Martial Arts of Shaolin

It’s taken the West a long time to discover Jet Li, but his extraordinary martial arts skill and on-screen charm has been no secret to Asian moviegoers and kung-fu fans. Long before Lethal Weapon IV and Romeo Must Die, Jet teamed up with legendary martial arts director Liu Chia-liang for Martial Arts Of Shaolin, one of the top hits of 1986. As the title implies, the picture takes place at the famed Shaolin Monastery, the birthplace of a variety of kung-fu at which Jet Li is particularly adept. The on-location photography makes good use of such landmarks as the Great Wall and, of course, the Shaolin Monastery. Set in the days of imperial China, the classic tale of good versus evil gives young Jet ample opportunity to display the prowess that won him several Chinese national martial arts championships.