A deserved reputation
Known as one of the greatest classics from the Shaw Brothers, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin doesn't disappoint. The only disappointing aspect could be the last fight between Gordon Liu and Lo Lieh, really too short. Except that, fans of kung-fu will be pleased by so many details in the fights and training.
The biggest quality of the movie is clearly its diversity. Most of the kung-fu movies made at this period share the same lack: the fight scenes are too numerous and not various enough, leading to a paradoxal lack of rythm. That's clearly not the case here, with the different chambers, each one teaching our hero a different technic. And even the fights succeed in being well constructed. The actors are convincing (Gordon Liu doing a great job), the directing is very precise and meant to underline the moves and technics, the music and production values are also excellent. There is nothing to really complain about for the SB fans. More than recommanded.
