Director: Stanley Tong
Notable Cast:
Wang Baoqiang, Ni Da Hong, Du Gui-Yu, Solange Maggie, Ng Man-Tat, Yu Hai
When the initial teaser dropped for Rising Shaolin: The
Protector, a film that definitely doesn’t need such an unnecessary
subtitle, the hype became overwhelming in my soul. As a massive fan of the Jet
Li Shaolin Temple series, seeing a modern action icon like Wang Baoqiang pull
off the series of Shaolin kung fu forms in various seasonal weather was all
that I needed to justify seeing this film.
Granted, that hype was tempered by the phrase “directed by
Stanley Tong.” Just the thought that a Stanley Tong film would be a red flag
appalled the 15-year-old version of me in my heart. His early work on Super Cop
3 and Rumble in the Bronx helped guide me into Hong Kong cinema, but his recent
work - the inept lunacy of Vanguard and Kung Fu Yoga - is incredibly
disappointing. Even with a passion project like Rising Shaolin, it was
hard not to have traumatic flashbacks to his recent films.
In this modern update to the Shaolin kung fu genre, Rising
Shaolin follows a man (Wang Baoqiang) as he attempts to make a living by
conning travelers into purchasing materials and food at his inn by having his
friends pose as bandits. When the government, led by one of his friends looking
to work his way into a military rank, finds out of his trickster ways and aims
to use him to frame another government official. In a bid to run, he ends up
training under a lone Shaolin monk before looking to right the wrongs of his
life.
In a strange turn of events though, Rising Shaolin is
both surprisingly solid and a perplexing misfire. The mood of those two
feelings sways rapidly from scene to scene and it creates such a baffling case
of whiplash for its audience. Much of the narrative of the film is painted in
broad strokes, particularly much of the secondary plot elements that can be
both shocking (the relationship between father and son) and tragically
underdeveloped (the romantic subplot). Yet, the main reason for the inconsistency of tone and intent is the struggle to find the balance
between the serious, dramatic character work and the slapstick humor, particularly in
the first half of the film. The ability to walk that line is admirable. The
balance of comedy, action, and drama was one that so many classic films in the
genre could pull off. Rising Shaolin misses that mark. Large portions of
the film end up more akin to parody. There may be a thin line between homage
and parody, but the feeling between those comes across here as an astounding
crevasse. Rising Shaolin tragically stumbles down that cavern with the
utmost clumsiness.
However, while the core balance and tonality are a missing
link, Rising Shaolin does have two key aspects that will appease most
kung fu fans. Firstly, the fight work is surprisingly solid. While Tong has a
notable career working with some of the best in the industry - and by best, I
mean specifically Jackie Chan and his stunt team - he certainly has a team of
choreographers, stars, and stuntmen that ably carry the film through,
particularly in the second act. The film tends to lean slapstick heavy for the
first half, but once that is dropped, it’s a smorgasbord of fun and creative
fight sequences worthy of the viewer’s time. It capitalizes on the classic shaolin
aspects and delivers plenty of thrills and spills while doing so.
Secondly, Rising Shaolin makes very strong use of its
lead star, Wang Baoqiang. The massive star has proven his range and worth from
comedies like Detective Chinatown to villains in Kung Fu Killer
or dramatic heft in more artsy films like A Touch of Sin. His career and
style of performance is one of the more dynamic ones in all of cinema currently
and he manages to fit most of his talents and range into this one film. Rising
Shaolin benefits massively from his work as he embeds all of the necessary
nuance, charm, and martial arts prowess necessary to pull off the endeavor.
When he’s asked to be humorous, he’s committed to the pratfalls 100%. When he
needs to be big and bold in throwing around dramatic weight, he commits. Quite
frankly, he’s the one key reason that anything in Rising Shaolin
works.
Perhaps my expectations were a bit high, although it would
seem that Rising Shaolin does understand those expectations by
delivering the multi-seasonal training montage and having the iconic actor Yu
Hai as the Shaolin monk that our hero meets, but the pieces are often at odds
with one another. Some fantastic fight work and a charismatic lead will
definitely carry the film some distance, but unmemorable secondary characters,
a cheap overall TV influenced look, and tonality inconsistencies are almost
insurmountable for the film. Still, for kung fu fans, there is enough here to
warrant a viewing if the film ever fully makes its way beyond the film festival
circuit. It’s just not the instant nostalgia powered modern classic it might
have been.
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