Review of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin

For a long time, I had heard that this movie was a classic entry in the old school martial arts film genre, but I had been unable to find a copy of it to watch. So you can imagine that I was thrilled when I discovered that it was available on Netflix. The movie does pretty much live up to its reputation, though I think people should be prepared for how the movie presents itself. Unlike many other old school martial arts movies, the story doesn't play out with a life-or-death martial arts battle every few minutes. After the first 15 minutes, there are no life-or-death martial arts battles for the next hour or so. In fact, there are no martial arts battles for about 45 minutes after those first 15 minutes. But patient viewers will be rewarded eventually with some really good fight sequences, showcasing a number of different fighting techniques. They make the movie worth sitting through even during the long and calmer moments. I should point out that even during those long quieter moments, the movie is never boring. Plus, you will eventually get the important lesson that martial art skills take a lot of time and patience to master. If you are not in the mood for bloody and brutal fights every few minutes or so, then I definitely say give this movie a look.