Shao Lin tong zi gong (1981) User Reviews

Children's Movie...Old School Kung Fu Style!

[kwhuneycutt · 6/10 · 2 March 2005]

Shaolin Chastity Kung Fu (1981) is an interesting, entertaining and very cheap film. It is about a group of 30 or so kids (5 to 18 years old) who train in the art of kung fu and take revenge on an evil gang. After a village is burned and all of the adults are killed, the town children are left orphaned. Two Shaolin monks discover the children and give them refuge at the temple. While in their care the monks decide to teach the children the art of Shaolin Kung Fu so they can protect themselves. The kids do more than protect themselves!

There is surprisingly plenty of bloody martial arts action in this film, yet it has its child friendly moments as well. The martial arts action in this movie is surprisingly good. Not only is there Kung Fu (and Karate), there is plenty of amazing acrobatics as well. The kids are very well trained and do some unbelievable physical stunts.

At the end of the film the group of kids, after being brutally trained in Shaolin Kung Fu, work together to fight the 9 Devils gang. The fight sequences with the kids are not fake like children's movies today, they are truly impressive. The kids really did all the stunts. It is really pretty harsh (and comical) the way the bandits beat on the kids. You won't see anything like this made in America! Alexander Lou (Incredible Kung Fu Mission) turns in a good performance as the eldest brother. Lou is the star of the film though there are plenty of other talented kids who give great physical performances. The last 20 minutes or so of this movie is packed with martial art showdowns between bandits, kids, monks and teens. The movie has some light moments and tries to preach a positive message about toleration of other cultures (Japanese). My only complaints with this film is some over the top wire work and a lot of really bad acting.

I was very surprised by how entertaining this movie was and how well done the action sequences were featuring the kids. There are a lot of silly (stupid) gags along the way that are kind of funny, sometimes unintentionally. Shaolin Chastity Kung Fu is fun and silly and not to be taken too seriously. It is definitely one of the most unique kung fu movies and is certainly the most hardcore children's movie ever made. If you are looking for a truly unique movie and a few laughs too, check out Shaolin Chastisy Kung Fu.

Martial Arts Genre Rating: 6/10

Overall Movie Rating: 4.5/10

Kids fight OK!

[phillip-58 · 7/10 · 1 November 2007]

I think some reviewers have misunderstood this film. Robert Tai made some of the best kung fu films ever made including BRAVE ARCHER, CHINATOWN KID, MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE etc. Although the editing and colour saturation on my Magnificent Dragons cinema collection edition leaves something to be desired (let alone the dubbed voices) this is a good film. Fighting kids is a Chinese tradition and the ones in this film are simply amazing, as are the villains who are dressed in rather amazing costumes (and in one case hair style) and fight well. Both the training scenes and the individual fights at the end are exceptional. Its good (and rather unusual) to see the Japanese and Chinese fighters co-operating and a word for the original music which I really enjoyed. It is bloody and unrealistic - but when were kung fu films strong on emotional plotting. Alexander Lo doesn't really shine in this though he does what is needed - and the fight with the cow at the beginning was different. I've never seen Hilda Liu Hao Yi before but she is pretty and had some good moves (and costume changes). But the stars of this show are the kids. I wonder if they came from an opera school ? I loved the villain with the white eye patch and green cape and another with a wrestling style dressed in gold lame and a belt straight out of WWF. Worth watching.

Good Kung Fu But Disturbing on Some Levels.

[Space_Mafune · 5/10 · 24 June 2006]

After their village is destroyed by an evil gang of murderous bandits named the Nine Devils, a group of around thirty children from the ages of 5 to 18 years old flee into the woods with the Nine Devils in hot pursuit. Fortunately the kids are found by a pair of Shaolin monks who see it as their duty to protect them but noting the numbers and odds are against them, the monks decide they better train the youngsters in the art of Shaolin Kung Fu so they will be able to defend themselves if need be. Once their training is complete though, the kids decide to seek a measure of revenge...

While this movie may have some child-like moments of humor, it's really not suitable for kids at all. Its violence is brutal and the Nine Devils really don't hold back when battling with the youngsters, who are simply amazing given the amount of stunt work they do and the considerable physical abuse and punishment their roles demand. Also the resulting brutality when the kids take the fight to the Nine Devils gang in the end is not always easy to watch and frequently disturbs as it's little kids often dishing out said bloody vengeance. Certainly not your usual Kung Fu film and surprisingly entertaining and interesting in that respect if one can get past this one's sometimes shocking content.

