Rent Martial Arts of Shaolin / The Bare-Footed Kid (1993)
3.4 of 5 from 46 ratings
3h 1min
- General info
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- Synopsis:
Two more films from the final years of the Shaw Brothers studio, proving that while the end was nigh, these merchants of martial arts mayhem weren't going to go out without a fight!
Martial Arts of Shaolin (1986)The story begins at the Imperial Palace, an official hastens out after an audience with the emperor. He is hurrying to rescue his colleague and friend who has been framed by Lord He Suo, and has been sentenced to death. However he is too late, his friend is executed before he can intervene. He confronts Lord He Suo, and is killed as well. Many years later the children of both victims have grown up, one is Zhi-ming who was taken to North Shaolin by his mother. The other is Sima Yan who took refuge with her uncle Fa Ren at South Shaolin. One day news spreads that officials from all over the country are going to congratulate Lord He Suo on his coming birthday. Simultaneously Zhi-ming and Sima Yan make plans to use the occasion to take their revenge. Fa Ren is worried about Sima Yan, so he asks the best student in South Shaolin, Zhao Wei, to help her out. During the birthday celebrations He Suo's defenses are slack. Zhi-ming seizes the opportunity and draws his dagger, but Sima Yan's arrows get there before him. However Lord He Suo's guards shield him from the arrows and the assassination attempt fails. In the ensuing fighting both Zhi-ming and Sima Yan manage to escape with Zhao Wei's help. Eight kung fu experts are sent to go after them. As the exit to the city is blocked, Zhi-ming takes Sima Yan and Zhao Wei over the Great Wall, then down to the river. Finally they reach safety and Sima resumes her female attire. Both men are stunned by her beauty and Zhi-ming notices a silver bangle she wears on her ankle which is the same as his. He asks her about this and realizes that they were pledged to each other by their parents when they were infants. As Zhi-ming is a monk he dares not disclose the truth to her. Zhao Wei is in love with Sima Yan and misunderstands Zhi-ming, he sees him as a rival. Finally the three are discovered by North Shaolin Guardian Monk Shi Ren, and as Zhi-ming has broken the temple rules, he is taken back to the temple. Zhi-ming is punished with 3 years of penance, but he wants his revenge and he's worried about Sima, so he breaks the rules again and escapes. In the meantime Shi Ren and the pole monks are escorting Master Wu Lou to South Shaolin for a meeting. Zhi-ming disguises himself and goes to South Shaolin ahead of Master Wu Lou. He finds Zhao Wei there, but Fa Ren's already left the temple with Sima Yan, as he's afraid they may have been discovered. By the time Zhi-ming and Zhao Wei find them, Fa Ren's been killed and Sima's been captured and is prisoner aboard He Suo's ship. The two men try to rescue Sima but encounter the eight kung fu experts and He Suo. At this time the North Shaolin Guardian Monks and the South Shaolin students come to their aid. The situation changes and eventually they kill He Suo. Before they part Zhi-ming gives his silver bangle to Zhao Wei. When Sima Yan comes to say goodbye, Zhi-ming's already left with Shi Ren to return to the temple...
The Bare-Footed Kid (1993)
Bare-footed young man Guan Feng-yao, living in a poor village, is ordered by his dying father to join his friend Duan Nan, a foreman at the Four-Season Weaving Factory, and is offered work as an apprentice there. After settling down, Feng-yao makes an acquaintance with a private school teacher named Hua Xiaolian, and the two become close friends in spite of the objections of Xiaolian's father, Master Hua. Manchu Ke-hu-pu, backed by General Nalan, holds tournaments to cover up his gambling activities, and at the same time recruits a number of exiles to extend his influence. Magistrate Yuan Tian-yu secretly conspires with Master Hua to eliminate him. Ke, the owner of Dragon Spinners, plans to buy up the Four Seasons Weavers. When his offer is turned down by its proprietress, the young widow Miss Huo, he encourages hie men to set fire to her factory. But Huo won't yield to the threats. Duan Nan, whose real name is Qing-yun and is an ex-convict, admiring her guts, decides to help her secretly without exposing his identity. He repeatedly stops Fenjg-yao, also unrivalled in martial arts, from using violence, but the latter eventually seizes the title deed from Dragon Spinners. Knowing the serious consequences, Duan arranges for Feng-yao to return to the country. Unreconciled to this, Feng-yao fights in the tournaments and wins. Impressed by his bravery, Ke hires Feng-yao as his coach and hides the truth from him. Young and inexperienced, Feng-yao sijion becomes his stooge and is trapped into killing Master Hua for him. Then he becomes abandoned and given to drinks, philandering, and casually exposes Duan's real identity to him. Ke decides to report this to the Court to claim credit. Moved by Duan's constant help, Huo confides to him her true love and the latter graciously accepts it. Unfortunately, Duan is now wanted by the Court and decides to give himself up. Duan is asked by Yuan to wipe out Ke and his spinning mill, and Duan agrees. Knowing that he may not return alive, Huo offers herself to him. On the way to Dragon Spinners, Duan is poisoned to death by Ke before Feng-yao arrives. Feng-yao engages in a death duel with Ke to carry out Duan's behests.- Actors:
- Aaron Kwok, Maggie Cheung, Lung Ti, Chien-lien Wu, Kenneth Tsang, Paul Chun, Siu-Fai Cheung, Man-Ho Chan, Min-Leung Chan, Tiet Wo Chu, Keung-Kuen Lai, Yat-Fei Wong, Jet Li, Jianqiang Hu, Qiuyan Huang, Bao Gao, Chunhua Ji, Yanlin Jiang, Huailiang Liu, Chen Ma
- Directors:
- Johnnie To, Patrick Leung, Johnny Mak, Chia-Liang Liu
- Producers:
- Mona Fong, Qi Fu
- Writers:
- Nai-Hoi Yau, Yang-Ping Shi, Yeung-Ping Sze
- Aka:
- Nan bei Shao Lin / Chik geuk siu ji
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Classics, Comedy, Drama
- Countries:
- Hong Kong
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 21/11/2022
- Run Time:
- 181 minutes
- Languages:
- Cantonese LPCM Mono, Dubbed, English LPCM Mono, Mandarin LPCM Mono
- Subtitles:
- English, English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Various
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Brand new commentary on 'Martial Arts of Shaolin' by Jonathan Clements
- Brand new commentary on 'The Bare-Footed Kid' by Frank Djeng of the NY Asian Film Festival
- Newly filmed appreciations of both films by film critic and historian Tony Rayns
- Interview with Martial Arts of Shaolin screenwriter Sze Yeung-ping, filmed in 2004
- Alternate standard-definition version of 'Martial Arts of Shaolin'
- Hong Kong and Japanese theatrical trailers for 'Martial Arts of Shaolin', plus trailers for the preceding 'Shaolin Temple' films starring Jet Li
- Hong Kong theatrical trailer and UK VHS promo for 'The Bare-Footed Kid'
- Image galleries for both films
