yuan’s journey as a Shaolin warrior monk.  It begins with Jue Yuan’s formal acceptance into the Shaolin Temple, and he flashes back to his journey to pursue revenge against Wang Renze.  Jue Yuan’s journey is tied into the subplot of Li Shimin, who becomes the real life Taizong Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.  While Wang Renze is justly killed and the plot is fully resolved, there still remain some inconsistencies about this film that bother.  My main gripe about this film is the general message it sends to the audience, and how it depicts the behavior of the Shaolin monks.  For example, in the scene where the monks are eating Bai Wuxia’s cooked dog, Yu Hai’s character justifies this by claiming that meat and wine don’t hurt, “if Buddha is in your heart.”  You can make a very thin argument for this in real life.  I understand that not everybody has to be devout to be a religious person, but the Shaolin monks are special case.  Shaolin monks are vegetarians by nature, and are to a lifestyle, so this is not only uncharacteristic and inaccurate, but it is also disturbing for me to see as well.  Furthermore, at the end of the film, Jue Yuan takes his vows to become a full-fledged Shaolin monk, and vows not to kill, except in cases of “upholding justice.”  Well, okay, I agree that justice is an important ideal to uphold, and I understand that this is what the film is stating, but this can be interpreted in any number of ways, and many of them can be seen as wrong.  How and when is it your place to decide whether someone deserves to be killed or not?  Is taking matters into your own hands, like Jue Yuan constantly tried to do throughout the film, the right thing to do?  Through the majority of the film, many of Jue Yuan’s fellow monks discourage his behavior, stressing at multiple times that Shaolin gongfu is for defense, and not for killing.  As observed, Jue Yuan’s actions even result in his banning from training in Shaolin gongfu, and later in his banishment from the Temple, yet in the end, he is still accepted as a monk, even after he kills Wang Renze, which doesn’t make sense to me.  It this kind of contradiction that keeps me from fully enjoying the film and making me decide that it might be a good movie, but not a great one.
Shaolin takes place during Warlord Era of Republican China, in the early 20th century, and is loosely based on the desecration of the Shaolin Temple by the Kuomintang general Shi Yousan.  Of course, the mainly focus of the film’s story is Hou Jie’s journey and character transformation.  In the beginning, he is devious and malicious, and after his experience at Shaolin, he is a changed man for the better.  Subplots involve a deal with “evil” foreigners to build a railroad in China, which Hou Jie strongly opposes, yet Cao Man supports.  Cao Man’s intentions delve further into the excavation of Chinese treasures and artifacts, dealing them to the foreigners, and killing the laborers he used to cover up his schemes.  Another significant subplot that was memorable was where some of the Shaolin monks engage in vigilantism, stealing rice to give to refugees in need.  There adventures cross paths with Yan Xi, where they save her and bring her to the Temple.  When Jing Jue is forced to confront Cao Man, he realizes that Cao Man’s actions are a result of his own doing, and he must make it right.  This culminates in a final battle, where the Shaolin monks rescue Cao Man’s imprisoned laborers, take the refugees and help them escape just before the destruction of the Temple by the foreigners.  In the climax, almost all the supporting characters are killed, along with Jing Jue in his attempts to save Cao Man, which makes for a depressing film on top of Shengnan’s death.  The only survivors are Wu Dao and Yan Xi, who escape with the refugees and the rest of the surviving monks.  The film ends with Cao Man as the only other survivor.  Upon looking at the death and destruction he has caused, he is perhaps either remorseful, or simply in despair that his plans failed.  Either way, this leaves a powerful message to the audience.  There is also a scene during the closing credits of Shaolin monks training during a Temple during wintertime, which suggests that the Shaolin Temple was either rebuilt, or that the surviving monks went on to establish a new Temple.  In retrospect, this was a powerful film, not only because of the story it told, but because of the lessons that it conveys to the audience.  I feel that not only does Shaolin tell a better story, but it also relates better messages to the audience as well.  The main shortcomings of the story are the subplots of Chinese artifacts/railroad schemes, which are typical and predictable plots in Chinese movies.  The foreign villains are even given the typical cartoonish representation, which is typical Chinese cinema.  This is just as bad as the treatment of the Japanese in Chinese films, and is tiresome to watch.  However, the rest of the story is still very strong, left a strong impression on me.  After watching this film for the first time, I immediately decided that it was better than The Shaolin Temple.  
Winner: Shaolin

So the better film by unanimous decision is Shaolin.  Like the first edition of “A Movie Comparison”, this is another rare case where the new film is better than the older one.  I think many of you probably already knew which direction I was leaning towards by the end of the write-up.  But truthfully, I honestly feel that Shaolin is an all-around better film than The Shaolin Temple.  However, it is unfortunate that, like the first edition of “A Movie Comparison”, the newer film never seemed to reach the level of recognition or success that the original had.  In the case of Fist of Legend, perhaps the messages it had were not received as favorably as they should have been, and did not pander to Chinese audiences like Fist of Fury did.  However, in the case of Shaolin and The Shaolin Temple, Shaolin could never reach the level of success that The Shaolin Temple, because of circumstance.  This is a lot like the situation of the Star Wars franchise.  You can’t expect J.J. Abrams to make Star Wars Episode VII to be as successful as the original Star Wars trilogy, because the circumstances are different as well.  The originals had the appeal of novelty, so what the audiences were seeing was so well received, because they were seeing it for the first time.  Also, the timing of their releases was just right, when audiences were ready to receive them, to have the cultural impacts that they did.  However, with Shaolin, I feel that everything was just done better than the original.  As of right now, Shaolin has a 74% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which I don’t agree with; it deserves much more praise than that.  Shaolin is not only a great movie and better than The Shaolin Temple, but it’s one of the best Chinese films to have come out in the past ten years.  This is the second edition of “A Movie Comparison.”  Hope you liked it! 