The breakout movie for one of the greatest martial arts stars of all time was revisited in 2011 via Shaolin, a movie that featured Jackie Chan in a starring role. Directed by Benny Chan, Shaolin was a martial arts period piece that boasted a star-studded cast, with actors like Andy Lau, Jackie Chan, and Fan Bingbing, Wu Jing, and Nicholas Tse all on board the project.
Although his best films were arguably in the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s, Jackie Chan has starred in several memorable movies over the last 15 years. One of them was Shaolin, a film that placed the martial arts star in the role of a cook who served the Shaolin Temple in early 20th-century China.
The character Chan played – Wudao – was original, but curiously, the story itself was not. It may not be obvious from the тιтle, but the movie is actually a low-key remake of one of the best kung fu movies of the 1980s.
Shaolin Is A Remake Of Shaolin Temple, Jet Li’s First Movie
Shaolin served as a reimagining of Shaolin Temple, the 1982 martial arts movie that introduced the world to Jet Li. Featuring his debut performance, Shaolin Temple is remembered as the film that carved a path for Jet Li to become one of the genre’s best-known leading actors. Its success also led to two Jet Li-led sequels, Kids of Shaolin and Martial Arts of Shaolin.
The first entry in the Shaolin Temple series followed a young rebel (played by Jet Li) who, after an injury, takes up with the monks of the Shaolin Temple and learns kung fu so that he can defeat the evil Emperor. The story sees him go from an outsider, to a trainee, to a devoted Shaolin monk by the end of the movie.
The 2011 version made several changes to the story, but followed a similar formula. Replacing Jet Li with Andy Lau, Shaolin goes with a much older protagonist, and one with much more baggage going into the film’s main events.
Another way it mixes things up is through the cook portrayed by Chan, who turns out to be a master of Shaolin martial arts before becoming the main character’s mentor.
Despite Not Being The Star, Jackie Chan’s Role Is The Highlight Of Shaolin
Considering his reputation, it may seem a bit unusual for Jackie Chan to take a backseat to another actor in Shaolin, but that’s exactly what happens here, but yet, his reduced role isn’t a detriment to the movie. Being a mentor enables Jackie Chan to fill a different kind of role, and it’s one that works perfectly for Shaolin.
As a cook, rather than the abbot of the temple or a senior monk, the actor is still able to display his “everyman” image that has been crucial to so many of Jackie Chan’s best kung fu movies. In true Jackie Chan fashion, Wudao is initially depicted as a somewhat ordinary person, complete with Chan’s trademark comedic qualities.
Chan’s personal touch made Wudao a great addition to Shaolin, and arguably its heart. And perhaps best of all, Jackie Chan showed that even at 57 years old, he can still put together some incredible fight scenes that make full use of his martial arts talents and athletic ability.
