In 1977, fight choreographer Sammo Hung made one last film under his mentor, director Huang Feng (Lady Whirlwind, Hapkido) before graduating to the director’s chair himself with The Iron-Fisted Monk. That film was the rarely-seen martial arts ensemble thriller The Shaolin Plot, which sees the pair reunite with Hong Kong heavy Chan Sing (New Fist of Fury). Prince Daglen (Sing) is hellbent on completing his comprehensive collection of Chinese martial arts manuals and mastering each form against his opponents. With only two manuals left to obtain, he sends his most dangerous henchman, a renegade monk (Hung) armed with two golden cymbals acting as flying guillotines, to steal the manual of Wu-Tang. To steal the sacred texts of Shaolin, however, the wicked Daglen will have to infiltrate the temple himself. The stage is set for a clash between Daglen, his cronies and surviving Wu-Tang student Little Tiger (James Tien, The Big Boss), alongside a lethal duo of Shaolin warrior monks (Casanova Wong, Warriors Two and Kwan Yung Moon, My Young Auntie). Based on a story by legendary storyteller Ni Kuang (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin), The Shaolin Plot is a classic tale of martial arts intrigue and deception, combining the incoming new wave of action with the old, resulting in one of the most overlooked and underrated kung fu classics from one of the most prolific Hong Kong film studios of all time!

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Video Quality

The Shaolin Plot comes to Blu-Ray with a 1080p master in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio restored in 2K from its original film elements by Fortune Star who supplied it to Arrow Video. Additional color correction was also undertaken on behalf of Arrow Video to make this release as aesthetically accurate as possible. The label has been rescuing numerous great Golden Harvest titles in recent years, and the results have been nothing but a welcome sight for martial arts fans. While certain aspects might be enhanced if Arrow Video had more of a hand in the restoration process, the image is quite enjoyable all around. The color correction works wonders as the hues saturate the screen with a natural beauty that unlocks the nuances of the clothing, production design, and natural environment.

You will find a robust amount of fine detail in close-up shots that allow you to see subtle facial details and facets of the production design and costumes. Things get slightly less sharp in the medium and long shots with some shots looking more crisp than others. While there are elements that could likely be fine-tuned and imperfections are visible intermittently, the level of damage and wear and tear is very low. The film does not exhibit any chunky compression artifacts or egregious issues with the framing. Black levels remain fairly firm with no crush observed. Arrow Video has kept up a high level of quality with this release.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray presents the film with an LPCM 1.0 audio track in the original Mandarin along with an English dub. The stylized sounds of punching and kicking are one of the most prominent and pleasing elements of the soundscape. While there are some understandable instances of age-related wear and tear, the score largely maintains a pleasing fidelity. Dialogue occasionally takes on a somewhat hollow quality, but the information is usually clear in most environments. There are limitations to the source, but the listening experience stands out as well as it can with a pair of options for fans to choose from. Arrow Video has maintained a fine standard for this one. This release has optional English subtitles provided.

Special Features

The first pressing of the Arrow Video Blu-Ray of The Shaolin Plot includes a 23-page booklet featuring the essay “An Overlooked Beginning” by writer Peter Glagowski. This provides a great analysis of the landscape of Hong Kong cinema of the time, the overlooked nature of the feature, the performers, behind-the-scenes details, and the genre at large in a thoughtfully written style. This initial pressing also comes with a double-sided poster. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: There are two commentary tracks provided in which film experts deliver a deeply informative exploration of the film’s history, why it was shot only in Mandarin, the careers of some of the performers involved, the work of Huang Feng, the tone of the film, the styles of martial arts implemented in this picture and more. Everyone is very passionate and knowledgeable about the subject matter, and it is a lot of fun listening to them discuss things in depth.

- Audio Commentary #1: Martial arts film experts Frank Djeng & Michael Worth

- Audio Commentary #2: Action cinema experts Mike Leeder & Arne Venema

Alternate English Credits: A two-minute version of the credits in English.

Theatrical Trailer: This disc provides the HK Theatrical Trailer (3:57) and the English Export Trailer (2:56).

Image Gallery: A collection of stills, behind-the-scenes photos, and marketing material is provided here.

Final Thoughts

The Shaolin Plot is not considered a marquee title in the genre, but that is mostly because it has been overshadowed and taken for granted for too long. The film is quite entertaining and encapsulates much of what we enjoy about martial arts films. It is not breaking any boundaries, but it is a steady player that should please any martial arts fan who checks it out. Arrow Video has released a Blu-Ray featuring a solid A/V presentation and a small sampling of special features. If you love what Arrow Video has been doing for Hong Kong cinema in the past few years, you are going to love this release. Recommended

The Shaolin Plot is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.