Above-average kung fu movie with many novel touches

[BrianDanaCamp · 31 July 2002]

SHAOLIN CHASTITY KUNG FU (1981) is an early team-up of star Alexander Lou (aka Alexander Lo Rei) and director Robert Tai and boasts a simple, well-told, coherent tale in contrast with the more frenzied, delirious action found in such later collaborations of theirs as MAFIA VS. NINJA and NINJA FINAL DUEL. Although Lou is the nominal star here, he doesn't dominate the proceedings, but is instead one member of an ensemble cast and shares the stage with a number of talented fighter/performers. He does, however, get the girl, one Liu Hau Yi, who proves a capable partner for Lou in several scenes where they train and fight as a team.

The most original touch is the presence in the cast of two dozen or so boys and girls who train together in Shaolin Chastity Kung Fu and work as a team to defeat the bad guys, employing a number of bold, fresh strategies. The kids are evidently members of an actual acrobatic troupe and put their training and skills to great use here.

The action starts when a group of teens and children led by one older pair, Lou and Liu Hau Yi, flee their village in the wake of an attack by a bandit group, the Nine Devils, who overrun the village and kill all the inhabitants they can find. The bandits' motive is to use the village as a base from which to rescue their imprisoned boss, Golden Tiger, who is scheduled to be taken to court by a security team passing through. The bandits' attempt to pursue the fleeing kids is thwarted by a traveling Shaolin master and his disciple who fend off the bandits with their kung fu. The two monks then take the village refugees into hiding and teach them all kung fu in preparation for a spectacular climactic battle with the bandits after they've freed their leader.

A friendly Japanese martial artist, en route to meet the Shaolin Master, is waylaid by the bandits but puts up enough of a fight to allow his two sons to escape into the woods where they are later found by the village refugees and incorporated into the group. One amusing scene has the Japanese boys blithely enter the pond where the girls are bathing and dismiss the girls' loud protests, unaware that the two sexes don't bathe together in China. The master then sits them all down for a lesson in different customs. It's all handled with abundant good humor and charm.

The villains are big and muscular and wield a number of exotic, lethal weapons. Most of them are also somewhat buffoonish, which makes for plenty of comic encounters with the wily, agile kids. The action culminates in a series of battles in which the top martial artists in the group take on the most formidable bandits, while the kids, working in separate groups, ambush and entrap the rest of the gang using a host of different acrobatic team maneuvers and such simple tools as bamboo poles and ropes. It's all very imaginatively staged and employs the boys and girls equally in the action.

The cast is quite good and includes some familiar faces from Taiwan-based kung fu films. Liu Hau Yi is new to this reviewer, however, and her qualities of strength, spirit, fighting skill and abiding beauty make one wish her additional films, if any, were easier to identify and track down. As for the kids in the cast, "adorable" may be an overused term, but it certainly applies here. How often does one get to see large numbers of eager boys and girls engaging in rigorous Shaolin training scenes and then putting that training to use? All in all, it's a thoroughly invigorating and delightful kung fu film that should prove a pleasant surprise to longtime genre buffs. Be warned that there are some very quick, gruesome moments--one bullet-headed villain splits a villager in two with his head--but if the younger or more squeamish kung fu fans in your circles can handle such bits, the rest of the film could be a real treat for them. Be also aware that the current edition of this film being distributed in the U.S. is a low-cost, English-dubbed, poor-quality transfer which will simply have to do until a better copy comes along.

bloody good fun

[movieman_kev · 7/10 · 22 October 2005]

A huge group of kids are taken in by a group of Shaolin monks after they're left orphaned by a bloody and vicious bandit attack, but not before a teen fights a bull for no reason. Of course you know, This means war between the vicious bandits and the bloodthirsty kids in duels to the death. This kung-fu film is weird, yet great and above all just a very fun experience. Some nicely choreographed fights as well. Not among the best martial art films in the least. It still remains highly watchable none the less. It's just a shame that I had to buy the DVD presented by the Wu-tang clan just to see it. But oh well, such is life I guess.

My Grade: B

DVD Extras: An insanely nonsense intro by Wu-tang clan; Bonus fight scene; Wu-Tang music video; A compilation "Kung-fu classics" trailer; and Trailers for "Gangsteresses" & "Blazin'"

Children of the Corn Meets Shaolin Kung Fu

[dafrosts · 6/10 · 17 November 2017]

The fight scenes are often vicious to the point of Grotesque. There are children in overabundance in this movie, but it is NOT, NOT a kid's movie. The Nine Devils want to spring their boss from prison and rob a Gold train. Unfortunately, a village of poor people with a high population of teenagers and children, stands in their way. So, what's a group of thugs to do, but kill everyone in the village and burn it to the ground. Luckily, the teens and kids are on the outskirts of town watching one teen try to use his Kung Fu to take down a cow. Yup, a cow. When they sees the smoke from the village, they go to investigate.

