Return to the 36th Chamber (1980)

Scaffolding Kung Fu vs Bench Kung Fu!

Mantis, Tiger, Drunken, and Monkey kung fu…just when you think Lau Kar Leung might have run out of kung fu forms for choreographing martial arts scenes, he’s given the dream combo of Scaffolding kung fu vs Bench kung fu!

Gordon Liu returned in this sort of sequel to The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. The third movie, Disciples of the 36th Chamber was actually a direct sequel to the original movie. This time he played a conman, Chao Jen Cheh, masquerading as Monk San Te in order to intimidate the new violent Manchurian overlords of the local cloth and dye factory. The Manchurians in charge bullied and beat their employees as well as reduced their worker’s pay to pad their own pockets. The only problem was, Chao didn’t know any kung fu and was soon found out which made the situation even worse for the workers. The people who had talked him into helping them begged him to go to the real Shaolin temple and learn kung fu so that he could come back and protect them.

Chao managed to maneuver his way into the Shaolin Temple but the real San Te saw through him instantly. After comic segments which went on too long for me, San Te put Chao to work building a scaffolding around the temple. Chao watched and learned from the monks as he practiced the drills while building the scaffolding, subconsciously developing his own form of kung fu. Three years later, he left the temple thinking he was a failure until he returned home. It turned out San Te’s covert method had taught him all he needed to know to handle the bullies. Admittedly his training smacked a little of Karate Kid’s “wax on, wax off” style of kung fu training but the final fights were entertaining enough to stretch my disbelief. It was only at this point that I started to enjoy the film. The fights were among some of the most creative, fun, and least deadly that I’ve seen. It was worth sitting through the rest of the film to watch Gordon Liu and Johnny Wang show their stuff.

I thought Gordon Liu showed a greater range of acting in this film. Chao not only learned kung fu, he also received the character development this unlikeable guy needed. Gordon Liu’s martial arts skills and moves were spectacular as always. I wait in anticipation for when he tears his shirt off and gets down to business. The less said about Hsiao Hou’s fake teeth and giant mole, the better. Johnny Wang only needed to look grim until it was time to fight, like a wrestler waiting to be tagged in.

Lau Kar Leung rarely disappoints with his direction and who would have thought bamboo ties could make such an effective kung fu weapon! Chao was faster than an elf wrapping packages for Christmas with his tying technique. While the great final act raised the score for me, it couldn’t completely erase the first half of the movie which dragged on too long for my taste. If you enjoy kung fu comedy you might enjoy this movie from beginning to end. If not, the last third of the film makes it worth watching.

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Fun-filled parody of the original

A bizarre, unconventional, almost anachronistic parody of the original 36th Chamber, Return to the 36th Chamber is just as much fun as its predecessor albeit for very different reasons. Equal parts spoof and as it is a straightforward martial arts actioner, the film recasts Gordon Liu as a down-on-his-luck con artist learning the ropes from the very character he played in the original, one that pushes Liu's comedic chops to the forefront and one he pulls off exceptionally well. The lighter tone and bigger focus on comedy oddly work in the film's favour, it's a welcome change of pace in direct contrast to the original, one that I found myself laughing at consistently. Lau Kar-leung maintains his stunning direction with just as much emphasis here on training sequences versus actual fighting which are once again a fantastic sight to behold. Admittedly, some aspects of the plot don't hold up to intensive scrutiny, but for what it is, Return to the 36th Chamber works. A fun-filled, highly engaging piece with a heightened sense of reality that will please fans and newcomers alike.

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