There is no place more hallowed in the world of martial arts than China’s Shaolin Temple, birthplace of a special brand of kung-fu developed centuries ago by monks opposed to the Manchu rulers of the Ching Dynasty. A special place deserves a special epic, which is precisely what martial arts maestro Chang Cheh delivers in the aptly named, action-packed Shaolin Temple. It is a battle between a brave brand of Shaolin boxers and literally thousands of Ching troops, complete with betrayals, intrigues, and such novel fighting machines as 108 wooden robots. The human fighting machines prove just as lethal thanks to a cast that includes such legendary kung-fu stars as Ti Lung, David Chiang, and Alexander Fu Sheng.
