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Review by
Calvin
McMillin: |
How
do you make a sequel when the main character's story was
pretty much wrapped up in the original? That may have been
the very question facing director Lau Kar-Leung when Shaw
Brothers came calling for him to helm the follow-up to the
mega-popular 36th Chamber of Shaolin. In that stellar
film, Gordon Liu starred as bookish student San Te, who
after years of arduous training emerged from the Shaolin
Temple as a certifiable master of the martial arts. The
film ended with San Te taking revenge on those who killed
his loved ones and establishing the 36th Chamber, a section
of the temple dedicated to teaching laymen the art of Shaolin
kung fu. Sure, a sequel could involve San Te serving as
a mentor for a new lead character, but part of the fun of
the original film was watching Gordon Liu struggle to master
each of the grueling chambers. If Liu were to reprise the
role of San Te, would there really be anything more for
him to do with the character? But if he doesn't play San
Te, how can the film still be called a sequel?
In crafting the Return
to the 36th Chamber, the filmmakers came up with an
innovative compromise: Gordon Liu would remain the star
of the film, but would instead be recast as a comical loser
who ends up training under the first film's protagonist,
San Te (this time essayed by Lee King-Chue). The sequel
also adds a large helping of humor to the mix, which makes
for a winning combination—thanks largely to this novel
approach, the resulting film is a surprisingly engaging,
fun-filled kung fu romp.
As with all of the films in
the series, the events of Return to the 36th Chamber
are set during a time when the Manchurians controlled China.
The film focuses on the Han employees of the Manchu-owned
Cheng Tai Dye Mill, all of whom are happily going about
their business—until one day when the higher-ups decide
to hire some Manchu workers and cut the Han's salaries by
twenty percent! Enraged by these unfair business practices,
the employees decide to quit in protest, but to no avail.
The Manchurians simply beat them to a pulp and tell them
to get back to work!
In a hilarious comic turn,
Gordon Liu enters the plot as Chu Jen-Chieh, an out-of-work
conman who spends his days pretending to be a monk and selling
fake goods to unsuspecting marks. Convinced by his dye mill
pals to help out, Ah Chieh dons the guise of the stern monk
San Te in order to fool the Manchus into giving the poor
workers back their wages. Thanks to fancy wirework and some
painfully acrobatic stunt work courtesy of the dye mill
crowd, Ah Chieh is able to trick most of the Manchus into
thinking he's a martial arts master. But when the Manchu
boss (Johnny Wang Lung-Wei) shows up, he's more than a little
suspicious of the ersatz San Te, and asks the fake monk
to show up for a demonstration. When Ah Chieh bungles the
moves, the jig is up and everyone from Ah Chieh to the Dye
mill workers are ruthlessly thrashed. Admonished for his
dishonest lifestyle by his own brother, Ah Chieh skips town
and vows to learn Shaolin kung fu from the real San Te.
Since telling lies is Ah Chieh's
only real talent, he tries to put his skills in deception
to good use. After a series of comic ploys (including slipping
a laxative to a monk in order to take his place), Ah Chieh
eventually sneaks his way into the Shaolin temple. San Te
eventually reveals Ah Chieh to be an imposter, and puts
our young hero to work. His job is to scaffold every building
of the Shaolin temple to prepare for its regularly scheduled
renovation. Using the precept that Mr. Miyagi would take
up years later, San Te uses work as a way to train the undisciplined
Ah Chieh. As he watches the young disciples practice in
the courtyard, Ah Chieh uses the bamboo and cord to imitate
their techniques, crafting several nifty exercises from
his woefully modest resources.
After more than a year of
training (bringing his grand total stay at Shaolin to a
possible three years; the narrative is unclear), Ah Chieh
has a "falling out" with San Te, and leaves the
monastery. Unbeknownst to our protagonist, he's actually
learned something in his years away from home, and when
he finally realizes what he can do, Ah Chieh decides to
take on the Manchu overlords. But one thing the Shaolin
Temple couldn't have prepared him for is the Manchu's proficiency
in the deadly art of "bench fu." Be afraid, be
very afraid.
When all is said and done, Return to the 36th Chamber turns out to be a pleasant
surprise. The more overt comic tone is a welcome change
of pace in comparison to the rather straight-laced tenor
of the original. Gordon Liu is a riot, showing his range
as a comic actor throughout the film, but most noticeably
during the scenes where he lampoons his image as the iconic
San Te. But even with all the comedy, the filmmakers are
disciplined enough to know when to give the film a sense
of reality.
Admittedly, some aspects of
the plot don't really hold up to intensive scrutiny. What's
the point of training for years just to beat the hell out
of the bosses? Sure, they'll increase wages for a while,
but won't they just hire a better fighter to take on Ah
Chieh next month? Maybe it's better not to think about that,
and instead just take Return to the 36th Chamber
for what it is: a fun-filled, lighthearted popcorn movie
that will probably please both the fans of the original
and newcomers alike. (Calvin McMillin 2003)
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