The New Legend of Shaolin arrived sandwiched between Fist of Legend (1994)—widely considered the greatest pure martial arts film ever made—and High Risk (1995). While Fist of Legend showcased realistic, brutal Japanese karate vs. Chinese Kung Fu, The New Legend of Shaolin went in the opposite direction: it embraced fantasy, wire-fu, and operatic violence. Directed by Wong Jing (a controversial but commercially brilliant filmmaker) and action-choerographed by the legendary Yuen Woo-ping ( The Matrix , Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ), the film is a chaotic, beautiful mess that somehow works perfectly.
This film was directed by Wong Jing (a prolific, if uneven, director) but the action was choreographed by the legendary and Corey Yuen (who also did The Transporter ). Jet Li Movies The New Legend Of Shaolin
Yuen Woo-ping’s choreography here is distinct from his work on The Matrix or Crouching Tiger . It is grounded in Shaolin animal styles but pushed to cartoonish extremes. The highlight is not a fistfight, but the weapon: a flexible, three-section staff that Jet Li wields like a liquid silver serpent. In the final battle against Poo Tin-juk’s iron claws, Li wraps the staff around the villain’s neck, pulls him into a spinning kick, and lands in a prayer pose. It is a single, breathtaking sequence that sums up the film’s soul: violence in service of grace. The New Legend of Shaolin arrived sandwiched between
