If you want a spirited, accessible Jet Li movie that mixes solid action with heartfelt moments, The New Legend of Shaolin is a satisfying pick—especially for viewers who like their kung fu movies with both skillful choreography and a human story.
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The premise of The New Legend of Shaolin is deceptively simple yet emotionally devastating. Jet Li stars as Hung Hei-kwun (often spelled Hong Xiguan), a real-life folk hero of the Hung Gar style of Kung Fu.
The story begins in tragedy. The villainous Lord Ma Ning-er (played with scenery-chewing brilliance by Chin Kar-lok) is a eunuch with a god complex. He massacres the entire Hung family, leaving Hung Hei-kwun as the sole survivor. However, the villain fails to kill Hung’s infant son. Now a fugitive, Hung must protect his child while seeking revenge against Ma’s army. If you want a spirited, accessible Jet Li
What sets this Jet Li movie apart is the "buddy dynamic" between father and son. The child actor, Tse Miu (who later grew up to be actor Nicholas Tse), plays "Deer" (or "Sok"), a kid who is a pickpocket and a brat. For the first half of the film, the kid does not even realize Jet Li is his father. Their relationship is rocky, comedic, and eventually heartbreaking.
The plot thickens when they hide out in the Shaolin Temple. The monks, including a hilarious cameo by director Wong Jing, train the boy while the father struggles with his rage. The climax features a literal "Red Pole" (the legendary staff of Shaolin) and a final duel that defies the laws of physics. The premise of The New Legend of Shaolin
Before he became Hollywood’s Romeo Must Die or The One, Jet Li starred in a wave of early 90s Hong Kong masterpieces. Among them, The New Legend of Shaolin (1994) stands out as a dark horse. Directed by legendary choreographer Corey Yuen (The Transporter, Fong Sai-yuk), this film is often overshadowed by Once Upon a Time in China or Fist of Legend, but fans argue it contains Jet Li’s most raw, emotional, and brutal performance.
To appreciate The New Legend of Shaolin, one must look at the timeline of Jet Li’s career. By 1994, Jet Li had already shattered box office records with Once Upon a Time in China (1991) and Fong Sai-yuk (1993). He was transitioning from the noble, stoic hero (Huang Feihong) to more rugged, emotionally complex characters.
The New Legend of Shaolin arrived sandwiched between Fist of Legend (1994)—widely considered the greatest pure martial arts film ever made—and High Risk (1995). While Fist of Legend showcased realistic, brutal Japanese karate vs. Chinese Kung Fu, The New Legend of Shaolin went in the opposite direction: it embraced fantasy, wire-fu, and operatic violence. Directed by Wong Jing (a controversial but commercially brilliant filmmaker) and action-choerographed by the legendary Yuen Woo-ping (The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), the film is a chaotic, beautiful mess that somehow works perfectly.