I cannot take the Nine Devils seriously in the costumes and hairstyles they have. There's a Jin-ish Goon who has a head as a hard as a brick and performs a head butt that has to be rewound and watched at least twice to verify you saw what you saw. Another is wearing pigtails while carrying an oversized Chupa Chup. A third resembles a 1980's WWE Tag Team partner. A Caveman is carrying a stick reminiscent of Jeffrey Dean Morgan's TWD Barbed Wire Baseball Bat. A fourth has Armored sleeves with Kabuki Mask shoulders and Leather studded mittens. A fifth, I kid you not,is running around in pink striped jammies. Yeah, I said Pink striped Jammies. The only "Normal" looking one is wearing an eye patch and a jumper resembling those seen at martial arts competitions.

The kids are chased into the woods by two of the Nine Devils, where a Shaolin Abbott and his pupil intervene. Another fight scene occurs where the Abbott, in between "Buddha be Blessed" announcements, kicks some ass and sends the Devils fleeing. I love how the Shaolin kick butt then say "Buddha Be Blessed/Praised". The Abbott and his pupil take the kids further into the hills for protection.

The Nine Devils move on to break their boss "Golden Tiger" out of the prison transport coming toward the village. I would never want these prison guards watching any prisoner. They are too easily beaten. Golden Tiger busts out of the cage like he's in a wet paper bag. Seriously, if it was that easy for him to break out, why didn't he do it sooner? The guards were easy to subdue.

The Abbott has a friend from Japan coming to meet him. They are going to trade techniques to make both of their Kung Fu styles stronger. The man has brought his two sons with him to teach them about other cultures. Unfortunately, since the Abbott has taken the village kids into the hills, he has to send someone to get his friend. The Japanese encounter the Nine Devils and only the boys survive. They become part of the group protected by the Abbott.

The style of Kung Fu the Abbott decides the Teens and children need to learn is Not Called Chastity Kung Fu. That wording no doubt comes from whomever misunderstood the original dialogue during remarketing for the English language countries. The style the adolescents learn is a combo Gymnastics-Kung Fu that would make any Chinese Circus or Cirque Du Soleil proud.

The Abbott suddenly announces he's ill and, of course, dying, which leaves training the adolescents to the younger priest, who's very leery about the prospects. When the youngest Japanese boy becomes ill, the Senior Teen and the boy's brother venture back into town to get herbs for healing. They encounter the Nine Devils and Golden Dragon. The Japanese Teen escapes while the Senior Teen remains behind to ensure his escape. The Senior Teen is used to bring the Abbott out of hiding. It works, however, Golden Tiger and his Crue have to work as a unit to kill him.

The Adolescents and their new Teacher work harder to become a unit to destroy Golden Dragon and the Nine Devils. The last twenty-five minutes of the film is devoted to eliminating the Devils and their boss one by one. Pajama Man, Jin, Golden Tiger and another Devil are involved in one on one matches, while the others each encounter the Adolescents working as teams. The fights are a tad gruesome as normal matches go. The group fights reminded me of Children of the Corn chasing Adults through the corn fields.

The final battle starts with Golden Tiger taking on the Senior Teen. It soon becomes a Battle Royale, as the other Adolescents and their Teacher join him when they finish their fights. There's a moment of singing, which is a tad creepy and again, Children of the Cornesque. Golden Tiger issues that annoying maniacal laughter the bad guys always use. He doesn't laugh for long.

The conclusion is the Adolescents kneeling outside the Shaolin Temple awaiting a response from the Main Abbott. Their Teacher appears and announces none of them will be accepted as Priests or Nuns as someone needs to go back to the village and rebuild. The two eldest male teens are instructed to marry the two eldest female teens to continue the population of the village.

Hmm, an entire town run only by teens and little kids. No Adult supervision whatsoever. What could possibly go wrong? I would have given it a higher number but the fights were far too gruesome and the Nine Devils were simply too comical to be taken seriously.

Hilariously cheesy kung fu nonsense from Taiwan

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 16 December 2016]

Another slice of kung fu wackiness from the director and star of that cult classic, MAFIA VS. NINJA. This Taiwanese epic was shot on the cheap and is a poorly made movie in every respect, with rubbish actors, a threadbare plot that breaks down and disappears an hour into the film, and some quite awful fight choreography. Despite this, it's still an entertaining film. Why? Part of the reason is the star quality of Alexander Rei Lo, a massively-muscled kung fu fighter who carved out a career for himself during the '80s. Here, he seems to be at his physical peak, and he's a real joy to watch in the fight scenes; his talent is evident from the outset. Lou is supported by many other familiar faces from MAFIA VS. NINJA. His comic buddy in that film is back, playing a Japanese guy here; the Japanese villain of that movie is the villain of this, and even the hulking wrestler guy returns for some action. On top of this, we get some additional support from Hilda Lau, an attractive and able female star, and a whole troop of acrobatic kids who display genuine skill throughout the film.

