Shaolin Wooden Men (1976)

Shaolin Wooden Men (1976) ***/*****

This Jackie Chan movie presents the legendary movie in a slightly more familiar comedic role, though the movie still has a slightly typical kung-fu plot familiar to fans of the genre. 

The movie is filled with likeable and typical stock characters, all played by capable and engaging actors. Many of whom are legends of the genre and well known to kung-fu fans of all ages. 

The titular Wooden Men are the final test for the Shaolin Monks before they are able to leave the monastery. But this is not the final test for Jackie Chan, instead it comes around the halfway mark with the real final test being the showdown with the mystery man in chains who trained  him and taught him the skills required to pass the Wooden Men gauntlet. In a shocking twist, it turns out that this dude actually killed Jackie Chan's father. This plot wrinkle forms the emotional crux of the movie.

There's a pretty awesome pre-title kung-fu demonstration that features JC taking on 4 grand masters showcasing the different styles that are used in the movie. 

JC's character is mute from the trauma of witnessing his father being killed, which deprives us of some of his charismatic  wit, but nonetheless he still manages to shine and exhibit the qualities that would very soon make him an international icon.

I really liked this one and highly recommend this to fans of either kung-fu or Jackie Chan, it's enjoyable and a must see/must own. 

That said, some of the wigs in this were extremely distracting, I'm not talking about the hairpieces that are part and parcel with genre, but the god awful contemporary hairpieces like the one worn by this guy!

What the hell is even that? That was completely jarring and illusion shattering. The actor is fine and engaging, but that wig nearly derails things. That's the main bad guy, but his hairpiece almost turns him into a parody. 

The aforementioned hairpiece aside, this movie has fantastic production values and is fun all the way through. The entire cast is excellent, utilized to perfection and not a sour note among them. 

In no order whatsoever I would like to give a shout out to these two legends

Hsiao-Chung Li  (Blind Abbott)

Which was his last credited role. On IMDB anyway. 

Te-Shan Wu (Drunken Monk) Honestly my favorite character in the movie.

Te-Shan also appeared in a few other JC projects in the 70's, Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin (1978), Half A Loaf of Kung-Fu (1978),  and Spiritual Kung Fu (1978).