Shaolin Wooden Men Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Shaolin Wooden Men Blu-ray Movie Review

Shaolin Wooden Men is an entertaining and thrilling 1976 action film. Produced at the Lo Wei studio as part of Golden Harvest (during the post Bruce-Lee era of Golden Harvest), the film is a must-see for Jackie Chan fans. Produced by Wei Lo (A Chinese Legend, Blade of Fury), Shaolin Wooden Men was released under alternate titles as 36 Wooden Men and Shaolin Chamber of Death (and other titles). Some audiences may be more familiar with these alternate titles for the film. Co- stars Chun-Erh Lung and Kang Chin.

Little Mute (Jackie Chan) struggles with trauma after the devastation of being an eyewitness to the violent murder of his father. Distraught and upset by the loss of his beloved dad, Little Mute decides he must train to be a better warrior. Determined to learn how to channel his own skills in martial arts, Little Mute trains in a sacred Shaolin Temple. Little Mute has one mission now: learning the art of revenge. Can Little Mute carry out revenge against those who took out his dad?

Jackie Chan delivers a superb performance in Shaolin Wooden Men. The performance is excellent and there are a lot of great qualities to his performance in the film. Chan carries the entire film with his undeniable screen presence and star power. There is something compelling in each scene of the production with Chan showcasing his superb action chops.

The cinematography by Chung-Yuan Chen (Jian nu, The Killer Meteors) is one of the most beautiful elements of the film. Chen did a fantastic job with the visuals and there is a lot to appreciate here. Stunning visuals make the production all the more epic in scope.

Edited by Chih-Hsiung Huang (The First Time Is the Last Time, The Butterfly Murders) and Yen-Hai Li (The 36^th Chamber of Shaolin, The Kiss of Death), Shaolin Wooden Men is a film with a great pace. The film flows enormously well. The rhythm was great here and this is a testament to the solid editing.

The production benefits from some other fantastic components including superb art direction by Lei-Hsiung Li (The Blazing Temple). The art direction is visually rewarding with a superb art style that is cinematic and poetic. These design elements are also well complimented by quality costuming by Yan-Hung Li (The Fearless Hyena, General Invincible).

The score composed by Fu-Liang Chou (Mantis Fist Fighter, Drunken Master) is a highlight of Shaolin Wooden Men and the music adds to the sense of adventure. The music provides a nice backdrop to Shaolin Wooden Men and its action beats. A good effort and the music works well with the film.

The stunts by Jackie Chan and Ming Chin (Edge of Fury, Along Comes a Tiger) are reason enough to see the film. Chan and Chin provide excellent stunt work. The stunts are incredible and Chan showcases fantastic skills as an action choreographer. These elements make the film all the more fun.

Written by Hsin Chin (Hong lou chun shang chun, Ban ye), Shaolin Wooden Men is a fun script and it certainly flows well. The screenplay is fun and with good moments for Jackie Chan throughout the production. The tonal balance in the film worked quite well.

Directed by Chi-Hwa Chen (Police Story, Half a Loaf of Kung Fu), Shaolin Wooden Men is a must-see for Jackie Chan fans. Chen did a great job with the action filmmaking and the entire film is bursting with quality energy. Shaolin Wooden Men is a great thrill ride for action fans.

Shaolin Wooden Men Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Shout Factory, Shaolin Wooden Men is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen. The print quality for the film looks excellent. The transfer appears mostly naturalistic and with less digital tinkering than The Killer Meteors. The transfer provides a solid and pleasing high-definition image with excellent color and fidelity. A good effort on the transfer.

Shaolin Wooden Men Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The audio is provided in Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio Mono, Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio Mono, and English DTS-HD Master Audio mono. English subtitles are provided on the release. The audio is a little inconsistent and there were some parts where the audio quality seemed a bit rough around the edges – though this aspect is easily remedied by turning down the volume on the release (providing a more relaxed sound presentation). The audio track is largely pleasing and works well given the age of the audio elements.

Shaolin Wooden Men Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary with Film Critic James Mudge

Rick Baker on Shaolin Wooden Men (HD, 9:14)

Original Theatrical Trailer (HD, 4:16)

English Trailer (SD, 4:17)

Still Gallery (HD, 1:04)

Japanese Trailer (HD, 2:08)

Japanese TV Spot (HD, 00:16)

Shaolin Wooden Men Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Shaolin Wooden Men is an exciting action-packed romp with a lot of great spectacle. Jackie Chan had a blast with his role in the film and the performance is well worthwhile. The action is reason enough to see Shaolin Wooden Men. The Blu-ray release offers a pleasing high-definition presentation. The release comes with a nice selection of bonus features. Highly recommended.