Trying to figure out exactly who this film is aimed at is a difficult one. The presence of kids in the movie indicates that this will be a kid's film, and in part it is, with plenty of childish humour and pranks. Yet elsewhere there's decapitation and merciless gore effects which sit oddly with the family fare found elsewhere. The film is, in fact, full of blood, as villains and heroes die terrible deaths: heads are squeezed until blood sprays from them; heads are crushed, impaled on hands and injured guys spray fountains of blood from their mouths. Right at the beginning of the film we see a guy thrown in the air to get split in half on somebody's head. The problem with the violence is that it's all done on the ultra-cheap, which means it's unconvincing, so to hide this director Robert Tai cuts away after showing the effect for a mere millisecond. So, in the end, you feel like you haven't really watched a violent film after all. I guess in this respect he gets to have things both ways, but I can't say I'm impressed by this style.

Of course, for a low budget slice of kung fu craziness, you'd expect this film to have some cheesiness and there are many bizarre moments. The gruelling training sequences – par for the course – are more outlandish than ever, with guys who can break rocks in their bare hands and Alexander Rei Lo engaging in Jackie Chan-style straining-muscles feats of strength. There are many moments that come out of the blue, like the kids all starting to sing when they're fighting the main bad guy at the film's end, while whenever the bad guys show up in the film, music out of one of the Hammer Dracula films begins playing! Although the action is poorly choreographed, it's nevertheless amusing, thanks to some slapdash wire work and assorted nonsense that fans of this trash will lap up. Hardly a classic, but a fun movie anyway.

Good

[BG_OG · 10/10 · 19 September 2004]

A guy gets broken in half by a head butt and there's a lot of action,the acting is good and the plot is enjoyable,i recommend this film,also the DVD has an awesome wu tang music video to go with it. There's a lot of really exctiting fights in this,the action doesn't really let up at all. I think Robert Tai did a good directing job and i'd like to see more of him. Alexander Lo Rei is a very good fighter and i'm sure anyone who has seen this film has looked him up to see more of his work.

Wu-Tang presents...

[dr-worm · 23 January 2003]

First off, let me say I have been exposed to some pretty horrific kung fu films, and while this is certainly not the worst I've seen, it's pretty god-awful.

Secondly, this movie was released mainstream under the banner of the Wu-Tang Clan, who give an introduction at the beginning of the DVD. Now I've never really been a fan of the group but I must say I enjoyed hearing their intro, primarily because it was completely incomprehensible. Whenever you can understand what the guys are actually saying, the words themselves do not make any sense whatsoever; this may be due to the fact that they are introducing the wrong movie; one of the clan-members is actually talking about a movie called Mystery of Chess Boxing. WTF?

As far as the movie goes, it's pretty bad. There are some neat action sequences (particularly a guy who does a lethal head-butt, sending the two halves of a poor villager flying in opposite direction) but it's mostly a bunch of kids doing acrobatics in a field. Watch this movie for the horrible dubbing and the head-butt guy.

Brutally violent children's movie

[bbriggs-3 · 27 September 2004]

I rented this movie because I thought that since the wu tang clan recommended it that it would be good. I was very wrong. Shaolin Chastity Kung Fu turns out to be an INCREDIBLY cheesy children's movie with a few good fight scenes, a lot of annoying characters and some shamefully misplaced scenes of brutal violence!

The story is about a bunch of kids whose village is destroyed by a gang of villains and then the children meet some shaolin monks who protect the kids and teach them kung fu so they can defend themselves from the villains. The plot is somewhat original for a kung fu film and the children (who age from about 8 to 20) have some impressive acrobatic skills. Another thing this movie has going for it is that it has a refreshingly good natured feel to it. The monks teach the children to be good and tolerant and accept people of different cultures. there's even some main characters who are Japanese and they are portrayed as honorable people! If you watch a lot of Chinese kung fu films you know how rare this is!

Even though i like the above mentioned aspects of the movie, overall it's just way too cheesy for my taste. I almost want to recommend this movie for family viewing but unfortunately even though 95 percent of the movie is a harmless child oriented action comedy there's a bunch of scenes filled with R rated violence. There's a part where a guy gets cut in half, a scene where a monk has his head crushed with a giant rock, a scene where two of the older kids crush a man's head with their bare hands with blood SPRAYING out of his head!, there's even a disturbing scene where a bunch of laughing nine year olds beat a man to a bloody death with bamboo sticks!! What the hell were they thinking?

Anyway to end on a happy note the director of this film along with the fabulous Alexander Lou went on to direct one of my favorite ninja movies of all time: MAFIA VS. NINJA!!! If you were disappointed with this one Mafia vs. Ninja will totally cheer you up!