Le combat mortel de Shaolin

A SLICE OF DEATH / ABBOT OF SHAOLIN (1979) is another Shaw Bros. kung fu film with a Shaolin Temple theme. David Chiang stars as the monk Chi San, who survives the burning of Shaolin Temple and travels south to Kwangtung to raise money to re-build the temple as forces loyal to the Ching Emperor follow in close pursuit. He meets a merchant in Kwangtung who becomes his patron and he develops a group of followers, including Hung Si Kwan, a familiar character from Shaolin lore. There are lots of good fight scenes and a well-written script with interesting encounters between the varied characters.

David Chiang excelled as a star of many kung fu films in the 1970s, but I don't believe I've ever seen him as he is here--as a Shaolin monk with a shaved head--and it's quite a refreshing change of pace for him. Also in the cast are Lo Lieh, a frequent villain in these films; Lily Li, one of the better kung fu divas of the 1970s; and Norman Chu (Tsui Siu Keung), who plays one of the monk's students. Over all, this is a solid historical kung fu film, which compares favorably with earlier Shaw Bros. Shaolin films, such as HEROES TWO, FIVE MASTERS OF DEATH and MEN FROM THE MONASTERY, although it remains outclassed by the epic scope, big budgets and large casts of SHAOLIN MARTIAL ARTS, 1974 (listed on IMDb as Shao Lin Martial Arts) and SHAOLIN TEMPLE / DEATH CHAMBER (1976).

The storyline is somewhat historical, the action is impactful, what more could you ask for?

A late film from the Shaw studios. This time David Chiang gets to shave his head.

An abbot from Shaolin, Chi San, is sent to learn the secrets of firearms from Er Mei, a Taoist priest in southern China. This is so the Shaolin monks can have a better method to fight the Manchu invaders. While there, the abbot learns soft kung fu from the elderly Er Mei and meets his daughter (?) Wu Mei. Spies hiding in the bushes learn about Shaolin's plans to build their own firearms and the Manchu/Tartar rulers send an army to destroy Shaolin. Returning to Shaolin, Chi San arrives too late to save the monks but the dying head abbot sends him back south to build a new Shaolin temple in southern China. There he comes into conflict with the evil brother to Er Mei, Pak Mei. Pak Mei supports the Manchus. There is also a Tibetian monk helping the Manchus. And so it goes....

While lively and competently directed by Meng Hua Ho, this film is very derivative of previous Shaw productions. The scenes where Chi San searches the town for students is very similar to the same scenes in "36th Chamber" and actually uses some of the same actors. A lot of the production panders to the HK audience by making bad guys of northern Chinese, Tibetians and anyone who studies Pak Mei kung fu. There are a number of lines praising the virtues of the southern Chinese. Kung fu students might want to see the film since a number of legendary kung fu instructors are characters but I assure you nothing is done with the characters. The martial arts are absurd at times but overall it delivers some above average choreography.

It's a short film at 78 minutes but you might find it fun. The ending is very abrupt.

The second instalment of Shaw's 'Pai Mei' trilogy and after the mildly disappointing original this is on par with the last one. We rush through the familiar story of the burning of the Shaolin Temple and David Chiang's monk hero recruiting new disciples, and the story is typically packed with action of a gorier variety. The bad guys dominate the proceedings here, not just Lo Lieh's magnificent villain but Chiang Tao's Lama and Chan Shen's "downcast" henchman too. A great ensemble cast and plentiful action - what's not to love here?

"Shaolin Abbot" (aka "A Slice of Death") is a lightweight but fun chop-socky outing obviously made in response to the box office success of Liu Chia-liang's "Executioners of Shaolin" and "The Thirty-Sixth Chamber of Shaolin" ("The Master Killer"). It's not a remake but rather a synthesis; screenwriter Ni Kuang and director Ho Meng-hua combine elements of both films to create a story which seems to take place in some alternate reality, since Abbot Chi San did not survive the destruction of the temple in "Executioners of Shaolin." Here the abbot is alive and well, played by Shaw Brothers veteran David Chiang, and he gathers a small band of followers (including Lily Li and Norman Chu) to help him oppose white-haired supervillain Pak Mei, once again portrayed by Lo Lieh. Pak Mei has his own array of henchmen, including Chiang Tao as a Tibetan holy man who wields a mean monk's staff.

Tang Te-hsiang's fight choreography is solid, and the role of a revered Buddhist monk is an interesting change of pace for Chiang. There's nothing here you haven't seen before, but "Shaolin Abbot" is an entertaining film that doesn't try to overstep its modest bounds. Six and a half stars.