The martial arts hijinks continue with the introduction of the “3 Holy Fools” who raise one of the two newborn sons destined to be emperor some day. Shaolin Prince is an epically cool late-era Shaw Brothers offering that should have been better received than it was back in 1982 when it was originally released. The film, one of several Shaolin-themed entries the studio was putting out at the time, features a nice mix of comedy and gravity-defying stunts thanks to the film’s director (and fight choreographer) Chia Tang, who pulls out all sorts of tricks to engage the audience.
And it works, making Shaolin Prince an absolute blast as some pretty crazy characters - including Fire Man and Water Man - come on the scene to protect the evil 9th Lord’s claim to power.
If you recognize Tang’s name from his work with directors Chang Cheh and Liu Chia-liang, then you know exactly why all eyes need to be on this film which is now a part of Shout Factory’s Shaw Brothers Classics, Vol 4. The film, with a number of impressive fight sequences sprinkled throughout to make the action seem almost seamless, also features Derek Yee and Ti Lung as twin brothers separated at birth thanks to the evil intentions of a wickedly cool Jason Pai Piao.
Shaolin Prince is a powerhouse of over-the-top kung-fu theatrics as the evil 9th Lord hunts down those who can connect him to the murder of the real 9th Lord, which includes the two sons who were taken as the film begins by the palace guards. The guards, strapping the babies to their chests, battle all manner of deadly foe as they protect the newborns and get them to safety, Tao Hing is secretly taken to Shaolin Temple (in which the banished 3 Holy Fools come into play and agree to raise the boy) and Wong Szu Tai is placed under the care of Prime Minister Wang (Ku Feng).
Both grow up unaware of the other, yet their paths will cross when political back-stabbing takes center stage and draws out the Shaolin monks. Produced when the public was demanding more and more ninjas, Shaolin Prince was sadly overlooked by most audiences.
Perhaps the comedy, with the 3 Holy Fools mugging for the camera like The Three Stooges, is just too bizarre for some people. While definitely slapstick, the play on comedy makes the training sequences more lighthearted in a wink-wink-nudge-nudge style.
But, in my opinion, the switch-up makes for a nice change of pace as the studio continued to struggle in the 1980s. The blu-ray, included here with yet another 12 classic martial arts films, highlights what the famous Shaw Brothers' library could do. The set features some of their greatest stars including The Five Deadly Venom’s stars Phillip Kwok, Sun Chien, Lu Feng, Chiang Sheng, and Lo Meng and A Better Tomorrow's Derek Yee and Ti Lung. Many of these visually spectacular films are debuting for the first time on Blu-ray. Heroes meet villains in edge-of-your-seat duels in this exciting array of some of Shaw Brothers' best!
Shaolin Prince, the first of three films Chia Tang directed, is old-school kung-fu at its most comical.
Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray - December 19, 2023
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles: English
Audio: Mandarin: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono; English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
Video: MPEG-4 AVC
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; 12-discset
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Tong Kai is one of the most respected names in martial arts movies, but may be less familiar because the veteran kung fu choreographer directed only three movies of his own. Of course, that makes Shaolin Prince, his first effort, perhaps the most special of the trio. His tale of two fugitive princes trying to recover the throne is a mind-bending wonder which used no less than five other choreographer friends to create kung fu configurations not only never seen before, but never even attempted!
Video
Shout Factory brings Shaolin Prince to Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Interiors are strong. Colors pop throughout, but it is the blood effects - burning bright in the transfer - which seal the deal. It’s full of great atmosphere thanks to the quick-footed script and looks visually eye-popping due to the 1080-upgrade. Black levels are strong throughout, bringing out nice details in both the loud and quiet moments.
Audio
The film is supplied with the origins Cantonese Mono DTS-HD Master Audio with new subtitle translation and an English Dubbed DTS-HD Master Audio with SDH subtitles.
Supplements:
Commentary:
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There’s a new commentary with Film Historian Brian Bankston
Special Features:
The interview with Derek Yee continues on this supplemental items included here, which also features the commentary with Bankson, and the Celestial trailer.
- NEW Audio Commentary With Film Historian Brian Bankston
- “The Shaw Years” – An Interview With Actor/Director Derek Yee (Part 2) By Frédéric Ambroisine
- Celestial Trailer
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: R
Runtime: 110 mins
Director: Chia Tang
Writer: Jing Wong
Cast: Lung Ti; Derek Yee Tung-Sing; Jason Piao Pai
Genre: Action | Drama
Tagline:
Memorable Movie Quote:
Distributor: Shaw Brothers
Official Site:
Release Date: January 1982
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: December 19, 2023
Synopsis: martial arts tale of two royal princes battling for the rightful recovery of the throne.
