Bullet Points: The New Shaolin Boxers

With nearly a thousand films to their credit and with my history of watching “Kung Fu Theater” on a regular basis in my youth, there is no doubt in my mind that I had to see some of the martial arts classics produced by the Shaw Brothers, even if time has robbed me of any distinct Shaw Brothers memories.

But I believe I can safely say that none of the Shaw Brothers films I saw starred Alexander Fu Sheng… because there is no way, even decades later, that I could possibly forget somebody with the screen presence, the charisma, the skills and the personality of Alexander Fu Sheng… the star of 1976’s The New Shaolin Boxers.

• Goody Two Shoes: Alexander Fu Sheng plays Chung Chien, a carriage driver in a small town that is not afraid to take a stand against a vicious gang led by Feng (Lung Wei Wang) that is terrorizing the town. Some label Chien a meddler, but they are the same people who just turn a blind eye to their fellow citizens being accosted by the punks, so screw their opinions! Chung Chien wastes no time doing the right thing, in fact he jumps in to save a woman that was being robbed by a member of Feng’s gang before the opening credits were even over… but Chien makes one mistake, he shows a bit of mercy towards the bearded thief and Chien gets stabbed for his trouble.

• When It Rains, It Pours: The stabbing sidelines Chung Chien for a while, but when he’s healthy he’s right back to his do gooder ways, something his friends and neighbors (even his own uncle) don’t agree with. Chien’s teacher, Chou, steps in and tells Chien it would be a good idea for him to get out of town before Feng and his gang end up killing him for interfering in their business. But Chien doesn’t listen and after a brouhaha between Chien and three thugs in the middle of town, the townsfolk are pissed that Chien’s fighting (even though justified) caused all sorts of damage and they demand that Chien pay for it. Things get even worse when Feng’s gang tracks down the company that Chung Chien works for and destroys a bunch of the carriages… the result, Chung Chien is fired. And that’s about the time Chien has a confrontation with Feng himself…

• Shaolin University: Feng offers Chung Chien a spot in his gang, a spot that Chien immediately turns down. Things aren’t looking good for Chien at that point, but fortunately for Chien, Teacher Chou stepped in and pleads with Feng to spare his student’s life. Feng having respect for Teacher Chou complies… but Chou is smart enough to know that it is not the last that either he or Chien will hear from Feng. So Chou takes Chien to a place where he can be safe and learn advanced martial arts techniques from a former Shaolin monk, Master Chu. Chien is resistant at first… mainly because he doesn’t want to shave his head, not eat meat and stop having sexual relations. However, Master Chu does not force Chien to give up any of those things… but don’t let that fool you into thinking Master Chu is not a hard ass! Master Chu and his old school training methods test the mettle of Chung Chien and prepare him for what’s to come…

• Horrible Homecoming: When Chung Chien returns home for a visit, things are not as he left them… He finds out that Chou, his former teacher, was brutally murdered by Feng. And on top of that, his friend Hsiao-li was raped by Feng’s gang… a rape that was in part facilitated by Hsiao-li’s own boyfriend! Chung Chien is pissed off and once he has the skills to take out Feng and his gang once and for all, the final battle is set!

I am not sure I could have selected a better introduction to the work of Alexander Fu Sheng than The New Shaolin Boxers. If any Fu Sheng experts out there disagree, feel free to leave the Fu Sheng movie you believe I should have watched down in the comments… because trust me when I say this, The New Shaolin Boxers will not be the last Fu Sheng movie I watch or review on this site.

And you can trust me when I say, I have some Bonus Bullet Points too…

• AKA: According to the Hong Kong Movie Database (HKMDB for those in the know), The New Shaolin Boxers is also knows as Demon Fist of Kung Fu, Silly Kid, Mad Boy and my personal favorite, Grand Master of Death.
• Directed By: Cheh Chang was the director of The New Shaolin Boxers. He also directed Alexander Fu Sheng in Shaolin Martial Arts and Shaolin Temple.
• End With the Beginning: The opening of The New Shaolin Boxers starts with Fu Sheng demonstrating Tsai Li Fu techniques, first behind a narrated scrolling history lesson, then accompanied by a powerful piece of music that would be featured through out the film.