Veteran Shaw Brothers director Ho Meng-Hua teams with David Chiang (sans his usual bob of jet-black hair) for this twist on the story of Shaolin’s destruction. The results are a mixed bag, but not without interest.
Chi San (Chiang), having reached the highest level of kung fu available at Shaolin, is instructed to leave the temple to further his instruction. With the Manchu-inclined authorities beginning to turn their attention to Shaolin’s alleged anti-government movement, Chi is also tasked with finding support for the rebels and setting up schools around the country. Meanwhile, Pai Mei (Lo Lieh, of course) is tracking down the rebels and sets himself on a collision course with Chi San.
‘Shaolin Abbot’ has fallen into relative obscurity, at least in comparison to the accepted canon of Shaw Brothers greats. That said, there is enough within Ho Meng-Hua’s effort to encourage a modest reappraisal. First of all, David Chiang is surprisingly good as the hero. I say ‘surprisingly’ because he is without his usual cheeky charm and, as mentioned earlier, his hair; as odd as it is to see Gordon Liu with hair, it’s strange to see a bald David Chiang. Chiang is also surrounded by familiar genre faces, not least of which is Lo Lieh returning as Pai Mei. That gives this an appeal that should create interest and the action builds to an accomplished level; it’s never quite peak Shaw Brothers, especially considering the other films coming out in 1979, but it’s certainly not to be sniffed at.
The reason ‘Shaolin Abbot’ isn’t considered among the upper echelons of the genre is the rushed nature of the storyline, along with the decent but never exceptional action. You can have one without the other and succeed, but a narrative that doesn’t click coupled with choreography that never pushes the boundaries is destined to undermine the good intentions. The hero’s journey is rushed, the destruction of Shaolin feels anticlimactic and Pai Mei – one of the genre’s great villains – is wasted. Seeing the showdown between Chi San and Pai Mei become an afterthought is never going to endear the film to fans.
‘Shaolin Abbot’ might not be first-class Shaw Brothers movie magic, but it’s a better-than-average kung fu flick. It provides an entertaining ninety minutes, though there is the nagging feeling that it could have been better.
