Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985)

Gordon Liu Chia-hui reprises his famous Monk San Te role as he tries to support and protect Shaolin her Fang Shih-yu who purposely attacks corrupt Ching officials. Fights by legendary action director Liu Chia-liang are to die for.

Director:

Chia-Liang Liu

Writer:

Chia-Liang Liu

Stars:

Hou Hsiao, Chia-Hui Liu, Lily Li

Cast

Credited cast:
Hou Hsiao	...	Fang Shih Yu
Chia-Hui Liu	...	Monk San Te
Lily Li	...	Miao Tsui Hua
Jason Piao Pai	...	(as Piao Pai)
Chia-Liang Liu
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jimmy Au
Kwok Keung Chan
Shen Chan	...	Education officer Sha Duo'er
Yung Chan
Lien-Ping Chang
Hung Chen
Ming-Wei Chen
Chok Chow Cheung
Wing-Cheung Cheung
Tien-Chu Chin

Storyline

Fong Sai Yuk's uninhibited arrogance toward a Manchu lord forces him to seek refuge in a Shaolin temple. Although abundantly trained in the martial arts, he is no match for Master San Te, the creator of the 36th Chamber of Shaolin, who constantly overpowers his younger, more agile disciples in matters of both body and mind. Exhausted by his frequent defeats, Fong seeks to escape his prison and crosses paths with a governor, who rewards him with a yellow robe granting immunity from any Manchu. But what are the governor's true intentions? Will Fong feed his foolish ego and betray the Shaolin Temple?

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Plot Keywords:

shaw brothers | shaolin kung fu | martial arts | martial artist | sequel | 

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Genres:

Action | Comedy

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Details

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese Mandarin

Release Date:

17 May 1985 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

Disciples of the 36th Chamber

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shaw Brothers

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Follows The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978)

User Reviews

One of the last Shaw Brothers films

Disciples of the 36th Chamber is the third in a trilogy of Shaolin temple films and one of the last ever movies from the acclaimed Shaw Brothers studio. The film marks a notable move away from the blood-drenched, vengeance-fuelled Shaw classics like those directed by Chang Cheh and it's also the tamest Shaw film I've seen Gordon Liu appear in. Instead, this is a light-hearted romp, focusing on hijinks and character-building throughout. It's also a film surprisingly tame, both in the plotting and in the action sequences. I was watching this waiting for a nice fight scene to play out and I was kept waiting right up until the admittedly impressive climax.

The usual Shaw Brothers staples are present here, with no noticeable decline in quality: sumptuous sets, colourful costumes and a great supporting cast of notable faces like Lily Li and Chan Shen. My favourite character is Gordon Liu's noble monk: Liu is a real scene stealer in this film and bags the best character, too. It's also fun to see director Liu Chia-Liang in a small role as a Manchu villain. Jason Pai Piao bags the role of the chief villain and fills it with effortless ease.

Hsiao Hou is something of a disappointment. He's playing the same legendary character, Fong Sai-Yuk, that Jet Li went on to play time and again in the 1990s, but I didn't find myself warming to his portrayal as I did Li's. Sure, Hou is exceptional in the athletic fighting scenes, but I was expecting that seeing as how Shaw always got the best from their actors. I just kept waiting for Gordon Liu to appear back on screen. The plot I found overly predictable and repetitive and aside from the lavish climax, the action scenes just didn't deliver as much as in the past, although the climax at the spectacle helps to make up for earlier disappoints.